A Visit to Some of My Favorite Beaches
By Thad
It seems like every time I go online, I see a list of the ten best beaches. Sometimes it will be the best beaches in the world. Sometimes it is the best beach in one U.S. state or some country where I have never been. Well this is not a list of best beaches but a list of my favorite beaches I have visited.
You will quickly note the majority of my favorite beaches are going to be in the state of Florida. That is because I have spent most of my life visiting the state of Florida and its beaches. I will talk about some other beaches though.
I’m not going to pick out a favorite beach among the ones I have seen because like most things my opinions change from visit to visit. I know that the beaches alongside Florida’s A1A might have been listed as favorites, but these days you can hardly see them for the fabulous homes, high rise hotels and condos.
Tybee Lighthouse
The first beach I can remember visiting is Tybee Beach which is just outside Savannah, Georgia. Tybee has had its ups and downs over the years. At the present time Tybee is enjoying something of a revival. The sand is nice as is the water. There is plenty of parking down by Tybee’s lighthouse, which has to go on my list of favorite lighthouses.
Tybee also has a number of good seafood restaurants. Our favorite is The Crab Shack. You won’t find a lot of fancy motels or high rise condos on Tybee, but that just adds to its charm.
The beach that I have visited the most over the years would have to be Daytona Beach. When I talk about Daytona Beach, I am also including Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach Shores since they pretty much all run together. Daytona Beach is well known for two things. The first is the fact you can drive on the beach. This is great for the people in the car. I do not like it as much when I am actually on the beach.
The other thing of note in Daytona is the nearby NASCAR track which is the home of the famous Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 is the premier race of the NASCAR season. The original race course actually included part of the sandy beach of Daytona.
Daytona Beach by Pat Williams via Wikimedia Commons
My favorite seafood place in Daytona is actually up the road in Ormond Beach. Hull’s Seafood is one of those nondescript seafood places that you might even drive by without noticing.
It sits in a strip mall right next to the street. Just to the right of the restaurant is Hull’s Seafood Market where you can pick up the catch of the day and take it back home to prepare your own seafood feast. Take my advice though and enter the restaurant, place your order at the counter, grab a table and wait for some great seafood and “fixings.”
If you know me at all, you will know I am going to have a favorite beach in Key West. My favorite there is the Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. The beach is white sand and rocks! I usually keep my flip flops on while on this beach. You do not have to go out very far to do some neat snorkeling. There is a small admission fee, but it is well worth it. If you are looking for good eats, check out the local favorite El Siboney Restaurant. You will enjoy some great Cuban food.
Fort Zachary Taylor
While in the Keys let me recommend a stop at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. If snorkeling interests you, or just the beauty of a natural Florida setting, then you do not want to miss this stop at mile marker 102.5 in Key Largo.
As long as we are in Florida, I have to mention Panama City Beach. Once again this beach which was once the home of numerous mom and pop motels has been transformed into the new Florida coastline with high rise condos and modern hotels. The white sandy beaches are still some of the best you will find anywhere though.
Well I haven’t covered even half to the beaches I have visited over the years. I’ll have to come back with a part 2 and talk about Hilton Head, S.C., Cape Cod, Kauai, Hawaii and more. Let me know what some of your favorite beaches are and give me some suggestions about beaches I need to visit.
Next: Winter Beach Trips: Hilton Head Island, SC