Beach Bytes: Beach Tips--Be a Good Guest
When visiting a beach, please let's all remember to treat the beach with the utmost respect. Whether it’s a public beach or a privately owned resort property, different beaches may have different rules and restrictions. But a few tips should be remembered as common courtesies:
Dunes: Nature’s plan for protecting the shore is washing sand up to create dunes. Whether or not signs are posted as reminders, dunes are easily damaged by walkers, sunbathers, or pets. In many locations, law prohibits walking on the dunes.
Sea oats: Sometimes planted or growing naturally, the lovely swaying grass holds the sand in place along the dunes, and it should not be disturbed.
Space: An American custom, more so than in many other countries, is to allow personal space. Park your chair, umbrella, kids, or general spread of stuff at a reasonable distance away from others. It’s good manners to allow privacy for conversation and to keep your own music or phone calls to yourself.
Dogs: Allowed on some beaches, and often with leashes required, dogs sometimes annoy non-owners, and pet waste should be collected and disposed properly. Otherwise, it’s a serious health hazard.
Holes: Digging in the beach sand seems to be a natural pastime for kids and dogs, but holes should be filled when they have served their entertainment purpose. Otherwise, a runner or other beachgoer could miss seeing a deep hole and be hurt by a fall.
Trash: Leave the beach cleaner than you find it, and dispose of trash properly.
Private property: Straying onto, or purposely trying to enter, the posted property of a neighboring resort or private owner may be illegal as well as bad etiquette.
Let's enjoy our beautiful beaches and be sure we can continue to enjoy them for many years to come!
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June 24, 2009
Beach Bytes: Best Beaches for a July 4th Celebration
HAPPY FOURTH!: Holiday decorations at a coastal celebration (Liz Mitchell)
It’s not too late to plan a beach trip for the July 4th weekend, when Independence Day is celebrated in thousands of coastal towns throughout the United States. You’ll find the biggest festivals and warmest welcomes—sometimes hot—during this prime summer holiday when Americans celebrate the birth of their country (or at the very least, celebrate a day off from work!). A few suggestions for events follow, and I would be excited to join any of them for fireworks and festivities.
- Visit the coast of New Hampshire for a unique, historical day of festivities. An American Celebration at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth is a fabulous old-fashioned way to celebrate July 4th, offering an opportunity to experience four centuries of New England life. One of the highlights of a New Hampshire summer, this event includes a children’s bike and wagon parade, games and crafts, historic garden tours, live music, living history, hands-on activities, and lots of food.
- Off the coast of Massachusetts, Nantucket's July 4th Celebration includes face painting, watermelon and pie-eating contests, a dunk tank, children's parades, three-legged races, tug-o-war, music, and a huge water fight. Fireworks set off from Jetties Beach, a family-friendly spot on the North Shore.
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June 17, 2009
Beach Bytes: San Diego, California
Coronado Beach in San Diego (Bob Yarbrough/courtesy, San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau)
San Diego is a fabulous Southern California town for a beach and so much more. Although I always choose destinations with a beach feature so I can relax on the shore if I want, this trip lured me toward some days off the beach, onto the water, and touring the city's plethora of other attractions.
Public transportation provides an easy way for visitors to figure out how to get almost anywhere. People are friendly, the weather inviting year-round, and the food really good. Culture, sports, history, art, and architecture lend so many dimensions that a week’s visit is too short to touch it all. You could easily spend full days exploring the history and art of the city, which come alive with dozens of museums, 15 of those being easily accessible in Balboa Park, the largest urban park in the country. One of my favorite sections was the Spanish Village Art Center, where dozens of artists work daily in studios hosted by the center. On my next visit, I will want to see a ballet, the symphony, and a play. Or you could feed a passion for railroads, cars, sports, anthropology, science…you get the idea…it’s all here.
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June 10, 2009
Beach Bytes: Tybee Island, Georgia
Tybee Island's beach (courtesy, Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau)
Laid-back Tybee Island off of Georgia’s Atlantic coast is virtually unknown to most people outside Georgia, even for beach-loving travelers like myself. While it’s only 20 minutes east of the major historic and cultural city of Savannah, Tybee Island is far from the beaten path, and won't likely become as recognizable as the major family destinations along the coasts of neighboring Florida and South Carolina for a while.
Tybee is a beautiful little retreat—less than three miles long—with emphasis on relaxation and water sports. It marks the gateway to Georgia's other barrier islands, and sea kayakers will find paradise in the endless maze of tidal rivers and coastal waters here. Or, see the island from above on a parasailing adventure.
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June 03, 2009
Beach Bytes: Discover St. Augustine, Florida
The beach at St. Augustine, Florida (courtesy, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches VCB)
One of my all-time favorite beach locales is St. Augustine, Florida. As the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States, it's an obvious choice for history lovers. But the 42 miles of Atlantic beach outside the historic town invite relaxing walks along the shore, water sports, and a sunny slowdown from our normal hectic lives. The friendly town on this northern strip of Florida’s coast welcomes guests year-round. Here are some of my favorite spots around town for lodging and dining.
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June 01, 2009
Top Beach Vacations for Adventure Seekers
Paddleboarders in Hawaii (courtesy, Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)/Tor Johnson)
Looking to turn your beach vacation into something a little more memorable this year? Cruise on over to the Orbitz Travel Blog for a rundown of the best beach vacations for adventure seekers. The action-packed menu of options includes paddleboarding in Hawaii or Turks and Caicos, deep-sea fishing in Mexico's Sea of Cortez, or kiteboarding and hang-gliding in the Carolinas. For more ideas on ways to get way off your beach towel, check out our guide to the top beach destinations for water sports including scuba, sailing, surfing, and kiteboarding.
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May 26, 2009
Top 10 U.S. Beaches: Dr. Beach's 2009 Picks
POT OF GOLD: Hanalei Bay on Kauai, Hawaii (Thinkstock/Getty)
Florida International University's Dr. Stephen Leatherman, aka Dr. Beach, has released his 2009 list of top beaches (note that past winners are ineligible for inclusion). Here are his top ten beaches:
1. Hanalei Bay (Kauai, Hawaii)
2. Siesta Beach (Sarasota, Florida)
3. Coopers Beach (Southampton, New York)
4. Coronado Beach (San Diego, California)
5. Hamoa Beach (Maui, Hawaii)
6. Main Beach (East Hampton, New York)
7. Cape Hatteras (Outer Banks, North Carolina)
8. Cape Florida State Park (Key Biscayne, Florida)
9. Coast Guard Beach (Cape Cod, Massachusetts)
10. Beachwalker Park (Kiawah Island, South Carolina)
Tell us about your favorites in the comments section. My fave U.S. beach is probably the pristine stretch of sand at the bottom of the road in Carmel (amazing sunsets); outside the U.S.—and this one's way off the beaten track—it's Mogushi Beach in southwestern Japan. (For more of Away.com staffers' far-flung beach favorites, check out our interactive Google Map here.)
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Beach Bytes: Hunting Island, South Carolina
The historic Hunting Island Lighthouse, one of eight along the South Carolina coastline, is the only one that's open to the public. And the view of ocean, beach, marsh, forest, and neighboring islands from the top is worth every ounce of effort up its adventurous 167-step spiral staircase!
The original purpose of the lighthouse was to guide vessels along the coast between Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. The first structure was destroyed by Union soldiers during the Civil War, to be replaced by a new tower in the 1870s. Later, in 1889, it was taken apart piece by piece and moved a mile from the original site, which had been damaged by erosion. Since 1933, the lighthouse has been a beacon for tourists rather than wayfaring sailors. A dedicated group of energetic volunteers, the Friends of Hunting Island, has renovated buildings within the compound and continues to collect lighthouse artifacts and support the preservation.
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May 19, 2009
Beach Bytes: Paradise Found in Holden Beach, North Carolina
Holden Beach, North Carolina (Liz Mitchell)
Driving across the high bridge spanning the Intracoastal Waterway to reach Holden Beach, I can never understand why they call it a causeway. It’s an impressive approach to an 11-mile strip of North Carolina coast. It’s time to take a deep breath and begin a week of escape from rushing around in your normal nine-to-five life.
As soon as we cross the bridge and I spot Paradise Cafe, I cannot resist the urge to stop for their fried flounder sandwich. Calling this a sandwich is a misnomer; it is actually two large fillets of real fish, about four times too big to fit on a bun and nothing square or frozen in sight. Fresh and delicious, it’s served with thick-cut homemade potato chips. Have it with a beer, a standard part of this lunch. Of course, one trip to Paradise Cafe is never enough; I’ll be back for cheese grits for breakfast, too. And even though plenty of other restaurants also serve fresh local seafood with a beachy ambiance, I just happen to fancy the idea of going to paradise.
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May 13, 2009
The Great Known: Top Three Reasons to Become a Serial Vacationer
LEADER OF THE PACK: On the go at Amelia Island Plantation Resort (Alistair Wearmouth)
My mantra for travel has always been pretty simple: experience as many places as I can and have as much fun as possible while there. So it felt like a total cop-out this year when my wife and I decided to go back to the same beach resort, northeast Florida's Amelia Island Plantation, that we visited with our two kids last April. So much for the mantra. As it turns out, though, there are some easily compelling reasons for returning to a place you already know. Here are the three that stood out most on our recent trip.
1. A Savvy Traveler Is a Penny-Saving Traveler: The down economy is kicking up unreal savings throughout the travel marketplace. We scored a package that shaved $40 off the nightly rate on our two-room condo, plus the resort threw in complimentary bike rentals, kids' club activities, kids' meals, and on-property nature tours. Just knowing what we paid the year before made the decision to book a no-brainer. We also learned from other budgetary missteps last year, including organizing a local taxi service to get us to and from the airport instead of the more expensive hotel shuttle ($60 savings) and doing one big shop at the nearby grocery store instead of shelling out for overpriced lattes and breakfast in the resort eateries (mucho dinero saved).
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