The joy of a dog on the beach

I love the beach. I remember playing some icebreaker games one time during a summer camp when I was teenager and the camp leader asked, “Are you a mountain person or a beach person?” I didn’t hesitate to say beach. Now, I don’t necessarily dislike the mountains, but there’s just something about being able to lay out of the sand and dive into the ocean. I’ve always found that the beach is a more relaxing place. It could just be me, but it always feels like there’s a need to do things in the mountains. Now that’s great, but most times I’m looking to just relax on vacation and de-stress while listening to the waves come in. As musician Zac Brown sings, “The only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair.”

With all that said, there is a definite downside to the beach: Can you bring the dog? For the most part, that’s not an issue for the mountains. But the beach is a different story. Not many beaches allow pets, and I understand why. You never know what kind of dog will show up, and there are plenty of irresponsible pet owners out there. However, I feel like I’m a responsible dog owner and I would love to bring my little guy to the beach more often, were he allowed.

Luckily, North Carolina has a number of pet-friendly beaches. In fact, two of them, Nags Head and Topsail, were recently named among the best in the country for pets. Now, I went to UNC Wilmington for college -- the mighty Seahawks -- but I didn’t have my dog then (he wasn’t born yet!). If I did though, you know I would have been out there as much as I could. Topsail is a little bit of a drive from UNCW, but it would have been worth it for a special treat or maybe a birthday surprise. In a recent trip to Wilmington, I did bring my dog onto Wrightsville Beach. This was during the winter, so not many people were there. I was able to sneak him off the leash to play a little frisbee. He absolutely loved it. He was able to dig his little nails into the sand as much as he wanted and just run and run.

I love a happy dog. I love the beach. Combine the two and you’ve got the perfect day. I’m glad to see that more and more places (and beaches) are becoming pet-friendly. Dogs are like family -- we truly don’t deserve them. And while my little guy is a good boy, I do spoil him. I’d love to spoil him more with a trip to the beach.