Beach House 101

[Anonymous]

This summer, we rented a house with DH's parents and sister/her family. We'll have kids with us ages 1.5-4.

None of us have ever done a full-week beach rental before. What are your "101-level" tips for us? I'm talking everything from favorite beach meals to cook to ways to handle chores/buying stuff to general activities besides beach bumming. TIA!

[Anonymous]

I would suggest a meal rotation if you plan to cook & grill. DH's parents are in charge of dinner on Monday, sister/her husband Tuesday, you/your husband Wednesday, eat out Thursday night, repeat. If you choose what you want to make ahead of time, one family can watch the kids while the other does the grocery run when you arrive. You can bring meats (frozen homemade meatballs and sauce, beef for burgers etc) in a cooler to save money if you are driving, and put in big plastic bins for your car the basic staples like salt, pepper, sugar, spices, toilet paper, paper towels, clorox wipes, and laundry and dishwasher pods. We tend to buy fresh fish once we arrive.

Ask the owner exactly what your responsibilities are. Do you bring your own linens and towels? Do you have to wash them all before you check out or just load the washer? When is trash & recycling day? Usually there's a handbook in the kitchen near the guestbook that has this information along with wi-fi information etc but it never hurts to ask.

[Anonymous]

Spend the extra $150-ish for the linen service.

For not having to deal with our own linens and towels, it was totally worthwhile.

Also, leave the DC area NO LATER than 6am Saturday morning. Otherwise you'll have a traffic nightmare. There's plenty of stuff to do in OBX while you're waiting for the house to open on Saturday afternoon.

In that same vein, consider leaving for home later Saturday night. Because the Sunday go-home traffic is pretty bad, too.

Also, pay attention to construction on I-64. VA 460 is a viable alternative if they're working on 64.

[Anonymous]

we go to the beach with three other families every summer. Each family is in charge of dinner and cleaning up one night. We do leftovers one night, bring in pizza one night and go out to dinner twice. Everyone is on own for other meals and snacks. every family does one big grocery run. We try not to worry about who bought what b/c it will make you crazy and for the most part it evens out with our group

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spend the extra $150-ish for the linen service.

For not having to deal with our own linens and towels, it was totally worthwhile.

Also, leave the DC area NO LATER than 6am Saturday morning. Otherwise you'll have a traffic nightmare. There's plenty of stuff to do in OBX while you're waiting for the house to open on Saturday afternoon.

In that same vein, consider leaving for home later Saturday night. Because the Sunday go-home traffic is pretty bad, too.

Also, pay attention to construction on I-64. VA 460 is a viable alternative if they're working on 64.

Nowhere in the post does the OP indicate that they're going to NC or the outer banks in particular. But we all bow down to your Obx expert status, pp

[Anonymous]

Why do people make this stuff harder than it needs to be. If you can't easily figure this out don't go on vacation with these people. All of this who cooks and cleans what and when ruins the whole vacation part. Just be adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest a meal rotation if you plan to cook & grill. DH's parents are in charge of dinner on Monday, sister/her husband Tuesday, you/your husband Wednesday, eat out Thursday night, repeat. If you choose what you want to make ahead of time, one family can watch the kids while the other does the grocery run when you arrive. You can bring meats (frozen homemade meatballs and sauce, beef for burgers etc) in a cooler to save money if you are driving, and put in big plastic bins for your car the basic staples like salt, pepper, sugar, spices, toilet paper, paper towels, clorox wipes, and laundry and dishwasher pods. We tend to buy fresh fish once we arrive.

Ask the owner exactly what your responsibilities are. Do you bring your own linens and towels? Do you have to wash them all before you check out or just load the washer? When is trash & recycling day? Usually there's a handbook in the kitchen near the guestbook that has this information along with wi-fi information etc but it never hurts to ask.

Are you my MIL??? Why would you bring meat in a cooler on what's likely a long drive in the summer if you're gonna go to the grocery store once you're there? If you want to penny pinch/coupon by shopping ahead, do it with the non perishables!

If your car space is tight, don't freak out if you can't load up on paper goods, etc. the vast majority of houses (especially if done through a good rental agency or direct through the owner) will leave you with a roll of paper towels, toilet paper in the bathrooms, etc. so you can survive until making it to the store.

Consider bringing/buying paper plates/bowls for some meals and snacks - nothing ruins the vacation feel like someone having to wash dishes 4 times a day for a big group

If the house has a pool, the heating fee is a worthwhile investment if it's early in the season!

[Anonymous]

Pay your own full share for the house rental. Don't be a mooch. The other adults will respect you more, and that makes all adult relationships easier.

[Anonymous]

I would suggest going out to dinner most nights. Nobody wants to cook or clean on vacation.

Use paper products.

[Anonymous]

Don't make me fit into a schedule. I may want to be on the beach at (what you think is) dinnertime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest a meal rotation if you plan to cook & grill. DH's parents are in charge of dinner on Monday, sister/her husband Tuesday, you/your husband Wednesday, eat out Thursday night, repeat. If you choose what you want to make ahead of time, one family can watch the kids while the other does the grocery run when you arrive. You can bring meats (frozen homemade meatballs and sauce, beef for burgers etc) in a cooler to save money if you are driving, and put in big plastic bins for your car the basic staples like salt, pepper, sugar, spices, toilet paper, paper towels, clorox wipes, and laundry and dishwasher pods. We tend to buy fresh fish once we arrive.

Ask the owner exactly what your responsibilities are. Do you bring your own linens and towels? Do you have to wash them all before you check out or just load the washer? When is trash & recycling day? Usually there's a handbook in the kitchen near the guestbook that has this information along with wi-fi information etc but it never hurts to ask.

Are you my MIL??? Why would you bring meat in a cooler on what's likely a long drive in the summer if you're gonna go to the grocery store once you're there? If you want to penny pinch/coupon by shopping ahead, do it with the non perishables!

If your car space is tight, don't freak out if you can't load up on paper goods, etc. the vast majority of houses (especially if done through a good rental agency or direct through the owner) will leave you with a roll of paper towels, toilet paper in the bathrooms, etc. so you can survive until making it to the store.

Consider bringing/buying paper plates/bowls for some meals and snacks - nothing ruins the vacation feel like someone having to wash dishes 4 times a day for a big group

If the house has a pool, the heating fee is a worthwhile investment if it's early in the season!

I'm not your MIL! We vacation on Kiawah where the one grocery store on the island is quite expensive, so we like to save the money by bringing what we can - and that includes steak, paper towels etc. It also saves time. I'd rather be at the beach than grocery shopping, so we keep that to perishables and fish. HTH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't make me fit into a schedule. I may want to be on the beach at (what you think is) dinnertime.

The meal times and responsibilities should be established ahead of time when sharing a house with another family. That's part of the deal with this type of vacation. If you want to do your own thing you might not want to share a house or go on a group vacation.

[Anonymous]

You're not the boss of me

[Anonymous]

Have you thought about maybe switching off bedtime with the kids so each couple can have a date night?

[Anonymous]

Pick a house that turns on Friday. Do not plan to go anywhere on Saturday afternoon.