You know, for the sand and the salt. Otherwise you can’t enjoy the beautiful lullaby created by the crashing surf. The powder will take the sand right off of you, and leave you smelling fresh. Also, bring a pad or a mat, because sleeping directly on the sand isn’t comfy at all.

I adore walking along the beach at nightime, when the entire world has been cast into shades of black and white. I remember a particularly vivid experience a few weeks ago, down at Mustang Island with some friends. We’d scamper after crabs with red tin buckets as the froth from the ocean played around our toes. The sky was alive with brilliant constellations cart-wheeling across the heavens.

The next morning, we got up before daybreak and lugged our kayaks a mile to the beach, and paddled straight into the surf to see the sun rise. It was glorious! As sterns man, it was quite a feat to keep our tandem straight to avoid toppling into the ocean, as massive waves plagued the bow. Our pains were rewarded, however, with some fantastic surfing when we headed back toward shore!