Sundress or Sarong

Ladies, this is your chance to make a great first impression with that hot guy laying on the sand as you pass by. Show off those sexy legs of yours and a little cleavage too. You will want a loose fitting sundress or sarong. Comfort is as important as style and color.

Bikini or Swimsuit

The most important thing about your bikini is that it fits properly. Head to the local bikini shop or at your nearby mall. Select a design that works well with your body type. Then look for colors and patterns. Guys seem to love vibrant colors and especially when on a string bikini.

Sandals

Your shoes should compliment the rest of your attire. The beach is all about sand and water. Flats are most appropriate for this occasion. Rubber beach thongs, or leather sandals are fantastic!

Towel

Beach towels come in a large variety of colors and patterns. Lightweight towels dry faster than the thick plus ones. You will be laying on this for the good part of the day. It is your choice. Matching your swimwear never hurts.

Sunglasses

You get what you pay for, especially with sunglasses. The $5 pairs you find at the gas stations do not protect your eyes. Invest in a good pair of polarized sunglasses. A larger frame is especially nice for the beach.

Sunscreen for body, face and lips

Hawaiian Tropic, Tropical Blend, Banana Boat, and Coppertone, are all good brands of sunscreen. Bring a minimum of SPF 15 and apply frequently. For those hard to reach areas, ask one of the guys for assistance.

Hat

Beach hats are practical and stylish. Go neutral tones to match everything or something bright to match your outfit. We must protect our beautiful skin.

Limited cash

Stash your credit cards in the trunk of your locked car, but try to carry less than $20 cash on hand. It is easy to return to your car for more money if needed.

iPod and Cellphone

Like American Express cards, never leave home without them.

Anytime you park your car whether it is at the beach or a mall, never leave anything in plain sight. Leave your valuables at home or secure them in the trunk. Remember, “out of sight, out of mind”!

Be safe and enjoy your day at the beach!

Snowboarding

Since the Olympic winter games in Nagano 1998, the Japanese have developed a fondness for winter sports. From ice-skating to skiing, every sport practiced in the snow or on ice has gained popularity. Initially there were only a lot of skiing places around Nagano, but the rising popularity of skiing has led to the birth of a lot of skiing areas with good facilities. While Nagano is still popular, a lot of Japanese choose for Hokkaido now. Being more Northern than Nagano, there are areas with guaranteed snow and the facilities are growing to an agreeable level. With all this attention to skiing, it is easy for snow-boarders to use the facilities too. Being not as popular as skiing, there should be no trouble for you to find your snowboard gear in any skiing area. Even the après-ski is bound to be as fun as it would be in one of the expensive ski-resorts in the Alpes. So Japan is good to go.

Skateboarding

While skateboarding can be done in Japan and is regarded as cool amongst the youth, there are some obstacles to overcome. Skate-parks are rare and only located in the big cities. Most of them are indoor skate-parks and since there is little choice, you can grow bored and you get no alternative to choose from. As for boarding outside, it can be hard to find places suited for boarding. Almost in every town the police won't be happy with your performance. So good luck with finding a private place that's good for skateboarding. There are some places in the big cities, where you can hang out with fellow skaters, but they are rare and not easily discovered. The same goes for finding gear. You can find some skate-shops, but they will not be cheap and only a few can get you everything you want. I think if you have some skateboarding Japanese friends, you're good to go, but just going there by yourself you'll be completely lost.

Wave Surfing

Geographically Japan is interesting for wave surfing. The reefs near Okinawa and the weird cracks under the sea near Kyushu can bring you some weird waves. In Okinawa all year through and in Kyushu in summer, surfing gains popularity. It's considered as one of the cool sports and more places where you can buy or rent equipment are starting up. Most of the equipment is imported from Australia and the quality is pretty high. Since surfing in Japan is still in growth status, you can find untouched havens and so on. I would really recommend Japan for the experienced surfer. If you are not yet very experienced, you may want to try some more touristic places in Okinawa. Or you can always try to find a Japanese friend who likes to surf and knows a certain area pretty well. Like I said Japan has some weird waves and you better be careful before throwing yourself into the water.

Wind Surfing

Japan has a lot of sea and quite enough wind. For the conditions for windsurfing you will never have to look far. But climate-wise and equipment-wise you are better off South in Kyushu or Okinawa. Wind surfing is not extremely popular in Japan. It doesn't mean that you can't find it anywhere but you will have to inquire first. Either there is a club and you'll find everything or people will stare at you like you've asked them whether the synchronized swimming team practices in this part of the sea. In some places they will even have a synchronized swimming team, but no windsurfing. So in short: you will not have to complain about circumstances, but more about material or finding a club.

Higgins Beach was first homesteaded by a family named Higgins in the 1700's. It was not until the early 1900's that the community became a haven for summer vacationers. Watch the Atlantic Ocean waves come rolling onto Higgins Beach on this Maine web cam sponsored by Higgins Beach Properties. The web cam refreshes every five to ten seconds. You may spot an occasional beachcomber walking along the beach during low tide. The site also has a link to current weather conditions for the area.

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, Web Cam

Hampton Beach Village District is another example of an early summer vacation destination. Founded in 1907, the district is part of the larger city of Hampton, New Hampshire. A good time to do some people watching on this web cam is during the busy hot summer weekends and during the annual Hampton Beach Seafood Festival. The nationally known Festival is held the weekend after Labor Day. This web cam is a live stream of the beach and road in front of The La Bec Rouge Upper Deck On Hampton Beach. There is a note on this web site that the web cam may be best seen with Internet Explorer.

Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Web Cam

The sandy island that came to be known as Martha's Vineyard was given that name in 1602 by the exploration crew led by Englishman Bartholomew Gosnold in honor of his daughter and the abundant grapevines that grew on the island. The island was settled in 1642 and for a time had a vibrant whaling, fishing, and farming community before evolving into its current vacation site. This web cam is on the cupola deck of the Mansion House in Martha's Vineyard. The web cam refreshes every 30 seconds, giving the visitor a view of the marina.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Web Cam

The Coast Guard Air Station was established here in 1970 but the community of Cape Cod dates back to the Wampanoag tribe which originally lived on the sandy spit of land. The Pilgrims chose to settle in the area across the bay instead of at Cape Cod because of the sandy soil. Cape Cod was settled eventually and the first villages were incorporated in 1639. The Cape Cod Coast Guard web cam refreshes every 30 seconds and gives a nice view of the sandy beach and ocean waves. Also on this site is a weather report for Eastham, Massachusetts, a wave watch, and weather for the Nantucket buoy.

Narragansett, Rhode Island, Web Cam

Narragansett was the name of the Native American people who originally populated this seacoast area. In 1658, the first parcels of land were sold. Unlike the seacoast cities mentioned earlier in this article, Narragansett had a thriving economy based, not on fishing or whaling, but on the export of agricultural produce grown on the tracts of farmland. Tourism came in the mid to late 1800's. The Narragansett web cam updates every 10 seconds and gives a nice view of the surf. Warm Winds Surf Shop sponsors this web cam and on favorable days you may even see some surfers swimming out to catch a wave. This site gives a surf report and a four day forecast.

Mystic, Connecticut, Web Cams

Mystic, Connecticut, is divided by the river of the same name. The city of Mystic claims 1654 as the year it was founded. The name Mystic came from the Pequot Native American word describing a big river with waves created by wind or tides. This site has four web cams sponsored by different Mystic businesses (Steamboat Inn, Whaler's Inn, and S&P Oyster Company). Each of these live stream web cams can be controlled by the site visitor. The shots include Mystic's main street, a northern and southern view of the Mystic River, and a view of the drawbridge over the river, a very busy thoroughfare.

New York City, New York, Web Cam

Any visit to the northeastern United States should include a short visit to the Big Apple, New York City. The now busy harbor was first explored in 1524 by the Italian explorer Giovanna Di Verrazzano. It was not until the early 1600's after Henry Hudson explored the area that Dutch settlers established themselves in their "New Amsterdam". Now we know "New Amsterdam as New York City. This web cam on the Orion Building provides a neat overhead view of part of New York City and updates every 30 seconds. From it you can see a very small Statue of Liberty in the upper left side and the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel in the center of the screen.

Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, Web Cam

Monmouth Beach was bought by Eliakim Wardell in 1668 and stayed in the Wardell family until 1842. The town of Monmouth Beach was established in 1906. This web cam shows surf, beach, and nothing else except an occasional ship on the horizon. The view refreshes in under a minute.

Ocean City, Maryland, Web Cam

Ocean City is built on a barrier island, but until the mid-1800"s, was visited only by fishermen. The first inn on the island was built by Isaac Coffin in 1869 and since then Ocean City has been a vacationer's destination. A Boardwalk and an amusement park were added in the early 1900's. This web cam, sponsored by The Kite Loft, shows the Boardwalk and beach. The view refreshes every five seconds to provide lots of opportunities for people watching.

Each of these nine web cams provides the armchair Internet traveler with a different view of the northeastern United States without having to spend a penny for gasoline or lodging fees.