A Descriptive Essay About A Day At The Beach

For the past two years, once a summer, my family will wake up before the sun, pack a picnic lunch along with our towels and bathing suits, and drive to York, Maine. The drive is about four hours long, and we usually leave at about five in the morning. As we enter the town, there is a welcome station where we stop and change into our swimsuits so we don’t have to change in the sandy, cramped bathroom at the beach. Speaking of the beach, there are two main beaches in York, Long Sands and Short Sands. Short Sands is prettier, with whiter sand, but much more crowded, because of its beauty and smaller size. My family always goes to Long Sands, the longer, less crowded beach. My mom used to come to York Beach when she was a kid to visit her grandma in the summer, so we visit now because of the meaning that it holds for her. It reminds her of her grandmother and of her childhood. I remember the first trip we took, which is when I saw the meaning of this place shine through the most.

One night, two summers ago, I was sleeping soundly with the prospect of nothing on the horizon. The illusion was promptly shattered at 4 in the morning, when my mother and sister came running into my room, yelling, “We’re going to Maine!” Once I was fully awake, I got dressed, packed my bag, and off we went. All seven of us packed into our seven passenger minivan, a slightly tight fit, but we only complained a little. Four hours later, at about 10 am, we arrived at the beach! As soon as my parents made