"Water or woods?" I asked.

"Water," was the quick response.

"River or beach?" I continued for clarification.

"Beach," Michelle answered without hesitation.

The sun sets by 5pm. Since it was one already, that gave us roughly two hours to get to a beach. I hopped back on the computer, checked out the beach regulations for all the shore spots within two hours, then confirmed my decision. "How's Dewey Beach sound?"

With Michelle in agreement, we ate a quick lunch, threw the dogs in the back of the truck, and headed for the ocean.

Two hours later, we pulled into a deserted parking lot at the state beach south of Dewey, Delaware. Dogs are allowed year round in much of the park, but due to the crowds during the tourist season, it's nearly impossible to let them run and play.

Once the tourists disappear and Fall sets in, the beaches begin to empty. Friday afternoon, as far as we could see, the beach was ours. With the dunes to our back and the waves crashing onto the steep sandy shore, we could have been the only people in the world.

And that was just fine with us. For an hour or more, I threw sticks into the pounding surf. With each toss, Riley would go crashing through the waves after the bobbing prize. After grabbing the floating stick, he would turn, swim a few feet, and catch a rolling wave from behind.

While Riley and I played with sticks in the surf, Lacie chased sand pipers up and down the beach. At full speed, she would race along the edge of the water just yards behind the fleeing birds. When she would finally look up to see where she was, she was half mile down the sand. Like a rocket, she would turn back and race towards us, only to find more birds to chase.

After a seaside dinner of pizza and fries all around, we turned the truck back around and drove two hours through the darkness back towards home. Two hours to get there, two hours to play, and two hours home. Quite a nice afternoon.