My vacation trip to the beach was an adventure. We started out by putting some air in a tire that I had recently checked, but looked low. 300 miles later, it blew. Some good Samaritans (good-looking, too) on Harleys changed the tire for us (which I could have done, but it would have taken me an hour). New tire purchase at the next exit, so we were only a couple hours behind schedule.  I should count my blessings that I didn’t have to drive the entire 650 miles. The last 30 miles I got to ride... in a tow truck! Yes, we were making our way through the wildlife refuge west on Manteo when the fuel pump died. “Wildlife refuge” meant no houses, no businesses, very little shoulder area, and a swamp full of the nastiest bugs you’ve ever seen. Thank you, God, for cellphones. One of my traveling companions had roadside assistance insurance, so we got hold of a nationwide call center who located a tow truck and tried to decipher where we were. The nearest cross street? I don’t know, I hadn’t seen a cross street for many miles. But our luck held out. The tow truck driver worked out of Manteo, but his company also had a second location only a half mile from our hotel in Kill Devil Hills! He was also nice enough to ferry us with our luggage to the hotel.

 
Another stroke of luck was that I had insisted on a ground floor oceanfront room with a kitchen. Good thing, because we couldn’t drive anywhere. The garage got my car ready in a day. I called Mom, who said the pump would have gone out even if you were home. Yeah, but at home, I wouldn’t have to pay $300 for two hours labor. Total bill: $633. Ouch. Now my turn signals and cruise control don't work, and someone sidewiped my fender. But we had ice cream every day, and I got a not-too-severe sunburn, and a guy asked me out! He was 74, but could have passed for ten years younger. Ha! I’m glad to be home now.

Let’s Go Swimming!

The Outer Banks.

Tips for taking digital pictures at the beach. (via the Presurfer)

The 15 Geekiest Vacations. Looking for the perfect vacation getaway that incorporates your thirst for technology or your obsession with science fiction? eWeek.com has 15 possibilities, with information on each. Can be viewed as a slideshow. I must admit, I’ve done three of these. (via BBspot)

Swim at Your Own Risk is a blog detailing shark attacks, attacks by other marine animals, and generally all the awful things that might happen to you at the beach. Although the odds of attack for each beachgoer are very low (you’d more likely be killed by lightning), this site could be useful for persuading your family to go camping in the mountains. (via Grow-A-Brain)

In fact, sandcastles are more dangerous than sharks! (via Bits and Pieces)

Packing Tips from a Porn Star. Almost NSFW. (via Unibrow)

Barry Stiefel visited all 50 states in one week’s vacation in 1998. I get tired just thinking about it. He later tried to see how many states he could visit in one day, and got 21. (via the Presurfer)

Melting ice cream at the beach.

Beach Blondes

There are three blondes washed up on an island. Suddenly a fairy appears and offers to grant each one of them one wish.

The first blonde asks to be intelligent. Instantly, he is turned into a brown haired man and he swims off the island.

The next one asks to be even more intelligent than the previous one, so instantly he is turned into a redhead. The redhead builds a boat and sails off the island.

The third blonde asks to become even more intelligent than the previous two. The fairy turns him into a woman, and he walks across the bridge.

Gas Prices

My wife wanted to go somewhere expensive for our anniversary, so I took her down the street to the Sunoco station.

I have my car towed to work because it’s cheaper than buying gas.

All in favor of conserving gasoline, please raise your right foot.

I saw a guy on the street corner, holding up a hat and a sign that said, “Wife and 2 Cars to Feed.”

For our vacation this summer, we’re thinking it will be cheaper to just mail the car.

Beach Pickup

Thought for today: You never know how many friends you have until you rent a house on the beach.

humor jokes video funny games vacation beach Outer Banks travel trip

Stumble this!