Happy first day of summer. It officially arrives on the East Coast at 1:16 p.m.

That means you have official permission to take a trip to the beach. No need for excuses or guilt. Summer = beach, no questions asked. (If you spend summer at your desk like I probably will, there's something seriously wrong in your life. Or you need to pay bills.)

To welcome summer, Assateague Island National Seashore offers free admission today for both Maryland and Virginia portions. Wheee...

Here are some facts about the first day of summer from National Geographic News:

• While today is the longest day of sunlight, or summer solstice, in the Northern Hemisphere, it's also winter solstice - or the shortest day in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Summer solstice generally happens on the same day every year - but the date can change because the astronomical calendar differs from the human calendar.
• Ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramids so that the sun sits precisely between them when viewed from the Sphinx on summer solstice.