Honestly, I got tired of feeling guilty every time I packed my flip-flops. Pictures perfect beach vacations seemed awesome, but man, the trash and crowds I’d leave behind started bugging me. So, I decided to actually try and plan a “good” beach trip this time around. Buckle up, it was a learning curve.
The “Duh, Why Didn’t I Think of That?” Research Phase
My usual MO was: find cheapest flight + closest beach hotel. Boom. Done. Turns out, that’s like step one of screwing things up politely. This time, I actually sat down with my laptop. Searched stuff like “less crowded beaches near me” and “eco-certified hotels beach”. Felt kinda basic, but hey, gotta start somewhere. Looked for places actually doing stuff, not just saying they’re “green” while washing towels daily.
Found a spot a few hours drive away – a national seashore with simple cabin rentals run by a park co-op, not a big chain. Score one for not being a total lazy planner.
Packing Like I Actually Cared
Okay, confession: packing is my weakness. T-shirts for every day? Absolutely. This time, I looked at my pile of plastic water bottles and disposable sunscreen tubes and went “Nope.” Pulled out the dusty reusable bottles from the back of the cupboard. Bought that solid shampoo bar everyone talks about – weird shape, but let’s see. Dug up my trusty canvas bag from that conference years ago. Threw in my own travel mug too, just in case. Goal? Buy less plastic crap once I’m there.
Getting There Without Melting the Ice Caps (Much)
Flying would’ve been easy, but man, the carbon footprint. Since the spot was driveable, we piled into my old sedan – packed tight to split the gas. Checked tire pressure first (apparently helps!). Plot twist: we got stuck in traffic for ages. Not exactly zen, but hey, still probably less impact than a quick flight? Trying to justify the frustration…
Being There Without Being A Jerk
This was the real test. The cabin was basic – no mini-fridge filled with tiny plastic bottles, no AC blasting 24/7, used ceiling fans mostly. Kinda nice actually!
- Beach Time Rules: Slathered on mineral sunscreen (messy, but supposedly reef-safe). Set up base camp AWAY from the dunes like the signs said. Picked up every wrapper, even ones not ours (sigh).
- Food & Drinks: Hit the local market instead of the resort buffet. Filled our bottles at the cabin tap. The travel mug was clutch for the little coffee shack. Felt proud using my canvas bag!
- Souvenirs: Didn’t buy the plastic junk magnets. Found a cool handmade shell necklace from a local artist instead. Felt better supporting them.
- Water Use: Tried really hard with quick showers. Towels? Hung ’em up like adults for reuse. It was… fine!
The Big (But Subtle) Win & Lessons
The beach itself felt cleaner than others I’d seen. Maybe it was just less crowded? Who knows, but felt good doing less harm. Did we nail it perfectly? Nope. Forgot the reusable straws (doh!), and that shampoo bar took some getting used to. And yeah, driving long distances isn’t perfect either.
But overall? It wasn’t hard! Just required thinking a tiny bit before clicking “book now” and packing slightly smarter. Still relaxed, still built sandcastles, still got sunburned (lesson: reapply mineral sunscreen OFTEN). Next time? Trying a train option. Baby steps! You can totally do this without turning into a hippie hermit, promise.
