Leave the computers home

While the details I have included here are specific to the area around Emerald Isle, North Carolina.  It is good advice no matter where you enjoy the beach. 

People come to the beach to unwind.  Bringing your computer "just to check" email is a recipe for staying on the job and off the beach.  If you're going to fork out the dollars for that nice rental home on the ocean front, you should actually use the place to relax instead of doing work for the job you are trying to escape by coming to the beach in the first place.

As a veteran of over twenty five years in high technology I know how hard it is to disconnect.  When you have your laptop with you, it is nearly impossible to disconnect.  You check a few emails, maybe have an online chat with a colleague and the first thing you know, you are doing some work, and your significant other is getting heated up by something other than the warm sunshine along the beaches.  You can get lots of brownie points by leaving that laptop at home.

Fortunately there are other options to hauling your computer to the beach. They will let you stay somewhat connected but still have fun on your vacation.  First you need to make sure you know how to access your email through a "webmail" client.  The webmail clients of today are nearly as good as standard clients like Outlook, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail.  Typically all you need to access your webmail is a browser, connectivity to the Internet, the web address (URL or Uniform Resource Locator), and your email password.  You don't even need to know some of the more technical things about your email like whether it is POP or IMAP.  Typically you just need to know how to get to it and the webmail client takes care of the rest.

If you are willing to use webmail, there are a number of options for our high tech visitors who are sincerely trying to enjoy the beach without an electronic tether back to the office. I recently investigated a few in Emerald Isle, Cape Carteret, and Cedar Point areas. 

I first found The Lighthouse Snack Bar, Bicycle Rental, Indoor Tanning, and Internet Service at 7801 Emerald Drive next to Capt. Willis Seafood Market.  During March they had four computers. The rental fee is $2.00 for each fifteen minutes of usage.  If you need lots of time on a computer, they are willing to work with you on the prices. They also provide fax and copy services.  You can grab something to eat and work through lunch just like when you're on the job at home.  Starting April 1 the Lighthouse will be open seven days a week.  You should check for their hours which are currently 8-3.  The phone number is 252 354-3700.

If you do not need food with your computer, you might want to check out Sip-N-Surf which is located in Sea Oats Village directly behind Jordan's Seafood Restaurant. (One of my favorite spots for Oysters)  They have five desktop computers, some HP printers, a scanner, Flash card readers, and also fax service.  Their rates on the  desktops are $2 for fifteen minutes and $8 per hour.  Sip-N-Surf can also help those who have computer withdrawal after they reach the beach.  They rent laptops.  You should confirm the rates but I believe they are $12.95 per day or $26.95 per week.  They are Windows laptops with XP.  Their hours are 9-5 and starting April 1 they will be open every day. Sip-N-Surf also provides wireless access and does computer repairs for those of you who bring your laptop down let the heat in your car cook it.  Their wireless access is available 24X7 by parking in front of the store and selecting their outside network and entering credit card information.  For more information on their services and how to hook up, you can call 252 354-4502 or email ctec@ctecnc.com .

If you are really getting into the beach spirit and do not want to spend money for accessing the work that you are not supposed to be doing on your vacation, you can drive three or four miles to the Western Carteret Public Library at 230 Taylor Notion Road. They have ten computers for adults.  You have to sign in and provide you name before you can use them, but they are free even to folks who are from out of town and supposed to be staying away from computers.  You should check the rules at http://carteret.cpclib.org/ since requirements are different for anyone under 18.   Their hours are 8:30 AM-5 PM Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  Tuesday and Thursday, they stay open until 8 PM.  They are closed on Sundays.  You can get more information by phone at 252 393-6500.

What if you just cannot take the separation from you computer and decide you have to have another one while at the beach?  By April 1 we should be able to accommodate even those poor souls and those area businesses which have to use computers even at the beach.  Computer Solutions which is a new venture by AMS, a company that has been in business many years in the Raleigh, NC area, is opening a new store in the former location of Beans and Screens at 544 Cedar Point Blvd., Cedar Point.  For those not familiar with the area, there are three small strip malls across the street from the Best Western Silver Lake.  Computer Solutions is located in the one closest to Swansboro.  According to Brent Wood, their VP of Business Development, they will be selling IBM, HP, Dell, Lexmark, and Okidata products.  They also plan to provide service.   Since Computer Solutions is open but just getting their Cedar Point location open, you should check on their hours and services.   The plans are to be open 9 am to 5:30 pm but closing an hour for lunch.   They also plan to offer some computer classes.  They can be reached by telephone at 252 393-8837.

If you have brought your work and a printer to the beach and need some ink cartridges to go along with my sympathies, you might check B&B Office Products at 534 Cedar Point Blvd which happens to be the same strip mall as Computer Solutions.  B&B carries all you basic office supplies and furniture. They also have a good selection of ink jet cartridges. You can get more information at www.bboffice.biz or by calling  252 393-6282.  They can get almost anything in the way of office supplies for you by the next day.

If all these resources cannot satisfy your computer needs, there is Staples about sixteen miles away from the bridge to Emerald Isle. The Staples is in the mall area just before you get to Morehead City.  It is located near the Walmart between Highways 70 and 24.  Their phone number is (252) 726-2666.  They are very well stocked with everything you would find in your typical urban Staples. 

There is a Best Buy in Jacksonville, but it is between 22 and 28 miles away from the bridge depending on how you go.  It also requires traversing Western Blvd. unless you go the back way.  My advice is forget the idea and go lie on the beach.  I do not want to a part of putting someone who is trying to relax on Western Blvd.  While the traffic is not anything like the Raleigh, Charlotte or Washington, DC areas, it is enough to frustrate even some traffic veterans.  Just don't do it.

Finally I have to mention this since I worked for Apple for nearly twenty years.  If you are a Mac user and need anything besides wireless access, you should pick it up in Raleigh on the way down.   There are a few of us hard core Mac users here on the Crystal Coast, but I have yet to discover any resources closer than one and one half hours to two hours away. Mac users can get some degree of sympathy and any up to date information by calling me.  My Vonage, Northern Virginia VOIP number, which is physically located in Cape Carteret is 703 652-1843. Don't be surprised if I try to sell you coastal property to cover support costs.  After all I am in the real estate business these days.

Comments

[Stephen]

Blackberry Pearl is all you need. Unless I have serious proposal work due or an iLife project, I rarely cart my Powerbook along these days.

[ocracokewaves]

I have seen some people whose Blackberry is a mighty demanding mistress. Perhaps you have yours so you can ignore it when the sun is shining and the waters are warm.

I am no longer sure I should even grant computer access for those who like me who are addicted to digital photography.