Rosemary Beach near Panama City, Florida The name is so lovely – have you heard of it? Rosemary Beach, about 25 minutes from Destin, Florida and 45 minutes from Panama City, Florida. The beach is somewhat in the middle of the two more well-known beach towns, at the east end of the 30A. Rosemary Beach was so named due to all the beautiful rosemary bushes that have grown up in the sand dunes and surrounding areas. I had never heard of the beach or town until a friend of mine recently told me about it. She said “…and then there’s Rosemary Beach, the most gorgeous beach and beach town…you cannot leave Panama City without stopping there first, trust me.” Needless to say, I’m intrigued! I’m planning a trip out very soon. From what I understand, Rosemary Beach is a fairly new community. There’s a post office, some charming store fronts and a cute hotel (see below.) Architecture for new construction takes its cues from Charleston, the West...[more »]

I absolutely should not be writing about the beaches in Xcalak. I should be keeping this little-known destination a secret, but I just can’t help myself. The only saving grace may be that Xcalak is definitely not for everyone, so perhaps letting the cat out of the bag won’t be the beginning of its ruination. The only sign of life at the town's main beach were a few village kids Xcalak (pronounced ISH kah lack), located at the very southern tip of the State of Quintana Roo on the Caribbean side of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, was for many years the capital of the State. Banks, grocery stores, gas stations, retail stores, an electric plant, ice cream factory and even a movie theater served residents who numbered in the thousands. Then disaster struck in the mid 50’s when a hurricane leveled the community. Rather than rebuild, the government moved the capital further north to Chetumal, and many of the traumatized residents left the area as well. Today Xcalak, a ...[more »]

This is the southern tip of Eyre Peninsula in south Australia. We love beaches, we all love being on a beach but sometimes just taking a step back and watching the amazing power of the ocean crashing against a rock face is just as enjoyable if not mesmerizing. Australia’s coast line is simply awe inspiring and is complete with hidden coves and remote beaches. This particular part of the Australian coastline has impressive cliff faces and is also a great place to watch giant whales pass by during their annual migration. This video by Vimeo user VTrider allows us to be thrown into a state of awe. Be sure to watch this in full screen mode. By Sebastien Tobler Colliding Continents ...[more »]