Family beach vacations: Renewing, building memories

By Mary Liebowitz

I am perched in my $5 fold-out beach chair, toes stuck in the sand. My 3Â½-year-old daughter runs back and forth along the shore, picking up shells, carefully inspecting them, and tossing them with a clink into her plastic orange bucket.

Something about the beach, sitting here, facing the ocean, brings my own summertime childhood memories back with a rush. I remember stretching my towel out as wide as possible and tucking the corners into the warm sand, making sure to define my territory, and defend it with my elbows. Time and time again, I ran out of the ocean and tossed myself onto the towel with a flop, letting the ends of my hair curl in the sun and briny salt water. My parents were always so relaxed on our vacations on the coast, and my memories are filled with their laughter, the happy smell of suntan lotion, and licking lobster butter off of my fingers every night for a week.

My daughter is joyful, collecting shells. The rolling waves and the sound of the surf are so relaxing that I never want to get out of this chair again. We are surrounded by other families pulling snacks out of coolers and playing catch, and everything is just about enjoying the day, the ocean view, and the sunlight.

During the week I focus on my work and the daily grind, but the beach is our time to let go and be playful. We focus on doing nothing, and having fun. When we get home, we’re calm and renewed, and I am hopeful that my daughter’s happy childhood memories will include these beach days, where we just unplugged and enjoyed each other’s company.

Sometimes, it becomes necessary to break out the big guns. This is when I need to get on a plane and land on a beach in the Caribbean. In the Bahamas, Atlantis recently rolled out Aquaventure, an amazing, 63-acre family water park that includes water slides down a giant Mayan temple and a tube ride through a clear acrylic tunnel, in the center of a shark lagoon. FDR Pebbles, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is a great property that assigns a “Vacation Nanny” to families with children. (OK, big collective “Ooooooh,” everybody.) They will take your child to every kid’s activity (and there are many) while you get a little quiet time,snooze in a hammock, whatever.

Negril, Jamaica, is home to Beaches Negril, which now offers “Sesame Street with Beaches,” and includes a bunch of different themed programs and activities for Sesame Street addicts my daughter’s age, in addition to stuff for the older kids, like the “XBOX Game Garage,” which, frankly, I’m a little frightened to mention to my teenaged stepson. We may never see him again.

Twilight is my favorite time of day at the beach, when the setting sun makes all the colors on the sand appear more vibrant, with a soft golden hue. The clear waves look like sea glass, and the sun sets slowly in a pink sky. All around us, Mother Natureâ’ Aficionados sit appreciatively in their respective beach chairs turned towards the ocean.

Tomorrow is Monday, and my daughter will be bravely heading off to daycare, lunchbox in hand, and I’ll be developing a serious case of Monitor Glaze while I scroll through my gigantic Inbox. However, after this weekend at the beach, I think we’re both better prepared to take the upcoming week calmly, and with a significant burst of renewed energy.

Related Orbitz resources:

Family travel
Beach vacation

Mary Huerta Liebowitz works in the Caribbean and spends her free time chasing her
3-year old daughter, attending Spinning classes, and reading whatever she can
get her hands on.