Like many parents, my husband Nick and I headed to the beach last week to get a family vacation in before school starts. Apparently this year in not unlike others; I saw lots of families on the beach enjoying the fleeting moments of summer’s fun.

I also took a little time to visit with some of the shops in Boynton and Delray Beach. My first stop was Nomad Surf Shop, which is a great Surf Store on A1A in Boynton Beach. I noticed a vintage Surf Expo shirt on the Recycled T-shirt rack, which instantly told me that they had great taste.

Once inside I chatted briefly with Erin Morris about the upcoming Surf Expo in August, confirming their plans to make the annual trek to Orlando, before snapping a photo of Erin Morris, Dylan & Ryan Heavyside behind the counter of the shop. Their shop has everything you might want for a summer vacation with your friends or family. I witnessed a cute blonde picking up a tiny black swimsuit that had the tags cut before it left the store, so that it was ready to use.
 

Erin Morris, Dylan & Ryan Heavyside of Nomad

My next stop was on Atlantic Avenue in the heart of Delray Beach. The shops here are filled with products and great people. Each of the stores I entered on this sunny Monday morning also had other shoppers looking for that perfect souvenir to help them remember their visit to the beach.

I chatted with Meredith Binette of East Coast T’s & Sunglasses about how the season had been for her shop. Clearly the product was selling, as we both noticed some empty slots in the sunglass case, awaiting her next buying trip to Surf Expo. She and Don are hanging in there, though the first part of the season was slow. Happily, since the 4th of July, the customers have returned and they are buying. That’s great news for all of us, and seems to be the same story in most markets.

It was the same from several retailers as I worked my way up one side of Atlantic Avenue.

Susie Miranda of Planet Sun said the season started out really slowly, but now it was picking up and product was moving. Things are looking up and though the improvement of the economy will not be an instant fix, we’re all starting to get back to living our lives and letting the panic subside. We’re taking summer vacations, we are buying our kids T-shirts and hats and boogie boards and swim suits, and all of the other items that make our trips to the beach more fun, and the memories last a bit longer.

Susie Miranda of Planet Sun

And thanks to all of us getting back to living our lives, rather than being paralyzed by fear, we are putting smiles back on our faces, playing with our kids, having drinks with our friends, and starting to shop a little bit more. We are putting money back into the stores that line the beaches, and we are supporting our industry – the industry that helps us all make a few more memories to keep.