A Lethal Weapon Dream, a Stuck Truck, and a Lesson from My Son

Hey there,
Ever since I first watched Lethal Weapon, I’ve had this vision in my head—me, with a camper parked directly on the beach, the ocean stretching out in front of me, just like Riggs. It’s been a bucket list thing for me, something I wanted to experience firsthand.
Well, fast-forward 24 years of living in this area, and I finally realized there’s a place just 2 hours away where I could make this dream happen. So, I put the plan into action for Ali’s and my 10-year anniversary. We had the camper, the truck, the gear, the dogs, and, of course, our little guy along for the ride.
Now, the weather was looking rough, but we were hopeful. By the time we reached the ferry, the sky started clearing up, and even the ranger joked, “Man, you guys should go buy a lottery ticket with luck like that!” I was feeling great—proud dad, husband, man-of-the-hour vibes.
We headed down the island, ready to pick our perfect spot, set up camp, grill some meat, watch the sunset, and maybe even enjoy a little beachside bonfire. Everything was coming together. But… you know where this is going, right?
Turns out, beach driving isn’t as straightforward as it looks. I’d been warned to take precautions with 4-wheel drive, tire pressure, and all that, but I figured it would be smooth until we hit the softer sand.
I was wrong.
Before I knew it, we were STUCK—and I mean REALLY stuck. We were 47 feet of camper, truck, and gear, sunk deep in the sand. No amount of 4-wheel drive was getting us out. Every attempt just buried us deeper.
Thankfully, some good-hearted folks happened to be passing by. Ten of them, to be exact. And for three hours, we fought together to get that rig unburied. The jack on the trailer broke, we had to dig, reflatten sand, use boards we found, and reconnect without a working jack. It was intense, to say the least. And yeah, we missed the sunset.
I was mad at myself. I was embarrassed. I thought, “I should’ve thrown it in 4-high sooner, should’ve lowered my tire pressure right away.” But here’s the thing—I looked over, and my son was having the time of his life. To him, this was one giant adventure. He didn’t see a disaster; he saw an experience.
That night, setting up in the dark, grilling in the dark, he kept telling me how much fun he had and all the cool stuff he found while we were “fixing the truck.”
I learned two things that night:
- Keep a child-like sense of wonder and adventure, no matter how “stuck” you feel.
- And when you’re on the beach, lower your tire pressure sooner rather than later. (maybe that one is just for me personally….lol)
Sometimes, life’s best memories aren’t the perfect, Instagram-ready moments. They’re the ones where you get a little messy, learn a few lessons, and laugh about it later.
Stay adventurous,
Nick

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