June days often have unpredictable weather, but don't let a little rain ruin one of your precious few vacation days.

Here are five things you can do to keep busy while staying dry.

5) Indoor miniature golf. There's only one indoor putt-putt course that I know of, and that's at 69th Street at the Old Pro. It's a fun activity and it certainly will keep you dry as a bone. There are the standard arcade games inside as well.

4) Catch a movie. I know, it's not very beachy, but there are a few movie theaters in Ocean City. You can go to Sun & Surf on 143rd Street, the Fox theater in Gold Coast Mall on 113th Street, or the Fox White Marlin theater in West OC just over the Route 50 bridge. The theaters are really unspectacular, so don't expect stadium seating or many open screens.

3) Go bar hopping at night. Ditch the usual haunts like Seacrets and the Party Block, and find some new bars. Try Fishtales (21st Street), the Corner Bar (Somerset Street), Kirby's Pub (94th Street), Duffy's Tavern (129th Street) and more. Broaden your drinking horizons and forget about the thunder and lightning outside.

2) Take a shopping trip to the White Marlin outlets or the Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth. When the rain keeps you penned up, spend some cash on some steeply discounted goods. White Marlin Mall, which sits on Route 50 just west of OC, has some decent stores. It's also the spot where the movie theater mentioned above is located. Or, you could go about an hour north to Rehoboth, Delaware for tax-free shopping. The Tanger Outlets usually have a better selection, anyway.

1) Visit the Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum. Located at the far south end of the boardwalk, the museum is one of the coolest places to spend a few rainy hours. Park in the inlet parking lot and walk up the boards (or run if it's pouring rain). It'll probably be the best $3 you'll spend on your vacation ($1 for children 6-12, and free for those younger). Or, you can use this buy one get one free coupon.

I spent rainy days as a kid playing board games in the condominium with my family. If none of the five tips above appeal to you, break out some of those old, forgotten games you have hiding in the closet. I can't count the number of June days I spent watching the lightning pound the ocean as I played Risk with my father or Scrabble with my mother. Sometimes, the best beach memories take place in the hotel or condo instead of in the sand or at the boardwalk.

[Photo by me, during an early June storm]