Top 5 Must Haves for a Day at the Beach by Ophelia London

Must haves for a day at the beach–as a regular person, or as an uber-famous rock star on vacay.

Hi there! I’m Ophelia London, beach addict and author of ABBY ROAD and CROSSING ABBY ROAD. Both books are set at the beach, and I’m here to give my top 5 MUST HAVEs for a day at the beach…for myself and for the main character of both books, rock star, Abigail Kelly. So! Without further ado….

1. Beachy attire. This goes without saying, right? But how many times have I packed for the beach and forgotten my favorite flip flops or most comfy Beatles tee? Too many times! And for Abby, well, let’s just say that her trip to the beach in Abby Road was such short notice that she didn’t pack any vacay necessities. Luckily, she and her sister wear the same size!

2. iPod. I’m a complete music junky and have a playlist for practically everything. So yes, I obviously have a “beach tunes” playlist. Nothing like any of the hits from Sugar Ray to put you in a beach mood. As for Abby, being an unabashed Beatles fan, she can never be too far from her darling lads from Liverpool.

3. Acoustic guitar. Okay, this is mostly for Abby, as she’s the real rock star here, and I’m just a big ole’ wanna be. But how picturesque is it to be strumming a guitar on the beach while the tide comes in?

4. Sweet Treats. Most of my beach trips lately have been to Seaside, Florida (which is also the setting for both Abby Road & Crossing Abby Road). There is only one grocery store in Seaside, but they have the MOST AMAZING key lime pie in the known universe. I sometimes have a slice a day. That’s how addicted I am to the stuff.

5. Last but certainly not least, novels, and plenty of them! Here is a passion Abby and I both share. Celebrity or not, reading and the beach go hand in hand!

What is your favorite beach read? And if you were a runaway rock star, what would you bring to the beach?