Beach

Kent Hotel in Miami, Florida - South Beach

South Beach, Florida’s Art Deco District is a lively, colorful, historic area with much to recommend. Like most of South Beach (and Miami, Florida, for that matter), the area is pretty expensive for hotels, and finding a good quality hotel that’s close to the beach with a decent price tag is about as difficult as finding dance club in the area that doesn’t have a cover charge.

Luckily, there’s The Kent, one of a handful of affordable hotels within a block of the beach. There are only 57 rooms here, each of which is outfitted in fabulous Art Deco style. Bright fresh colors, bold shapes, minimalist design – the rooms are clean, cool and calming. You can choose between Standard, Deluxe and Deluxe Suites, but there are only four each of the Deluxe categories, so book early if you want more space.

When I say affordable, I really do mean it! Rates in November are around $80/night for a standard Queen room and $110 for a Deluxe King. Anybody who’s been to South Beach know that these prices are fantastic, especially for a nice hotel like this one. If you’re really in the mood to splurge, you spend about $220 for a King Suite room that comes with a Jacuzzi bathtub. ALL rooms have flat screen tv’s, hooray.

The thing about South Beach, and the Art Deco District, is that there’s so much to see and do (including people watching!) just outside your hotel that it’s likely you’ll spend little time inside. What’s more entertaining – admiring the Art Deco design of your hotel room, or walking around taking pictures of people in crazy swimsuits on roller skates and buildings that look like they’re from a movie set? The Kent is barely a five minute walk from the white sands of South Beach – it’s perfect!

Art Deco District in Miami, Florida

Photo: Chris O’brien Wickiow, Ellen B

Seeing as how Halloween is fast approaching I want to write about spiders, vampires, witches, candy. Of course Halloween is not typically a beach holiday and zombies are not commonly found in bikinis, so instead I will write about what is scariest about beaches, cellulite and melanoma not withstanding.

Consider yourself warned.

Widely claimed to be the most venomous marine mammal known to mankind, perhaps in the entire animal kingdom, the Australian Box Jellyfish can be found floating off the northern coast of Australia and in the waters of the Indo-Pacific region near Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Hawaii and Vietnam. Also known as a sea-wasp or marine stingers, this jellyfish carries extreme toxins in its fifteen tentacles which, when in contact with a human, can stop cardio-respiratory function in as little as three minutes. It is no wonder, then, that it is responsible for more deaths in Australia than snakes, sharks and salt water crocodiles.

Wish you weren't here.

Since 1954, box jellyfish venom has caused at least 5,568 recorded deaths. Each tentacle has about 500,000 harpoon shaped needles that inject venom into the victim, and each tentacle can reach 80cm in length. They are known as the “Suckerpunch” of the sea not only because their sting is rarely detected until the venom is injected, but also because they are almost transparent. However, once the sting is detected it is excruciatingly painful.

Which gives me a new idea for my Halloween costume. Ghosts, witches, monsters–these are but unicorns and flowers when compared to the Australian Box Jellyfish, the deadliest thing on the beach.

Photo credits in order of appearance: gmheymer’s photostream, Kilona’s photostream, both via Flickr.

Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf Islands of southwest Florida comprise an area of 693 square miles with 830 miles of shoreline. With so much surrounding water, the area has a plethora of beaches from which to choose. Visitors are delighted by miles of unspoiled Gulf Coast beaches on the offshore islands that offer excellent shelling, kayaking, birding, fishing, hiking, or just pure relaxation on a beach blanket under the sun. However residents of the County’s two largest cities, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, often eschew the beaches on the out islands for one in their own backyard, Port Charlotte Beach Park.

Beach backed by large pavilions, which may be rented for large groups or special events

Located on the banks of the Peace River at its junction with Charlotte Harbor, the water at Port Charlotte Beach is coffee brown with a tinge of red. But don’t be fooled by the color; the Peace River is among the cleanest rivers – if not the cleanest – in Florida. Read More »

I like a beach with a good superlative, which is why I paused, interested, when I read about Zipolite Beach in Mexico, supposedly the world’s most dangerous beach. Hard to imagine such a pristine coastline being so deadly.

Dangerous beauty.

Located in Oaxaca, the southern state of Mexico, the name Zipolite quite literally means “beach of the dead” in the native Zapotec language. Unfortunately, this moniker does not come from the area’s laid back vibe of surfers and followers of The Grateful Dead, but instead refers to the actual body count claimed by the strong rip current and undertow. Apparently, the beauty of the turquoise water lures tourists to swim while more knowledgable locals stay far away.

Dog days of Zipolite.

There are, in fact, periods when the water is at its most dangerous, so-called rebalses when the water is said to rebel. It is a time of high seas and the full moon; rebalses are stronger and occur more often from April to June.

There is a lifeguard program which has succeeded in cutting down on fatalities, but the beach still lives up to its name. If you choose to swim in the waters off Zipolite Beach extreme caution is advised; stay close to the shore and do not enter the water when you see red flags.

Photo credits in order of appearance: Kevin Hutchinson’s photostream, antifluor’s photostream, both via Flickr.

Living in the land of 10,000 lakes, I have water all around me, but Minnesota’s lakes, although known for fishing and other water activities, are not the places you think of when you consider a trip to the beach.

Living in the middle of the country, a beach vacation to the coasts to enjoy a lovely ocean beach takes many days and many dollars.

And so, living where we do, were delighted to find a beautiful white-sand beach on our family vacation . . . in Canada.

Yes, Canada.

Grand Beach, Manitoba, Canada

Read More »

Dream Beach by Luiz Fidalgo

It is a dark night and a couple on their honeymoon make their way down to the rocky shore of Dream Beach, Itanhaem. It is the perfect beach for a night time walk and the name an appropriate one, for the setting is very much dreamlike. The surf comes up to the water slowly at first but eventually begins its crescendo into high tide as the couple, lost in love’s embrace continue to hop from one rock to another getting closer to the water.

The two find a perfect rock from which to look out into the ocean while keeping in each other’s arms. They watched as the waves grew larger and they slowly became hypnotized by the rhythym of the ocean. They may have thought to themselves that they could stay there forever. Sure enough, fate intended that very thought and a large wave crashed upon the lovers and stole them from the earth.

On occasion, they return. There have been numerous accounts of a man and a woman fully clothed and soaked through making their way out of the ocean towards shore only to disappear before they reach it. Some say that if you are unfortunate enough to see them up close, you will notice that they are no longer man or woman, but fully clothed decomposed bodies.

Sebastien Tobler

Colliding Continents

Yet another oldie but goodie from the sands of Point Reyes National Seashore (although I suppose most, if not all beaches are old)–growing up, Limantour Beach was the place teenagers went to party. Beach blowouts, keggers, the go-to destination when you cut class, which is funny considering the bountry of wildlife the area is really known for: shorebirds, ducks, harbor seals, even the odd Mother gray whale off the coast during the spring.

And now that my generation is in their mid-30’s I no longer see many teenagers partying at Limantour. Now I notice the fog, quiet, families, dogs are allowed on a 6-foot leash on the southeast end of this beach. (Dogs are not permitted to the northwest as this area is protected habitat for harbor seals and the endangered snowy plover.)

Gray fox (not a beach bunny).

In general Limantour is a surprisingly uncrowded beach with wide dunes and grassy wetlands. Soft sand, and scenery to die for.

Roughly one hour north of San Francisco.

Photo credits in order of appearance: Marty K’s photostream, Dave Appleton’s photostream, both via Flickr.

Laguna Beach downtown

I adore Laguna Beach. A San Diego native, I used to make the 1.25 hour drive a couple of times a year to visit a friend from college whose family owned a house on a private beach. The entire back of the house was floor to ceiling windows that looked directly onto the ocean – absolutely stunning.

Laguna Beach itself is a smallish, charming beach town with lots of little art galleries, cafes, restaurants, boutique shops an and bars. And even though many of the people you’ll be eating or walking next to have more money than I’ll probably ever know, it never feels that way. The town has a laid-back, friendly vibe.

I had heard about the Laguna Riviera Beach Resort, but I never had a reason or the opportunity to do a quick vacation there. A friend of mine just returned and said it was lovely. She highly recommended the heated outdoor salt pool and the saltwater jacuzzi (it’s starting to get chilly in Laguna Beach!). I’m not a huge fan of salt water outside of the ocean, but who am I to complain?

There is free breakfast here! And you can grill your own food at barbecues that overlook the ocean, which sounds so relaxing. The sounds of crashing waves and the smell of barbecue…happy sigh.

The feel of the resort is supposed to have a French Riviera/Mediterranean vibe, which somehow seems to fit in perfectly with Laguna Beach. Understated, relaxing class. I would definitely splurge for an ocean-view room – what’s the point of spending money on a hotel room on a beach if you can only see the water when you leave your room? I also love this resort’s proximity to downtown Laguna Beach.

Laguna Riviera, I will hopefully see you soon…

My only complaint? The creepy reservations lady on the website’s homepage. Her eyes follow around your mouse…very odd.

Gorgeous Laguna Beach, California

Photos: jcarbaugh (for both photos)

Stump Pass State Park, the most remote of the four beaches on lovely little Manasota Key, consists of the southernmost mile of Manasota Key, Peterson Island, Whidden Key and the protected channels between them. Although numerous beaches are found throughout the park, the only one accessible by car is the one at the southern end of Manasota Key. The beach technically begins at the parking lot, where a $3.00 daily parking fee is collected, but this portion is narrow, somewhat steep, and has suffered considerable erosion. It is also somewhat unattractive, as the dunes are topped with a stand of dead Australian Palms, an invasive species that the State is slowly killing off. To find the beach that everyone raves about requires a boat or a 1.3 mile one-way hike, either on a nature trail through dense sea grapes groves or along the sloped beach.

Aerial of Gulf Islands. On the left, near the southern tip of Manasota Key and part of Stump Pass State Park; on the right, Peterson Island.

Visitors who make it to the trip are rewarded with one of the most pristine, deserted stretches of sand in the State of Florida. Here, the warm Gulf waters are excellent for swimming and snorkeling year round. Fishing, both from shore and on nearby submerged grass flats, provides anglers access to a variety of game fish, including flounder, snook, trout, redfish, snapper, Read More »

Full disclosure: this is not really about a beach. Fuller disclosure: I have never been here. Fullest disclosure: I will never go there.

I figure it’s October. A spider has taken up residence on my porch and either it’s a garden spider, which is supposed to bring good luck, or it’s a brown recluse spider, known for its bite which causes necroses of the tissue. Seeing as how it’s October and almost Halloween I am leaning toward brown recluse. It is fall, after all, and fright is in the air, which is why I am writing about this non-beach water destination. The scariest fall of them all: Victoria Falls, Devil’s Pool, to be exact.

Falls.

Located in Southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls is listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Not bad for a waterfall that is neither the longest nor the widest but is still somehow the largest, my high school geometry somehow failing me. (This claim is based on a width of 5600 ft and a height of 360 ft, forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world.)

But that is not the scary part, not the width or the area, even the height. What is scary is this:

The edge of the edge.

Devil’s Pool, a natural rock formation at the very top of Victoria Falls in Zambia where (at certain times of the year) visitors can splash around in relative safety just a few feet away from where the waters of the Zambezi River cascade over the waterfall and plunge more than 100 meters into the gorge below. The thing that truly gets me is that the pool does not appear to have any sort of barrier (natural or otherwise) to protect swimmers who jump into it from being swept over the edge of the falls.

Just a little closer.

True, a photo from this vantage point would be spectacular. But at what cost? I, for one, am content to look at these stunning pictures of Devil’s Pool online. If I need a thrill I will take a photo of the spider on my porch, my hands not 3 ft. away from what is surely a silly garden spider. But you never know, which is why I would not, could not, swim in Devil’s Pool.

Could you?

Photos (in order of appearance): Zest-pk’s photostram, Fritz da Cat’s photostream, Quint Cobb’s photostream, all via Flickr.