Jaws, the beach and Chuck E. Cheese

In a few weeks I'll be heading south with my family for a little rest and relaxation and I'm slowly finding out my interests don't appeal to my two young daughters.

Daddy likes history and visiting museums, but when I say museum my little ones instantly have thoughts of merry-go-rounds, tiny dollhouses and a gigantic glass sculpture. And it seems the more I try to coax them into trying the experience, I get more and more raised eyebrows.

So far when I ask what they want to do I get answers such as: go to the beach, see some sharks and go to Chuck E. Cheese. The last destination is always uttered no matter what the question is and I'm not sure my kids realize they will actually be swimming in the same waters in which sharks reside. We'll leave that discussion for after the vacation I think.

A ritual I started years ago is whenever I'm bound for the ocean, I have to watch Jaws. Some find it odd that I would want to watch a movie with a 25-foot shark before I go into the water, but the hope is if I see a shark of eight feet, it won't look quite so big.

This year will be no exception. I've already pulled the movie from the shelf and have it waiting on the counter to be packed. A new twist to their year's Jaws experience will be the fact we're taking our portable DVD player and plan to watch it on the beach the second night we get there.

As our departure comes closer, I'm still resisting the urge to take Jaws: The Revenge to counterbalance the heaviness of the original. Lance Guest as Alex Rogan -- brilliant. Lance Guest as Michael Brody -- not so much.