Beach

With the summer winding down, I want to make sure that my tan lasts as long as it can into the autumn months. It’s been two weeks since my last trip to the beach and I’ve finally stopped peeling. I love being in the sun; I used to be that person who used baby oil to ensure the deepest, darkest tan possible but these days, it’s a minimum of SPF 15 for me. I’d like to share with you some tips on getting a safe tan and maintaining your summer glow for as long as possible.

1. Pre-Beach: Exfoliate. If you want your tan to last, exfoliate your entire body with a gentle scrub to get rid of dead skin cells. If you’re on a budget, a sudsy cleansing pouf works perfectly. If you’ve a little extra cash, try St. Ives Fresh Skin Gentle Apricot Scrub; I use this for both face and body since it tends to be less rough than the actual body scrub. If you’ve got cash to blow, then Clarins Smoothing Body Scrub For a New Skin with Bamboo Powders is both velvety and luxurious.
2. At the Beach: Use Sunscreen. Experts say that SPF15 is the minimum protection everyone should use. On a daily basis, I use Kiss My Face’s Face Factor SPF 30 for face + neck. This product goes on really smoothly and is PABA free, meaning it isn’t thick and greasy and won’t cause breakouts like other sunscreens can. At the beach, my default is Tropicana but I’d actually like to try using an organic sunscreen product. My roommate swears by Badger’s SPF 15 for Face & Body and it smells like lavender which is a natural insect repellent – double bonus! Make sure you apply a good amount of sunscreen before venturing out into the sun, and reapply after you’ve gone into the water. I admit that sometimes I’m too lazy to do this but I always regret it when I don’t. Lastly, don’t forget your lips – the skin there is very thin and easily burns so try Alba’s Tangerine Lip Balm with SPF 18, a personal fave.

   

   

   
   
3. Post-Beach: Sooth and Maintain. First thing I do is take a cold shower; I swear it helps lock in the tan. The most important post-sun action is to make sure your skin always stays moist since peeling occurs when the skin begins to dry. In Thailand I use a post-sun product by Nivea but I haven’t found any retailers who carry the exact product here in the US. Burt’s Bees has a lovely lotion called Aloe & Linden After Sun Soother . I find the consistency to be a little too thin, but I use it for the first few days after the sun and them move on to a regular lotion to ensure that my skin stays moisturized and supple. I like to use Whole Food’s 365 Everyday Value Brand Body Lotion in Lavender Blend.

I try to follow this beach skincare regimen as closely as possible, and I’ve spent a lot of time (and money) trying out all sorts of products. The items mentioned here are the ones that I’ve personally found to work best. Of course, there are tons of products out there on the market so feel free to experiment to find the best for your skin type. Happy and safe tanning!

Images courtesy of Alba Botanica and Kiss My Face.

If you’ve ever seen an iconic photo of the Golden Gate Bridge taken from below–maybe there were jagged rocks, a cliff, maybe the angle simply showed soft sand at the foot of the towers, the bay, the distant wilds of the Marin Headlands–if you’ve seen this shot then you’ve seen it: Baker Beach. A mile-long stretch of sand located south of the foot of the bridge, Baker Beach is the stuff of tourist industry dreams.

Wish you were here.

The view itself is spectacular. On a clear day the water appears bright blue set against the international orange of the bridge itself. Fog only makes the view more romantic, dramatic, Hitchcockian, if that is even a word. Part of the Presidio, Baker Beach is located off of Lincoln Boulevard along the coast. At times the beach boasts supremely large waves, undertow and rip currents; other times it appears the tankers are but gliding softly under the bridge. But no matter the conditions, Baker Beach provides panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands and Lands End.

Same view, different feel.

Despite the touristy view, the beach is also favored by locals who flock for the fine sand and relatively warm, wind-free locale. On the weekends, parking lots fill up fast. People often bus in or hike; hikers can pick up the Coastal Trail on the cliff side. A picnic area with tables, grills and restroom facilities is tucked in the cypress at the east end of the parking lot. Toward the northern end of the beach is a clothing-optional area.

Yet another pic of the same pretty.

In addition to the beauty of the beach is the interesting history. The army built Battery Chamberlin on Baker Beach in 1904 to protect the harbor’s minefields. The battery’s guns could be cranked in and out of their hidden emplacement on the beach. In 1977, the Golden Gate National Parks acquired a 97,000-pound cannon of the type originally emplaced here; it is the only gun of its kind that can still “disappear.”

Rich in history and plentiful of postcard: Baker Beach is a must stop for anyone looking for sand in the city.

First photo, second photo, third photo: All photos of same view, all found via Flickr.

During the ten plus years I lived on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I visited every single beach the area had to offer. From the four-wheel drive tracked sands at Cape Hatteras National Seashore to remote northern beaches that sprout minefields of dead tree trunks, each has its own unique character. Yet all these beaches share one common trait: their location on the Atlantic side of the barrier islands can make them unsuitable for swimming when the waters are rough or sunning when winds whip up the sands.

Soundside Beach on Roanoke Sound features shallow, calm water perfectly suited for families with young children

However, there is an alternative, a secret beach on the Outer Banks that is almost always perfect for families with young children: Soundside Beach at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Because so few people know about this beach it is rarely crowded. The park centers around high sand dunes (80-100 feet tall), said to be the tallest on the Eastern seaboard, and backs up to the Roanoke Sound, an enormous inland body of water that separates the barrier islands from the mainland. At the foot of the dunes sits a wide beach, perfect for spreading out with umbrella, chairs, and a picnic lunch. The water here is calm and shallow. Walk out for 200 yards and it will still only be up to your knees; keep going for more than a mile, up and over the occasional submerged sand bar, to reach waist-high water.

Hang gliding off the dunes at Jockey's Ridge State Park

In addition to swimming and sunning at Soundside Beach, Jockey’s Ridge State Park also offers self-guided nature trails, kite flying, hang gliding off the dunes, sand boarding, kayaking, and windsurfing. At the end of the day, stow up the beach toys and trek to the top of the highest dune for Sunset On The Ridge, where locals and visitors gather every summer evening to witness the Outer Banks’ stunning sunsets.

From US 158 (Croatan Highway, or simply “the By-Pass” to locals) turn west on Soundside Road. Where the road curves to the left, turn right into the blacktop parking lot and take the boardwalk over the dune. Jockey’s Ridge Park closes at sunset each day and no admission is required, but bring everything you need because there are no facilities at this tiny beach.

Photo Credits: beach; hang gliding
Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

As the mother of a three year old girlie girl I am forever on the lookout for pink sparkles and unicorns, bonus points if the unicorn just so happens to be both pink and sparkley. Redwood groves become fairy forests, broken shells at the beach the broken tipped fingernails of mermaids from the deep. It is a magical world through the eyes of a three year old girl who very much believes in the healing power of glitter, the decorative panache of a band-aid. What I wouldn’t give to be able to show her the wonder of Pink Sands Beach on Harbor Island in The Bahamas.

Think pink.

Ever since she was a baby my daughter has had an aversion to sand. When we try to put her down at the beach she curls her legs up like a snail exposed to salt. I don’t know if she thinks it’s dirty, if maybe she doesn’t like the consistency, the color. We live in Northern California where the sand is coarse, grey, tan sometimes and sprinkled with oyster shells broken and sharp. Somehow I have a feeling, though, that if we brought her to The Bahamas her aversion to sand would disappear. Apparently here the sand is 3 1/2 miles of hard-packed perfect pink perfection. A confection of a beach leading to crystal clear turquoise waters calm and warm enough for a baby. Or a stubborn three year old who wants to be a mermaid but doesn’t like getting water in her eyes.

Aptly Named.

The color of the sand comes from ground red coral which then mixes with the white sand so as to appear pink. Of course this is too logical an explanation for something so magical, and I prefer to think the sand is pink because it can hear everyone call it beautiful. At least this is what I would tell my daughter, the beach so pink because it blushes.

All photos courtesy of The Pink Beach Club’s Photostream.

When I was little I used to imagine that my street was a cool watery canal. On hot summer days I would pretend to swim home, and then once home, my house became a rain forest, my bedroom a lagoon.

Not very tropical from the outside.

It seems that I am not the only one with such imaginings of tropical paradise where none such exist. Meet the Tropical Islands Resort, an artificial paradise in the middle of Germany of all places. The numbers alone astound. Housed under an enormous dome originally commissioned for cargo lifters, the roof stands 350 feet tall and encloses 194 million cubic feet of space. The waterpark is 710,000 square feet; the pool can accommodate up to 8,000 visitors a day. (Hopefully nobody pees in the water.) There are restaurants, shopping, tanning, stage entertainment, daycare facilities, bars and overnight camping on Paradise beach. Admission is 18.50 Euro on weekdays, and 23.50 Euro on weekends. The resort is open around the clock, all year round.

The illusion of ideal.

The resort also includes a rain forest, beaches, artificial sunlight, palm trees, tropical flowers and foliage complete with a backdrop of birdsong. There is also a “Balinese lagoon” with whirlpools and a waterfall, a “south sea” with an impressively large white sand beach, a tropical village, and a rainforest section with winding walkways.

Along the south side of the dome hang transparent panels, allowing natural sunlight to help brighten the interior during the day. The internal temperature is always kept at a comfortable 77-82 degrees Fahrenheit with 50-60% air humidity year-round, creating a miniature sub-tropical eco-system smack dab in the middle of Germany.Of course those that built this indoor paradise did not just think of aesthetics. About 80% of the resort’s square footage is used for green space. Water from the pools is reclaimed to water the plant life, which grows in a rich, custom-made soil made up of sand, organic waste, clay, and tree bark. The dome’s transparent panels are also UV permeable, exposing the plants to natural sunlight and allowing the building to operate as a giant greenhouse. At times the high humidity causes water condensation to collect on the inside of the dome before finally falling. This produces light, spontaneous rain showers on occasion, adding to the tropicality of the airplane hangar.

Complete with culture.

Honestly, this is what I imagined as a child walking home on hot summer days, only my ten year old mind could not fathom the enormity of reclaimed water, waterfalls, artificial birdsong under a Balinese lagoon. Even more honest: my 36 year old mind has trouble fathoming it, too. I think this is something I have to see for myself, a Utopian paradise housed under a hangar in Krausnik, Germany.

Top photos from Birkenzweig’s photostream; bottom two photos from Cocoate’s photostream.

For most people, the word ‘beach’ conjures visions of crystalline Caribbean waters, exotic South Seas islands, or coastal destinations around the U.S. Few would think of the Midwest, yet smack dab in the heartland a series of beaches encircle Lake Michigan like a string of pretty pearls. On a recent trip to Chicago I walked three miles along its lakefront, from the southernmost end of Grant Park to the northern tip of the Gold Coast, to visit the city’s three downtown beaches.

12th Street Beach, a delightful crescent cove at the foot of the Adler Planetarium

I began at 18th Street, where a narrow parcel of land known as Northerly Island juts into Lake Michigan. In 1909, renowned architect Daniel Burnham developed the Chicago Plan, which envisioned several man-made islands along the shores of the cobalt lake. Northerly Island, the only one that was actually built, was created from landfill and later converted into a peninsula. Now home to the Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, and Field Museum, the peninsula is commonly referred to as the Museum Campus. Here I discovered 12th Street Beach, a half-moon crescent cove hunkering at the bottom of a grassy slope behind the Planetarium. With its new beach house and free parking, 12th Street Beach is ideally located for a combined day of museum-going, picnicking, and sunbathing.

Swimmers, cyclists, joggers, and roller-bladers mass along the wide promenate connecting Ohio Street Beach with Oak Sreet Beach

From the Museum Campus I walked north along the lakefront. To my right, thousands of boats bobbed in the gently undulating waters of Lake Michigan. Grant Park stretched on my left, offering myriad opportunities to rest at landmarks such as Buckingham Fountain and the peaceful Cancer Survivors Garden. At Randolph Street I followed Lake Shore Drive as it curved to the east, crossing the Chicago River and strolling past the behemoth Ferris wheel at Navy Pier before entering Milton Lee Olive Park. Meandering pathways guided me back to the shores of the lake and Ohio Street Beach, a tiny pocket of sand tucked between Lake Shore Drive and a breakwater.

Oak Street, crown jewel of the three beaches in downtown Chicago

Although Ohio Street Beach has no services it provides excellent access to Oak Street Beach, a mile or so to the north, via a wide promenade that runs along the water’s edge. I walked its crowded length, keeping one eye peeled for mow-you-down cyclists and the other trained on swimmers clad in sleek neoprene suits and skullcaps who swim a mile along the promenade each day, weather permitting.

John Hancock Center looms over Oak Street Beach

Without a doubt, Oak Street Beach is the crown jewel of the three downtown beach parks. Located at the northern end of North Michigan Avenue, it is ringed by skyscrapers and landmark hotels that grace Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Beneath the looming black John Hancock tower, beach-goers sprawl on colorful towels in the wide, soft sand or join a pickup volleyball game at one of several nets set up by the city. Concessions, restrooms, and a waterfront outdoor restaurant are available, but there is no parking; this is definitely a walk-to beach. Strangely, palm trees lined the shore. They were obviously new and recently planted, leading me to speculate whether they could possibly survive Chicago’s often brutal winter weather. I guess I’ll just have to come back this winter to find out; it’s as good an excuse as any to return to this great city!

Article and photos by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels

Today I am taking a departure from my usual sandy path, a trip inland somewhere far, far away. Because today’s post is not so much a beach as it is a river. And it is not so much just a river as it is “the most beautiful river in the world,” also known as “the river of five colors,” or even more poetic, “the river that ran away to the world.” With monikers such as these, how can I not write about Caño Cristales?

Count the colors. http://www.flickr.com/photos/10162032@N03/952959556/

I have been slightly bewitched ever since I first saw photos of Caño Cristales a few days ago. And now I must add this river to my list of Places I Must See Before I Die or Get Too Lazy to Travel, although apparently I need to plan accordingly. Because Caño Cristales is not always worthy of a poetic name. For most of the year it is just a regular old river with maybe some pretty green moss covered rocks and water that is at times dark blue. Nice, but not worthy of around the world or me pining.

This is algae? http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaytaria/3769825917/

Located in La Macarena National and Ecological Reserve Park, Caño Cristales is about 100km in length. During Colombia’s rainy season, the water flows fast and deep as rivers are wont to do. The bottom of the river is obscured from the sun, denying the myriad of mosses light. And during the dry season the river is not quite deep enough; the lack of water unable to support the growth of algae. But during a magical period between the wet and dry seasons, when the water level is just right, the many varieties of algae and moss bloom in a dazzling display of colors: blotches of fuschia, dabs of yellow, swaths of green, bright blue, black, red, all set off by dramatic waterfalls and lazy watering holes.

Rainbow river complete with waterfalls. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredygomez/3537191787/

There is something other-wordly about these photos, about this place. A cross between fantasy and reality, I half expect to see a unicorn grazing at the bank of this river, “the river that ran away to the world.”

In college my beach was Avila. Of course with Cal Poly so close by, I think Avila beach is the beach preferred by many a San Luis Obispo college student.

View from beneath. http://www.flickr.com/photos/g-hat/317544673/

Located in an unincorporated area of San Luis Obispo county, the small town of Avila began as a shipping port for the central coast, and later, a fishing village. Nowadays there are still fisherman on the pier. But mostly, the small town is centered around the beach itself and the short strip of beach-town shops, restaurants and bars that line this stretch of coastline.

The beach itself is small– less than half a mile long and sheltered inside the San Luis Bay. Avila faces south and is protected from the prevailing northwesterly winds by Point San Luis, making it warmer than most beaches in the area, less windy. There are often surfers dotting the water, swimmers, and many, many sunbathers.

Pier pilings. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gordonb/5095521/

In addition, there are three piers off the beach: Avila Beach Pier, intended for tourist strolling and recreational fishing, Harford Pier, for commercial fishing boats to offload their wares, and the Cal Poly Pier, part of the university’s marine research program and thus not publicly accessible.

Avila beach and Point San Luis. http://www.flickr.com/photos/g-hat/317544673/

There is a certain charm to Avila, both the beach itself and the town. It’s small there, quaint even, but slightly musty as most beach towns are. Dogs are allowed on the beach at certain times, a fishing license is not required; there are picnic tables, public restrooms, weddings often take place here, though a permit is required.

Located roughly 9 miles southwest of San Luis Obispo, take the winding road through See Canyon with its orchards, farms and wineries until you hit the ocean. This is Avila.

Treasure island, Florida is home to three of the loveliest beaches along Florida’s Gulf Coast, each of which has a totally different personality. Part one of this series reviewed the Main (Municipal) Beach Park, a superb choice for families that offers a full array of facilities. Part two examined Sunset Beach, a party hearty beach located on the southern end of the island. Rounding out the trio is Sunshine Beach, located on the far northern tip.

Sunshine Beach, on the northern tip of Treasure Island

Undoubtedly the least visited of the three, Sunshine Beach begins at Johns Pass jetty, where a small pier marks the inlet separating Treasure Island from the community of Madeira Beach to the north. As this part of the island is more residential than commercial, there are no large public beach accesses, thus parking is limited. Here and there, smaller pullouts provide access to one of the half-dozen wooden walkovers tucked between quaint beach cottages and mid-rise condos.

Once across the low, sea oat covered dunes, crystalline turquoise waters lap gently at the shore and the beach stretches for miles. Swimming is allowed here, although beach-goers are strongly advised to stay far back from the rock jetty and pier while in the water, as strong currents can throw swimmers into the rocks. But aside from the potential strong currents in the area, Sunshine Beach is nearly perfect. Facing into the wind, seagulls decorate the shoreline like popcorn strung on a Christmas tree. Here and there, pockets of unblemished shells congregate in the soft white sand. The only breaks in the unblemished beach are occasional wooden stakes wrapped orange ribbon that mark the sites where sea turtles climbed up on the beach to lay their eggs in the soft sand.

Volunteer groups mark turtle nests with wooden stakes

Most days, the beach is virtually deserted; there are no frisbees flying overhead, no drunken bashes, no trash – for that matter there are no trash cans, so be prepared to carry out everything you carry in. Sunshine Beach offers a true escape from reality, if only for a day. And at the end of the day, civilization is not far away, since the Treasure Island is a mere three miles long.

Article and photos by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels

About as big as the waves get. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkup/2377927760/

Just the name is easy. Chicken Ranch Beach, a small nugget of child-friendly beach located on Tomales Bay. Although finding it is not so: there is no sign. The entrance is covered by brush. Just look for the cars, though, parked along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard just past the town of Inverness. This is where the going gets easy when the easy get going.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artolog/69539770/

The beach at Chicken Ranch is a mix of sand and ground up shells, mostly oyster shells. I recommend wearing some sort of waterproof shoe if you want to go in the water as there are areas with sharper shells. (I tell my daughter that the oyster shells are the fingernails of mermaids. She believes me, and I sort of believe myself.) The water here is warmer than anywhere else in the West Marin, shallow, calm. There are usually throngs of kids and adults swimming here. Chicken Ranch Beach is also a popular spot to put in kayaks, canoes and other small water crafts.

Be forewarned, however, although Chicken Ranch Beach is easy on the eyes, easy to get to, easy for dog-owners, easy to stay with little to no wind and warm water, there are not a lot of amenities here. One porta-potty stands in the sun for those brave souls who really have to go; fires are not permitted and no camping.