Favorite Beach town....totally off topic of anything important....

[Tall Timbers]

I also been on Malibu Beach.

Malibu Beach wasn't all that great. It was hard to get on the Beach because the houses were all built close together to make it harder for the public to access that Beach. The area was also usually pretty conjested... hard to find parking. While Malibu Beach wasn't all that great, it's best known for famous people living there on the Beach. There were some larger and much nicer beaches further south of Malibu. I used to run a 16 mile training run into the mountains just a little bit north of Malibu at a state park that may have been called Sycamore Canyon. It was just south of Pt Mugu. Sometimes in Sycamore Canyon there would be millions of Monarch butterflies. It was a miraculous site to behold. The critters would take flight enmasse as I jogged past them. There was also often a mountain lion up in the hills. Whenever I saw it it would be in the same place watching me. If I saw it now I'd turn around and run back in the direction I came from but back then my brain wasn't fully developed... and finishing the run was more important than possibly becoming a meal for a mountain lion. The run took me from the coast through the mountains to Thousand Oaks, then I'd turn around and run back. I always loved running trails.

 

[Love His Appearing]

I love the water, but I love rushing white water and waterfalls. If I had a mountain home, I'd not trade it for a beach anywhere, including Magens Bay on St. Thomas or the island of St. John, both of which I've visited. But I'm an odd person. I know more people prefer the beach.

I am a mountain girl, too. I was born and raised in CO. Still live there. We grew up skiing, camping, hiking, fishing, taking car rides to see the aspen fall colors and listen to the elk bugle. I think Vail was my happy place until I started to get old. It's as gorgeous up there in the summer as the winter. We will never sell our current house cuz my kids were all baptized in the backyard and my oldest was married there. My husband wants to be buried in the backyard. LOL But it's mountainy enough. I don't ski anymore and my kids are all spread out all over the country, so our mountain place sits empty most of the time. I don't feel well there (chronic hypoxia at high altitude), so my thoughts have turned to the sea.

Thanks for the input. It is fun to dream.

 

[seated with Christ]

I didn't see any of which you wrote at Base Rock, I did see them shoot a movie scene of the Movie, Goodbye Charlie. A star driving a convertible up the Hwy.

 

[pixelpusher]

Destin Florida, the water looks like mouth wash against the white sand, Family Friendly and great places to eat. My kids, when they were younger loved "The Donut Hole."

The Donut Hole! We've eaten there, totally agree. Huge mug of coffee.

 

[RobinB]

Grew up visiting Ocean City, Maryland, so I guess that's my favorite. But also my grandparents lived on the water (Chesapeake Bay) and we spent most weekends swimming, boating, water skiing, crabbing there. The good old days.

 

[greg64]

Destin is great -- the white sand is wonderful. It sounds like I need to try the Donut Hole!

I also like Fort Myers Beach a lot, but not the traffic beachside. They've had construction ongoing for several years, and you just have to plan to stay put certain times of the day on Estero Island, at least during the busy season. A huge plus is Lee County is one of the few counties in Florida that allows dogs on the beach, so if you have a furry friend along it's a great time. Also, it's a great beach to be on year round as it doesn't get cold like the others in this post.

On the Atlantic side, the Daytona/New Smyrna area has the sand you can drive on and bigger waves than the Gulf side does.

 

[soundingthealarm]

Should the Lord tarry I'd love to visit the Siesta Keys Beach, I've heard its beautiful

 

[Nemophilist]

I love the water, but I love rushing white water and waterfalls. If I had a mountain home, I'd not trade it for a beach anywhere, including Magens Bay on St. Thomas or the island of St. John, both of which I've visited. But I'm an odd person. I know more people prefer the beach.

Me too. I do love the beach, but I love the sound of rushing water much, much more! If I had to pick a beach town, it would have to be one in the Florida panhandle. Destin or maybe Santa Rosa
.

 

[greg64]

Wow -- a developing trend! Another mountain person here -- I love the beach, but I love the mountains more.

 

[Andy C]

Wow -- a developing trend! Another mountain person here -- I love the beach, but I love the mountains more.

Yes, the mountains are wonderful.

I liked the beach more in my youth, but now that Im older and happily married, I dont need my eyeballs popping out my head while walking on the beach. Possums just dont have the same effect

 

[Leigh]

My husband grew up in North Florida 10 minutes from the Atlantic and he's not a beach fan either, which is a shame since I grew up going to the Gulf Coast for a week every summer and always loved it.

We normally went to Fort Walton Beach, which is right next to Destin, which has already been mentioned several times. I haven't been in years (to Ft. Walton), so I have no idea what it's like now, but back then it was gorgeous!

My husband has always hoped to retire in the mountains some day too!

 

[athenasius]

There's a bit of rugged wild coast between Vancouver Island and the Mainland coast of BC that I love. My happy beaches are on those coasts or up off Prince Rupert in the lee side of the Queen Charlottes or Haida Gwaii as they are called now. The shores are pebbled, not sandy, and the driftwood hems the shoreline at the highwater. You can sit and watch the waves roll in. Listen to the crashing waves on windy days. The noise is different on the pebbled rocky shores from sandy beaches.

Probably why the Alaska cruises are my favourite. The shoreline is ever changing and magnificent. The glaciers and their parks.

My other happy place is the mountains. There is a natural hot springs area called Fairmont BC right near the BC Alberta border by Radium, Golden and Invermere. We used to go there with George's parents and you can lie in the hot pools or the swimming pool looking up at the Rockies rising right up behind and just marvel at the beauty of God's creation. Lots of beautiful day hikes to go on with creeks that have waterfalls and pools and shady spots. Just a wonderful place. We went there last summer and it was such a terrific break.

 

[kathymendel]

I have friends who just bought a second home in Seaside, OR. I haven't been there yet to visit, but the pictures they've posted
look wonderful. A nice big ocean view from their front yard...........

 

[Amethyst]

I really like Tybee Island between Savannah, Georgia and South Carolina border. It's clean and the locals are really friendly. The few times I have been there it was crowded but not overly so.

 

[pixelpusher]

I really like Tybee Island between Savannah, Georgia and South Carolina border. It's clean and the locals are really friendly. The few times I have been there it was crowded but not overly so.

Tybee is a kayak hot spot I hope to visit one day to play in the Triangle. Also would love to paddle in the Haida Gwaii area Athenasius mentions.

what we need is mountains right next to the beach. Israel??

 

[DWB]

It's always been Destin as an adult. Ft. Walton as a teenage/young adult for it's party atmosphere. I grew up in Montgomery, about a 2.5 hr drive away so I could easily go for a weekend anytime. Not so anymore living 8 hr away.

 

[TimeWarpWife]

Back in the late 80s we used to enjoy going to Sandbridge Beach, which was a private beach near the VA Beach area. Ocean City, MD, was nice too, but my favorite was Treasure Island Beach in St. Pete, FL because of the beautiful color of the water and white sandy beaches. Years ago, dh and I went to Bermuda and the sand really was pink, very pretty against the backdrop of the turquoise colored ocean. I love going to the beach pretty much anywhere as long as there's sun, sand, and water. If it was possible, I'd love to live near the beach.

 

[RobinMc]

I live in SC, half way between Myrtle Beach and Gatlinburg TN, so we alternate between the 2 for quick weekend trips. Myrtle is my 'home' beach, so it will always be my favorite. I know every inch of it and with every visit, I spot every new hotel, store or restaurant.
I also love the FL beaches of Destin, St Pete, Naples, the Keys, Jupitar and St Augustine. Never stay on the beach in St Aug, love to be in the old city.
But there is something about getting there in just a couple of hours as apposed to hours of driving.

 

[caligal]

My dad was in the Navy so I grew up near beaches most of my childhood. They were fun but my true love was lakes, mountains,
rivers and streams.

I live in Pensacola now and I have many beaches near me on the gulf coast. I don't go to them anymore as I can't walk on the sand due to my nephropathy. We go on coastline drives every now and then.

 

[Chris]

Gulf coast of FL around Destin, Navarre, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola are my favorite beaches hands down, in my experience, but I'm limited in picking from CT, NC and FL. I've never really been anywhere else to the beach, never seen the Pacific in real life. Myrtle Beach, but it's not even on my list. Up here in NC, it's Emerald Isle or Atlantic Beach*. Bear Island is awesome, a pristine island with nothing but a ferry landing, bathhouse and a few campsites on it. I would love to wind up back in my old stomping grounds in FL if we remain here.

@Spartan Sprinter 1, we will have to lobby for a wave pool in the River up there I reckon.

ETA: *although we've taken a couple mini-vacays to Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks, and Ocracoke, great places there too, just take too long to get to usually.

I live in Pensacola and have visited all the beaches from Panama City to Orange Beach, Alabama and all have the sugar white sands that makes them popular. You can see some picture form Pensacola Beach here:

https://visitpensacolabeach.com/

The images that rotate on the front page are nice.

Panama City, Destin, and some others get more coverage due to the colleges and Spring Breakers. Ft. Lauderdale down in the south of the state is popular, too. But Northwest Florida is a hidden gem to most of the country. But that seems to be changing as beaches in the Northwest Florida are being covered by people like Dr. Beach and his annual rankings of the best beaches. Surprisingly, it's been about 10 years or so since the last time I went out to he beach. I just in my older years don't get out there much. But I went regularly when I was younger.