1. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks, North Carolina - National Winner
2. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
4. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii
5. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
6. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
7. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
8. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
9. Lighthouse Point Park, Daytona Beach, Florida
10. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Florida
No doubt there are many beach communities in an uproar, especially in South Florida.
Nothing south of Sarasota got a mention... In 1992 Bahia Honda State Park in the Keys got the Best Beach award, and his previous winners are ineligible to make the list again... (Political reasons, no doubt.)
After reading his lists, criteria and other propaganda, he has an affinity for Hawaiian beaches...As he should. Beaches there are quite nice...
I have had my toes in the sand there and I have to say, they are (in my not-so-humble opinion) nicer than most Florida beaches.
(Face it... when the Army Corp of Engineers have to suck sand from a quarter-mile offshore and replenish your beach, it makes for some pretty nasty sand.)
And these hard-packed crystalized quartz "sugar sand" beaches are not my cup of tea anyway.
There were few real beaches down in the Keys: Bahia Honda, Sombrero Beach (now Switlik Park), Harry Harris Park in the upper Keys, and Smathers Beach in Key West are about all you are going to find.
There are a few others hidden away in the nooks and crannies of the Keys. The Chamber of Commerce beach on 33rd St. in Marathon for instance. A nice little beach on the bayside, not even 100yds long.
There is a little beach at the foot of Simonton St in Key West...
The problem with most of the beaches in the Keys are that the water quailty isn't that great...
(Now, you know where this is going...)
I know where there are a couple beaches much better than ANY beach in mainland Florida, or even in the Keys... Guess where?
My thing is, I'd rather they NOT show up on Dr. Beach's list, since that will drive even more people to the place. And Ghod knows, we really don't need more people cluttering up the beach.
With that in mind, let me share some more pictures from the location of my upcoming vacation:
Views from atop Loggerhead Key Light...
Looking north, toward the old Carnegie Labs ruins.
Southeast shore
Southwest shore... Great snorkling here.
This is where I saw the Loch Ness Lobster back in 2001. A spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) the size of a medium-sized dog...probably 20 lbs. Scary.
South end of the island... That old Loran tower isn't there any more...
That story coming shortly.
Back to Current Events:
So... The Cavs made a valiant effort at the end but they still didn't make it...
Now the series comes here to Cleveland. We're almost ready for the game tomorrow.
We should be 100% by the end of the day today.
Then it's all over for me... I'm heading back to Jax and Bill takes over for the rest of the series, and I go to Columbus for the NHL Draft for a couple days.
After that... I'm heading south. Really south.
The countdown is on... 21 days...
TBG Out-
The southwest side of loggerhead IS the best beach anywhere. When you get there...walk a lap around the island for me. Tammie & al in washington. wish we could be there.
ReplyDeleteHi Tammie & Al!
ReplyDeleteHope all is well, thought y'all were up at Put-In-Bay here in Ohio!
I remember walking East Key and Loggerhead with you several times...
And, absolutely, the Southwest side of the island is the best.
The next post is for y'all.
TBG
Hay BG,
ReplyDeleteIf you go to Put-In-Bay...my son works on the PD. Have a good time but not to good.
Dr. Beach is a moron. As a Maui resident, and a former resident of Jupiter, Florida, I can tell you Hamoa isn't even in the top 10 on Maui, let alone in Hawai'i, let alone in the US.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, I encourage all you tourons to drive all the way the hell out there, it'll keep you from clogging the roads in Kahului when I'm trying to get to one of the good beaches.
Carnegie Labs ruins???
ReplyDelete