There is no place better than a warm beach, in some tropical zone warmer than Calgary. It’s a real privilege for anyone who gets a chance to get away from winter and enjoy the rays of the sun. There are so many wonderful things that you can spend time doing on your trip, but I have some very specific goals when I head south. In this blog, here are my Mount Rushmore of things that are half to do’s when on a beach holiday:
- Collect a beer bottle of sand
My good friend Murray put me onto this many years ago and I am so thankful. He put me onto the idea that you should drink a local bottle of beer, on the beach of your choice, fill it with sand and cherish it forever. I have been lucky enough to drink some beers on beaches around the world with him and I now have over 20+ bottles from around the world. If you haven’t done it, do it. You will look back on those bottles one day and remember the good times.
2. Do something you have never done before
Another beach staple is to find something you have never tried and embrace it. At least for a day. Put para-sailing, scuba diving, wake boarding, paddle boarding and surfing into the grouping. One of the best beach days I have ever spent was riding a boogie board on 10 ft high waves in Maui. I couldn’t get enough of the challenge to get on top of those waves and to save myself from crashing into the surf from 10 ft above. Find your thing of the week and try to master it.
3. Try local drinks and find one you will remember
Oh those damn drinks They are always so tempting and unbelievably tasty on a 30+ day. They never quite taste the same when you try to wow your friends with your culture, the following week. You can’t ever quite find the right ingredients to replicate and they always taste better in the warm sun. They aren’t always slushy but they can be equally sweet. Count the dark and stormy, goombay smash, bulldog and your run of the mill rum punch as drinks that have taken over my life for a week. Look them up and make them yours.
4. Explore the local culture
We always take our sense of adventure and turn it into something local. You could be amazed what you can find in some of these countries. Mountains like the Pitons, Volcanoes like Haleakala, Bob Marley’s actual house and visiting Gilligans island off the coast of the Bahamas have been some of the best days of my travels. We all go into it saying we should “keep it simple” and stick to the beach or the pool. You will be missing so much in this world if you do.
There are so many other things that make a sunny holiday special but the biggest reason is enjoying it with the person/people you hang with. Spending some valuable time with Mary simply holding hands while lying in a beach chair ranks right up there along with all the debauchery that I have lived and seen. Ultimately, it’s those you came with or chose to embrace that bring you back to these moments. Thank them for the good times.
Ahola
Marco