Beat The Heat With Our Beach Trip Checklist
No matter what time of year you’re planning to enjoy a sand and sun-filled getaway, the packing process can quickly become daunting and overwhelming. Have no fear! At Dayton House Resort, we’re experts at beach vacations and we’re here to help you get the most out of your time away. In the end, you’re the expert on what you should bring to make your stay with us one of the best experiences of your life, but we’re sure this beach vacation list will help to ease the stress and to remember a few items you may have overlooked.
Pre-Vacation Preparations:
A list of things to do before you leave your house for a beach vacation.
We get so excited about our upcoming beach getaway, but we don’t want to forget one very important thing — to protect the home that we are in the other 51 weeks a year. Before you depart for your stay at Dayton House Resort in Myrtle Beach, here are some pre-vacation preparations that will leave you absolutely stress-free during your time away from home.
1| Ask your neighbor for help.
One of the best ways to protect your home while you are away is to ask a neighbor or friend for help. Thieves tend to look for houses with no daily activity – cars and people coming and going. Asking your neighbor to swing by a few times during your vacation to water the plants and take the trash to the road can solve this issue. Be sure to leave them with a spare key and the security code (if you have an alarm system). Of course, you should bring them back a souvenir from Myrtle Beach to say thank you for their troubles.
2| Inform the police of your absence.
It’s never a bad idea to give your location police station a heads up about your upcoming absence. Especially in smaller towns, this information helps officers be proactive about unusual activity in your neighborhood, and they may even patrol your street more frequently as a precaution. This simple gesture could make a difference in the safety of your home during your beach vacation.
3| Put a hold on your mail.
If you’ve ever come home to a mailbox brimming with unattended mail, you can understand the need for this tip. While everyday letters are received far less frequently in today’s world, packages and online orders are a regular occurrence at most residences. Prevent any miscreants from noticing your absence by placing a temporary hold on your mail with the post office. Take this a step further and try to avoid any online orders before your vacation that may result in a lone package on your doorstep. If you do receive a delivery notification during your vacation, ask your neighbor to bring it inside during their next visit.
4| Use a timer for your lights.
Another easy precaution to take before your vacation is placing several lights in your home on a timer. Today’s technology provides numerous options for homeowners including plug timers for lamps, in-wall timers for porch lights and wifi switches that are compatible with smart-home devices. There are even timers available that can be controlled with an app on your smartphone. Utilize these devices to create a typical display of lights in your home as if you were home during a normal week. We recommend using timer devices that way you aren’t worried about turning any lights on or off while you are enjoying your beach getaway.
5| Remove your spare key.
Many of us have a spare key hidden around our house for emergencies, but some of us have this handy key concealed better than others. While you are away on your beach vacation, consider removing your spare key from its secret spot. Spares hidden under the mat, in the flower pot and above the door frame are easy targets for robbers who have learned all the typical places. Use this key for your neighbor who will be checking on your house, give it to a family member for emergencies or simply put it inside your house while away. No need to give an unwanted guest easy access to your home.
6| Avoid the obvious “I’m not home” posts on social.
We all love to share our vacations with our friends and family on social media, but such online status updates can become an unintended invitation for burglars. Consider saving your vacation photos and creating one large post to share when you return home from your trip. In the same way, avoid blatant announcements of the exact dates of your upcoming vacation on your social accounts leading up to your departure. Just think, you can spend more time enjoying the time with your family instead of wasting those precious moments trying to craft the Instagram story.
Road-Trip Essentials:
A list of items to make your travel time more enjoyable.
Millions of people travel to Myrtle Beach each year, and the majority of visitors bring their kids along to our fun-filled family destination. Whether you’re flying or driving to Myrtle Beach, packing for the journey is just as important as packing for the vacation. It’s important to be prepared for the unexpected, especially if you’re traveling with young children. Consider these helpful tips from the Dayton House Resort to ensure an enjoyable trip from your home to ours.
1| Prepare for all occasions.
Before you load your vehicle or pack your carry-on bags, make sure to pack a separate bag of items you might need during your trip. This bag will help you avoid digging through suitcases during your travels in emergency situations. Items to pack in this bag include:
- A change of clothes for the unexpected messes
- A bag of snacks to ward off hunger between meals
- A cooler with drinks to quench your thirst and avoid unnecessary stops
- A pack of wipes or napkins to clean up spills or accidents
- A favorite blanket and stuffed animal to make the journey more comfortable
2| Games to pass the time.
Whether you’re flying or driving to Myrtle Beach, make sure to pack some fun games in your bags to keep your kids entertained. While handheld electronics are the number one choice, batteries tend to die at the worst of times. Here are a few items sans batteries and chargers:
- Sticker books and coloring books
- Card games
- Road-trip games like I Spy or the license plate game
- Audiobooks on tape or CD
- Small toys or action figures
- Washable window markers
- Activity sheets like a road trip scavenger hunt or road trip bingo
3| An adventure that offers a break.
If you have younger children and plan to drive to the beach, it’s unrealistic to expect them to sit still in the car for more than a few hours at a time. Along the way, consider stopping at a fun tourist trap or two — this will give you a break from driving and can be great fun for everyone. The secret to a great road trip is to plan your stops ahead of time so they’ll provide more than just a quick bathroom break.
4| In case of emergency.
If you’re traveling with a child who has special needs, you may want to talk with other parents whose children have similar conditions. A medical bracelet is great for kids with medical conditions and can be useful in case of an emergency. At Dayton House Resort, we strive to serve each of our guests with personalized care. Feel free to call ahead of your arrival with any special requests you may have. We will do our best to accommodate you and your family.
Beach Trip Checklist:
A list of 25 beach trip essentials to make your vacation unforgettable.
Everyone has experienced the struggle of forgetting to pack an essential vacation item. No matter how many times you looked through your suitcase, you won’t discover the important item is missing until after your arrival and it’s needed the most. Some forgotten vacation items are easily replaced with a trip to the corner store, like shampoo or sunscreen, but other items are more difficult or more expensive to replace, like a charger or swimsuit.
Avoid the stressful moment of realizing a forgotten item buy using our handy beach trip checklist. We’ll help you pack for your Myrtle Beach vacation so you’re sure to enjoy the ultimate beach experience, having fun at our oceanfront resort with everything you may need.
1| Swimsuit for enjoying our on-site pools, outdoor lazy river and 720 feet of beachfront
2| Sunscreen to prevent a sunburn – check out these sun protection safety tips for families
3| Sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun’s glare
4| Goggles with elastic straps for underwater explorations
5| Ball cap or floppy hat to protect your scalp from a burn
6| Beach umbrella for a cool haven to escape the sun’s rays – review beach rules before purchasing
7| Flip flops or sandals to keep your feet cool
8| Beach towels for sunbathing and drying off
9| Beach blankets for a larger sand-free surface
10| Beach chairs for sunbathing in the waves – or visit our oceanfront tanning lawn with lounge chairs and umbrellas
11| Portable cooler to protect your beach snacks from the heat
12| Insulated water bottle for convenient hydration
13| Beach games, like bocce ball and corn hole, for friendly family competition
14| Beach toys, like buckets and shovels, for building sand castles and collecting sea shells and sharks teeth
15| Boogie board for riding the waves like a pro
11| Portable cooler to protect your beach snacks from the heat
12| Insulated water bottle for convenient hydration
13| Beach games, like bocce ball and corn hole, for friendly family competition
14| Beach toys, like buckets and shovels, for building sand castles and collecting sea shells and sharks teeth
15| Boogie board for riding the waves like a pro
16| Good book for relaxing in the sun – here’s a list of the best summer books for this year
17| Bluetooth speaker for jamming to your favorite playlist poolside
18| Headphones for enjoying a podcast or audio book
19| Binoculars to look for dolphins and other sea creatures
20| Chargers to keep all of your electronics fully charged including cell phones, tablets and speakers
21| Beach bag for hauling your load to the pool or beach
22| Beach cart for families with larger loads
23| Camera to capture all of your favorite moments
24| Aloe vera or after-sun lotion to sooth skin after a day in the sun
25| Chapstick with SPF to protect your lips from the sun
If you do find that’ve forgotten an important beach trip item, we encourage you to visit our local beachwear store – a short 3-minute walk away from our oceanfront resort.
Beach Vacation Accommodations:
A list of must-have amenities at your oceanfront resort.
While we may be biased, Dayton House Resort boasts an extensive list of amenities that you and your family are sure to enjoy. We charge a nominal resort fee that gives our guests full access to all of our amenities. Before booking your family beach vacation, check out a comprehensive list of Dayton House’s amenities. Then peruse our oceanfront accommodations and secure your beachside suite today!
- Oceanfront zero-entry pool & deck
- Oceanfront lazy river tube ride
- Expansive indoor pool (heated during the off season)
- Three hot tubs
- Indoor kiddie pool
- Two-acre oceanfront tanning lawn
- Oceanfront gazebo
- Complimentary deluxe hot breakfast
- Yella Umbrella poolside bar & grill
- Multiple beach accesses
- Oceanfront suites with private balconies
- Oceanfront suites with full kitchen
- Guest laundry facility
- Fitness Center
- Business Center
