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Sometimes you need a little vacation.  We got ours this summer a little less planned then I would have liked but we made it there and back in one piece and had a pretty good time at the beach.   So we visited my brother and his fiance in Virginia Beach.  Without a good idea of what to do or time to prepare for this trip, we had no plan.  It was just a free weekend for him and who doesn’t like a trip to the beach.  

No Plan 5-Day Beach Trip

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With no plan, it was pretty much up to our whims and whatever they suggested with some sun, sand, and wildlife at one of the more popular vacation spots on the east coast.

How do you throw a toddler in the car and go?  I’m not sure if it was good or bad how this trip didn’t have much planning time.  We pretty much just grab clothes, diapers, swimsuits, and towels then jumped in the car.  A few toys and books and air mattresses too.

We did bring some screens.  His tablet, my laptop and my mom’s laptop, and our phones.  We were both planning on working in the morning before we went out for the day.  And we had a feeling that Aiden would get pretty bored on the ride so screen time was expected.  Funny thing is he didn’t really use his tablet until the last hour on the ride down and only for an hour or two on the ride back.  Mostly he just played with his stuffed cat.

This is also when Aiden decided to start potty training.  And we got our first potty training win.

What do you actually need to take a no plan 5-day beach road trip?  

Here’s my top 10:

1. Clothes
2. Shoes
3. Toiletries  
4. First aid kit
5. Snacks and drinks
6. 5 things to do (toys, books, tablet)
7. Beach stuff (swimsuits, towels, sand toys)
8. Water bottles
9. Sunscreen and bug spray
10. Maps, GPS, cell phone

Clothes

For clothes we were there I packed a t-shirt a day, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of pants, 1 jacket, 1 set of PJs, and one nice set of clothes (a dress for me and a nice shirt and pants for Aiden).  

Shoes

We bought 3 pairs of shoes: 1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of sandals and a nice pair of shoes.

Toiletries

For toiletries: toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrush, lotion, soap, shampoo and conditioner, wash clothes, and towels.   

First aid kit

We actually used our first aid kit.  I highly recommend having in your car to drive around with all of the time.  I purchased this kit from Amazon and added a few extra things. First was a tube of antibiotic cream and a good pair of tweezers.  I also added nail clippers and scissors which weren’t necessary but a nice thing to have in the case.

Snacks and drinks

Snacks, snacks, snacks!  I made my favorite cookie recipe (Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies) and bought pretzels, carrots, and cucumbers.  Some granola and rice crispy treats too. We also took a few gallons of water.

5 things to do

Being stuck in a car seat for hours can’t be much fun.  I decided to keep Aiden busy with a few things. He got to pick out a few matchbox cars, a bigger contained toy (he choice his spiderman house), a soft toy (his orange and white cat), 3 books, and his tablet.   He actually played more with the cat than anything else.

Beach stuff

We each had two swimsuits and a beach towel.  And brought buckets and shovels to build sandcastles on the beach.  I really wish we had purchased an umbrella or beach tent. I fry almost every time I’m out in direct sunlight.  So the sunscreen was applied constantly. It would have been nice to have a little shade.

Water bottles

Water bottles are an everyday thing for us.  It’s essential if you’re playing on hanging out for any length of time on the beach.  Here a few options if you’re looking for new ones.

Sunscreen and bug-spray

Sunscreen should be applied every 2 hours when in the sunshine.  We got ours from Walmart. It was a store brand and rather cheap.  A 50 SPF baby sunscreen has no dyes or fragrances. We forgot to get bug-spray and we’re chewed on when we went to the wildlife preserve.  

Maps, GPS, cell phone

Drive somewhere new definitely requires some navigation planning too.  We got a state map on each state stop from home. The rest stops along the way were great for that.  The folks in the welcome centers were really knowledgeable and pretty good at sending us on the scenic route. We used our phones as GPS when things got a little messed up here and there too.

Finally, we were crashing on my brother’s floor for those days.  So we did bring air mattresses and bedding too.

No Plan.  So What Did We Do?

Virginia Beach Public Beach on 16th Street

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Our spot on the Virginia Beach was on 16th street right in front of the dairy queen.  Live music, group bike rentals, tourist shops, beach umbrellas, and chairs all right there.  We found a parking lot to use not far from where we were on the beach.  You are looking for $10 or less to park all day.  There was no safe street parking (towing zones everywhere).

We spent two days on that beach.  Playing in the water, building sand castles, and walking on the beach.  They had live music on Saturday.  The band there played everything from smooth jazz to classic rock and roll.  There was also a nice long path to ride those rental bikes on that goes all the way up the public beach.

Back Bay National Wild Life Preserve

Back Bay is a beautiful non-touristy spot.  It was only $5 a car to go in.  Fishing, hiking, and quiet beach.  We did a short hike and then hit the beach while my brother went fishing on the bay.  On the plus side, it was very quiet and mostly local people.  Very pretty.   We found some really nice sea shells.

Although it was a great spot to spend the day we didn’t get to.  Unfortunately, we ran into a park ranger with an ax to grind.  He felt the need to kick us off the beach because it is meant for fishing not hanging out.  Not that we were really hanging out.  We were going to hunt seashells and leave when my brother was done fishing or the toddler wore out.  Whichever came first.  But we brought our beach bags and towels which we put down near where we were hunting shells.  Apparently, that was no bueno.  He was extremely rude.

If you check out that spot, don’t take any bags with you on the beach so you don’t get chased off.

Kiptopeke over the Chesapeake

Kiptopeke State Park is another beautiful non-touristy spot.  Also, only $5 to for a day pass.  Much more hiking, camping, and picnic areas.  There was a playground in the park and places to bird watch.

The bay itself was pretty quiet.  We hit the dog beach since my brother’s fiance brought their dog along for this trip.  There were tons of little shells everywhere.

This is where we wound up need the first aid kit.  Aiden managed to get a splinter in his foot from the bath-house deck.  He screamed his butt off and a nice ranger came over to tell him to help calm him down with a story.

Golden Corral

We eat at the golden corrals around Virginia Beach for almost every meal out.  It’s a great southern homestyle buffet.  Everything from steak to pizza, mac and cheese to collard greens, and beautiful salad and dessert bar.  It was a huge hit for my hungry picky eater.

No Plan Beach Trip

It was a pretty fun trip despite a few hiccups.  We had lots of time on the beach and nothing we were planning to do so whatever we did was fun and spontaneous as it could be with a toddler.  Where’s your next road trip taking you?

Download our free packing list here No Plan.

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