I wanted my boys to see the beach this year :(

Like so many other 'firsts' this year, I was so looking forward to taking my little ones to the beach this year to see the sand and feel the waves lap on their little feet. No can do now thanks to BP. The Gulf Coast beaches are possible hazard zones until at least the fall and I would venture to say will be well past the fall. Having grown up around a beach/bayou area most of my life, I just thought it would be so natural and great for my boys to experience the beaches and river areas around here. I'm sooooo sad that they won't be experiencing that for a long time now.......

 

That is really sad. I can't even imagine how tough it is for people living around the Gulf Coast right now. :hug:

 

:hug: How sad! I couldn't even imagine what you guys are going through over there. :hug:

 

Just a little side note...we did go to Gulf Shores for Memorial Day weekend and things were still relatively ok then before the oil globs starting hitting the beach last week. But being the overprotective parent I am, I still wouldn't let the boys onto the beach even then because little tar balls were starting to wash up on the far west end of the beach that weekend. Plus my main concern is the stuff you can't see...all of the chemical dispersants, etc. that they are using to break up the oil. I heard a report about 2 weeks after this whole thing started that the chemical dispersants that BP is using is one molecule away from antifreeze. Like I'm going to let my little babies' feet touch that stuff! :nea:

 

I know not quite the same - but can you take them to a lake?

 

:hug: I cannot even imagine, I am so sorry. :hug:

 

I don't blame you for being so disappointed. I am living for our beach trip in August (thankfully its on the Atlantic coast). We couldn't make it last year due to having 2 preemies that just came home from the NICU, so we just can't WAIT for this year's trip! I know it's a lot farther for you, but would it be possible for you to go to Jacksonville, FL (which shouldn't be affected by the oil spill)? It's a 6 hour drive from Mobile according to Google maps (and I'm sure that means 8-9 hours with twin toddlers, LOL), but maybe that would be doable. Granted, it's not the same as the white sandy beaches of the Gulf coast

 

Oh, I hate to be a pessimist, but the long range projections have the oil spill most likely being picked up by the loop current in the Gulf and traveling up the Atlantic coast. This hopefully won't happen any earlier than September for those trying to enjoy the beaches on the east coast this summer, but if we get a Gulf hurricane, the oil could shift into the loop current earlier and we could be looking at oil washing up on the Atlantic beaches earlier than possibly projected. I so hope this doesn't happen. It would be nice to retain some nice beaches somewhere in this country other than the west coast. We can't afford a trip to California anytime soon <_<

 

Come to Michigan! We have beautiful beaches and guaranteed no oil! You can even surf in Holland!

Sorry, I couldn't resist a plug for my home state.