Photo Credit: pfly

An off-season beach day with friends

Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA is one of those beaches that is big enough to be a great beach with tons of stuff to do while at the same time small enough to never be the most travelled to beach in the area. The small parking lot helps with the crowds as long as you don’t arrive too late in the morning to get your own spot. But none of that matters now that it’s past Labor Day! At this time of year you can enjoy a reduced (or non-existent if you are lucky) parking fee and if you arrive after lunch your group may double the total number of beach goers.

Email a few families and make an afternoon date to meet at the beach. Leave the suits at home, pack a few kites, your kadima, bring a potluck of dinner apps and perhaps a bottle of or two of adult grape juice (no, it’s not officially sanctioned), and get ready to have some fun. Once you are all set up and the kids are starting to get a little antsy, head out on your treasure hunt looking for the Geocache. It won’t be that difficult to find and after you do, you’ll still have a half mile of beach for the kids to run on while you relax in relative peace.