It was a gorgeous end to the Fourth of the July weekend found many heading to the city's shores. NY1's Tara Lynn Wagner hit the sand at orchard beach in the Bronx and filed this report.

"I just love it here. This is like therapy for me," said Jamie Rodriguez of Pelham Parkway.

Thousands of people flocked to the Bronx riviera Sunday for a little therapeutic R&R to cap off the holiday weekend. 

"We had a BBQ yesterday so we figured today was the hottest day. We'll come to the beach," said Sheila Malachi of Co-op City.

"It's the last day of the weekend before we get back to the grind tomorrow so I figure might as well get in this beautiful weather today," said Ray Perez of New Jersey.

Perfect weather, really, for anyone looking to work on their tans, their beach bodies or their fortunes. 

NY1: "What is the best thing you've ever found?"

Benny Pagan: "Rings, stuff like that. iPhones, toys."

Others worked on their game. Hoops in the sun hosts beachside basketball tournaments with players ranging from 10 to 40 years of age. 

"It adds a different environment, a different aura, that you really can't find in New York City," said Joe Cruz Jr., Co-CEO of Hoops in the Sun.

For many, coming to Orchard Beach is a tradition that goes back decades. 

"I've been coming here since I was a little girl with my mother," said one woman.

"My beach career started in sixth grade—my first day of hookie. I came here and ever since I've been coming," one man said.

For others, it's a chance to make childhood memories that will last a lifetime. 

"I just went to the water to build a sand castle," one young beach-goer said.

"I like that I can go swimming and play in the sand," another said. 

The whole point of being here is to relax, but even a day at the beach requires a lot of prep work. 

Just ask Heidi Lopez who woke up at 3:30 a.m. to pack everything, including a pot of rice and beans being hauled by her toddler. 

"It's well worth it, you know. Take care of it, spend it with the family, the kids, absolutely," Lopez said.

Once the beach umbrellas go up, the stress levels go down and the troubles of life are washed out to sea.