I also live in a tourist area and tend to be a get up and go early person. Get to the beach and be coming home around 11/11.30 or so when everyone else is arriving we can get home before midday sun, have lunch and naps! If going for day or somewhere a bit further away get there early and make most of day. But I wouldn't normally do just an afternoon trip - I normally have children that nap in afternoon so either lunch out and then walk / drive back or home for lunch. I guess our routines normally fit into lunch / naps and school run / play at home so its good to keep to that. over the summer i seemed to have late drop-offs and early pickups and i do have one child that comes at 10.30 - quite often we have been out and come home by the time he arrives and he has an earlier nap than everyone else so no point going out again really! we're plenty busy enough with activities at home so I don't normally worry about being at home but i do have a lot of parents that don't see the value of engaged play with peers - they're always 'where are you going to today / where have you been today and seem unimpressed when i say we've had an amazing day playing at home!