Top 10 US Beaches

[Sinko]

At least according to Dr. Beach (http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/):


1. Fleming Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii - National Winner
2. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin, Florida
3. Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks, North Carolina
4. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
5. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii
6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
7. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
8. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
9. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
10. Barefoot Beach Park, Bonita Springs, Florida


#1
http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/top_ten_beaches/fleming_beach/flemming_beach_small.jpg

And yes, I do consider myself fortunate in that Barefoot Beach is a 10 minute bike ride from where I live. :)
http://media.bonitanews.com/img/photos/2006/05/24/060524NS-beachlist2.JPG

[bungadiri]

The nice thing about Ocracoke is that (unless things have changed since I was last there) it's accessible only by ferry and much of it is a national seashore.

[astabooty]

the pic of #1 looks really nice. i didnt read the article to see how they are judging, but i dont know how south beach didnt make it. sinko, happen to know where the hell #2 is?

[yossarian]

At least according to Dr. Beach (http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/):


1. Fleming Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii - National Winner
2. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin, Florida
3. Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks, North Carolina
4. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
5. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii
6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
7. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
8. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
9. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
10. Barefoot Beach Park, Bonita Springs, Florida

And yes, I do consider myself fortunate in that Barefoot Beach is a 10 minute bike ride from where I live. :)


My wife's parents just retired to Bonita Springs and while Barefoot Beach is pretty nice.....personally I like the beaches around Grayton and Seaside on the panhandle better.

[Claymore]

Two beaches in the Hamptons? I don't think he was looking hard enough.

[Sinko]

the pic of #1 looks really nice. i didnt read the article to see how they are judging, but i dont know how south beach didnt make it. sinko, happen to know where the hell #2 is? #2
http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/top_ten_beaches/caladesi_island/caladesi_island_small.jpg

I may try to go to South Beach tomorrow.

[Sinko]

My wife's parents just retired to Bonita Springs and while Barefoot Beach is pretty nice.....personally I like the beaches around Grayton and Seaside on the panhandle better. Yeah, there's so many high quality beaches to choose from. The guy must have taken local amenities into account.

Just down here in swfl, the number of semi-pristine beaches that make Barefoot pale in comparison (though only accessible by boat) is remarkable. In the year+ that I've been here, Keywaddin, Lover's Key, Marco, Cayo Costa, Boca Grande, and many islands in the Everglades National Park have all impressed me to a higher degree than Barefoot. But regardless, as far as public access beaches go, Barefoot deserves high praise.

[Sinko]

The nice thing about Ocracoke is that (unless things have changed since I was last there) it's accessible only by ferry and much of it is a national seashore. It should still only be accessible by ferry. The last time I was in Ocracoke was in '94, and it looked just like the photos. I hope to get back there before the hurricanes wash it away. But I'm just as big a fan of the beaches on Hatteras Island between Rodanthe and Avon.

#3
http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/top_ten_beaches/ocracoke_island/three_small.jpg

http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/top_ten_beaches/ocracoke_island/ocracoke_island_small.jpg

[hangthadj]

It all begins and ends with the jersey shore. this list is bunk.

[Sinko]

but i dont know how south beach didnt make it.
Oh man... so yesterday my gf and I take a drive to South Beach... and what do we walk into but this little get together (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0528wizardsarrest,0,1362955.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines)... bootylicious and all, but holy shit was that some thugged-out-gangsta-fest style hoopla. :eek:

After some afternoon time spent on the actual beach and walking around Ocean and Collins to the Puerto Sagua cuban restaurant, the scene was so intense that we made sure to be at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino by nightfall.

Nice surprise that was as it turned out to be a pretty cool slice of the atmosphere you might find on Vegas Strip. Sure wasn't expecting it.

[astabooty]

Why the hell did you go to S Beach this weekend? Even if you are a hip hop fan, that shit is crazy packed.

Where'd you go at hard rock? I was just there on Friday.

[bungadiri]

It should still only be accessible by ferry. The last time I was in Ocracoke was in '94, and it looked just like the photos. I hope to get back there before the hurricanes wash it away. But I'm just as big a fan of the beaches on Hatteras Island between Rodanthe and Avon.

#3
http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/top_ten_beaches/ocracoke_island/three_small.jpg

http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/top_ten_beaches/ocracoke_island/ocracoke_island_small.jpg
Thanks! We go to Emerald Isle (south of Ocracoke) almost annually but it's been ages since we were on the Outer Banks, proper (I was raised in NC). I agree that the span from Rodanthe to Avon is beautiful.

Coincidentally, my wife's grandfather was a Baptist minister in Avon for many years before and after WW II. He actually served several parishes on the Outer Banks, having to reach them by boat. My wife recently found a flyer promoting a temperance lecture by him dating back to the '20's, which she's had framed and given it to her mother as a birthday present. (The poor thing is so demented these days that she actually asked my wife if they could go see the lecture.)

[Sinko]

Why the hell did you go to S Beach this weekend? Even if you are a hip hop fan, that shit is crazy packed.

Where'd you go at hard rock? I was just there on Friday.
Obviously I didn't check the event schedule! It was her first time on SB, so she had the impression for a while that it was always like that. ;)

At the SHR we just walked around, played some slots (I earned back my gas money at least :)), got a chocolate shake, and hit the road.

[Sinko]

It all begins and ends with the jersey shore. this list is bunk. Stone Harbor/Avalon (maybe Sea Isle City) would deserve to be in the 11-20 list but for the fact that you have to pay for the beach tags!

[_chachi]

Stone Harbor/Avalon (maybe Sea Isle City) would deserve to be in the 11-20 list but for the fact that you have to pay for the beach tags!

spring lake

[astabooty]

Sinko, do you have any idea how to play those slots? I miss the days of getting 3 in a row in a non-digital slot machine. I have no idea what the hell I am doing on those machines or how I am supposed to win. Then they add a mini bingo game to it all. *sigh* Oh well, the most I've actually went into the the casino with (to gamble) is $5 and I left with 13cents. They also have something like 10cent slots, but you have to put in at least a dollar to play. Then their damned ATM charges $5.

Drink at least a six pack in the parking lot (after coming in the back entrance to avoid traffic), head over to Murphy's or Hooters to get another drink (if you dont bring anymore of your own in), use a VIP card to get into Spirits for free. Thats the only way I can afford it :)

[Sinko]

Sinko, do you have any idea how to play those slots? I miss the days of getting 3 in a row in a non-digital slot machine. I have no idea what the hell I am doing on those machines or how I am supposed to win. Then they add a mini bingo game to it all. *sigh* Oh well, the most I've actually went into the the casino with (to gamble) is $5 and I left with 13cents. They also have something like 10cent slots, but you have to put in at least a dollar to play. Then their damned ATM charges $5.

The machines in there have a higher minimum than any other slots I've ever played. The machine I won on was a $1 play, but had a minimum of $3 to even get a spin. I put $15 in and played max credits.

But oh man, never use the ATM in a casino! Gotta come prepared with cash in hand. :)

[IntheNet]

At least according to Dr. Beach (http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/):


1. Fleming Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii - National Winner
2. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin, Florida
3. Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks, North Carolina
4. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
5. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii
6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
7. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
8. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
9. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
10. Barefoot Beach Park, Bonita Springs, Florida


Where's Virginia Beach (http://www.vabeach.com/)? The Dr. Beach guy clearly must have forgotten the oldest beaches (http://www.thefamilytravelfiles.com/ezine/articles/354.asp), even the ones with NFL teams (http://www.redskinsbeachblitz.com/), are often the best beaches!!!

[dreamer]

the pic of #1 looks really nice. i didnt read the article to see how they are judging, but i dont know how south beach didnt make it. sinko, happen to know where the hell #2 is?

Caladesi is just off Tampa.

[dark knight]

Let's face it - anything in New York above Hawaii is a joke. The Atlantic is crap.