Best Beaches

May 28, 2011 6:04 AM

Best Beaches In The US For me, one of the best beaches in US is the Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida, but if you want to have a little privacy, go to the beaches in Cape Cod.
posted by allure (9 comments total)

When I was in grad school at FSU, St. George Island (#6) was a summer refuge. I could drive over there in a little over an hour. The drive itself was relaxing; I'd take whatever I was working on with me, and spend the day reading, swimming, and just watching the waves. There's very little on the island, so it's not an overdeveloped party spot like some places. On the way home I'd pick up some fresh grouper from a local stand and have that for dinner back in Tallahassee. Good times. :)
posted by bizzyb at 6:17 AM on May 28, 2011

"7. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C."

WE DON'T NEED YOUR PITY!!!!

(Carolina beaches really do suck. Yes, it's a sore subject.)
posted by LordSludge at 6:19 AM on May 28, 2011

Siesta Beach in Sarasota is da bomb. When I was in art school I spent many a day there. You could see your toes in chin deep water. I think I left my youth back there, actually.

Lido Key wasn't bad either.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:34 AM on May 28, 2011

Carolina beaches really do suck.

Onslow Beach is pretty cool. Unless you're doing an 18-miler with a pack, food, water and ammo.

^{Longest day of my life.}
posted by jsavimbi at 6:34 AM on May 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

You know, I'm usually all "Whatevs" about best of lists, but Siesta is a pretty !)(#%* great beach. Of course, I think part of the reason is its not super populated, but, hey, YMMV.
posted by cavalier at 6:37 AM on May 28, 2011

I'm glad that after the BP explosion, there are Gulf Coast beaches on that list at all. I visited Caladesi Island and Fort De Soto last year, not on the list this year, but they have been. Totally different from the public NJ and Delaware beaches of my childhood. They were amazing state park beaches that I wanted to walk around and explore and watch birds, not just lay there.
posted by gladly at 6:41 AM on May 28, 2011

For some reason beaches along the Great Lakes get missed in these types of surveys. Lake Michigan beach sand is awesome - where's the love?
posted by caution live frogs at 6:44 AM on May 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

Since I'm fortunate enough to be spending this very weekend at a Cape Cod home about 200 feet from the beach, I can vouch for the beaches here. They're lovely and quiet, with warmer water than you'd expect. Frankly the entire Cape is just absurdly beautiful, the only downside being that I've never seen a WASPier place in my entire life and sometimes it freaks me out a little.

As for what good fortune has led me out to Coituit, MA, for this (and many other) holiday weekends, all I can say is that Narrative Priorities' mother is a very kind lady. Thanks, Carol.

Bonus terrible admission: I lived in Hawaii for two years and the only time I went to the beach was a drunken stagger down Waikiki one post-finals week night. My only excuse is that I was sort of da kine at the time.
posted by pts at 6:45 AM on May 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

if you want to have a little privacy, go to the beaches in Cape Cod

'Specially in January.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:50 AM on May 28, 2011