{"id":910,"date":"2019-03-27T03:20:44","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T03:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportsnewsforyou.com\/?p=910"},"modified":"2019-03-27T03:20:44","modified_gmt":"2019-03-27T03:20:44","slug":"americas-10-best-beaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/?p=910","title":{"rendered":"America’s 10 Best Beaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

I<\/span>\u2019m on my hands and knees scouring the beach for diamonds. It\u2019s a picture-perfect summer day: sunny and warm, with practically no humidity and maybe the biggest blue sky I\u2019ve ever seen. The beach is heavenly, with that sugar sand you find in the tropics, framed by a dune forest protecting the scrub-shrub habitats of nesting songbirds.<\/p>\n

Diamonds \u2014 well, actually, beautiful, translucent pieces of quartz \u2014 are abundant, but that\u2019s only a small part of the draw. There\u2019s the privacy (it\u2019s one of the region\u2019s most sparsely populated beaches); the splendid bird watching (rated by Audubon as one of the best birding sites in the nation), and that special sand. Who knew that this slice of paradise \u2014 Higbee Beach in Cape May, New Jersey \u2014 is within a five-hour drive of one-third of the U.S. population?<\/p>\n

The plain truth is the United States is a treasure trove of these magnificent hideaways. Following are some of the best in the country, selected with a bias toward geological uniqueness, magic, and unspoiled beauty. All you need bring is a towel and a picnic.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1\u00a0 Pauoa Beach<\/h2>\n

Where:<\/span> Kohala Coast, Hawaii<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> Ever dream of bathing in champagne? The beach fronts a postcard-worthy coral reef cove, where cooling freshwater springs bubble up from the bottom of the warm Pacific Ocean, making you feel like you are swimming in a bathtub filled with Fizzies. Later, while lounging on the warm sand, dig your feet down deep and feel the freshwater spritzing up.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span> The expanse of soft, pearl-white granules is flecked with colorful bits of coral, shells, and lava.<\/p>\n

What to collect:<\/span> Souvenir photos. Removing the lava that has bubbled up along the beach is illegal; worse, doing so is cursed by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> A five-minute walk from the beach is the Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve with over 3,000 engravings. Archaeologists believe these petroglyphs depict life events of the local culture thousands of years ago.<\/p>\n

When to go:<\/span> Anytime. Daytime temperatures hover in the 70s and 80s year-round.
\nStay:<\/span> The beach resides on the grounds of the Fairmont Orchid (fairmont.com\/orchid), which offers rooms with ocean views and private lanais.<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span> Innovative farm-to-fork Pacific Rim fare is almost beside the point compared to a sunset show at Napua Restaurant (napuarestaurant.com); dinnertime guests get to watch stars light up the Kohala coastline after seeing the sun melt into the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2\u00a0 Bandon Beach<\/h2>\n

\nWhere:<\/span> Bandon, Oregon<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> Sandwiched between dense forest and the Pacific, the beach offers dramatic views of rock pillars (known as sea stacks) jutting from the ocean, as well as small islands inhabited by nesting seabirds, birthing seals, and more. Don\u2019t be surprised if you happen upon a sea lion having a splash.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span>\u00a0 Fine heather-toned grains pack well for castle building.<\/p>\n

What to collect:<\/span> Agates. At least 20 varieties including carnelian, moss, and cloud.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> According to legend, the curious rock formations along the beach were formed when a mountain chief brought his daughter to the shore for the first time. Ignoring the warning that looking at the evil ocean spirit Seatco would turn her to stone, the daughter wandered the beach and was frozen in place.<\/p>\n

When to go:<\/span> Year-round. Frigid water and wind prohibit this from being a swimming beach; come dressed in layers as storms can kick up unexpectedly.<\/p>\n

Stay:<\/span> Every room and private cottage at Windermere on the Beach (windermereonthebeach.com) have beach access and panoramic views of the Southern Oregon coastline.<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span> Bandon\u2019s best scene for a sunset cocktail is The Loft (theloftofbandon.com), which sits atop the High Dock building and serves exquisite Pacific Coast-fusion cuisine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3\u00a0 Pfeiffer Beach<\/h2>\n

Where:<\/span> Big Sur, California<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> Front and center in the crashing surf is Keyhole Rock, a gargantuan arch with waves hurtling through the center split. In winter, catch it just before dusk and see the setting sun cast its final rays through the keyhole.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span> The purple sand, located at the north end of the beach, draws its unusual color from manganese garnet fragments, eroded from deposits in the hills, that become finely ground as they wash onto the beach from the creek above.<\/p>\n

What to Collect:<\/span> Well, the sand, for starters. Diligent beachcombers can often find sizable chunks of manganese garnet that has been washed from the cliffs above onto the beach. But note: Digging into the rock face is prohibited.<\/p>\n

When To Go:<\/span> Wind gusts are common here year-round, but less harsh during the drier months, June\u2013October.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> Big Sur\u2019s dramatic landscape has been the setting for countless feature films, including according to Hollywood legend the famous kiss between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity.<\/p>\n

Stay:<\/span> For comfort and panoramic views, you can\u2019t go wrong with Post Ranch Inn (postranchinn.com). The more adventurous will stay in the treehouse lodgings stilted nine-feet above the forest floor, where there\u2019s still plenty of luxe with spa baths, fireplaces, and wood decks facing the forest.<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span> Cliff-dwelling eatery Nepenthe (nepenthebigsur.com) was once a cabin owned by Orson Wells and Rita Hayworth. Now it\u2019s the ideal spot for mojitos at sunset.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4\u00a0 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach<\/h2>\n

\nWhere:<\/span> Buxton, North Carolina<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> The beach is part of a narrow barrier island jutting 30 miles into the Atlantic, so its landmass is forever changing. What\u2019s most striking, however, is the \u201cmagic fairy dust\u201d that gets kicked up with each shuffling step in the sand. At night, you\u2019ll find yourself surrounded by a spellbinding blue-green sparkle caused by microscopic phytoplankton that glow when disturbed.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span> The cape is a convergence of two major ocean currents, the cold Labrador Current from the north and the warm Gulf Stream, which grind bivalve shells into fine, soft particles.<\/p>\n

What To Collect:<\/span> Shells galore \u2014 knobbed whelks, Scotch bonnets, augers, baby\u2019s ears, and more.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> The Grey Man of Hatteras is a shadowy ghost who walks the beaches. As the story goes, he\u2019s the spirit of a sailor who perished at sea.<\/p>\n

When To go:<\/span> Beach weather here spans spring, summer, and fall, thanks to the Gulf Stream that blows warm breezes in chillier months. Locals especially love autumn, with its lazy Indian summer afternoons, but the threat of hurricanes lurks through September.<\/p>\n

Stay:<\/span> The waterfront Inn on Pamlico Sound (innonpamlicosound.com) is a boutique hotel with island-style guest rooms, an oceanfront swimming pool, complimentary kayaks, and a gourmet restaurant.<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span> Come to Dinky\u2019s (villagemarinahatteras.com\/DinkysGenInfo.html) for the local catch, and you\u2019ll be treated to the best show on the island \u2014 sunset.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5\u00a0 The Beach at Sunken Forest<\/h2>\n

Where:<\/span> Fire Island, New York<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> Just over the dunes behind this uninhabited beach on the famous barrier island between Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean is a rare maritime forest of stunted plant clusters, visible from a boardwalk. This stunted, or \u201csunken,\u201d effect is caused by saline mists from the ocean.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span> The soft, reddish sand is made up of fine white quartz, laced with minute red garnet and black flecks of magnetite.<\/p>\n

What to Collect:<\/span> Sand. If you want to amuse your kids, take a magnet to it and show them how the particles magically float up.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> Historians and locals have debated the origin of the name Fire Island for decades. Many believe that it was a misspelled translation of Five Barrier Islands from a 17th-century Dutch map. (The number of inlets changes periodically with the weather.)<\/p>\n

When To Go:<\/span> Late spring to early fall is when the beach is warm and the forest in bloom. The ferry from Sayville, Long Island, to Sailors Haven runs only mid-May\u2013mid-October.<\/p>\n

Stay:<\/span> No hotels in Sunken Forest. But a few miles (and short water taxi ride) down the island is the chic Palms Hotel in Ocean Beach (palmshotelfireisland.com).<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span>\u00a0 If you stay in Ocean Beach, try Maguire\u2019s Bayfront Restaurant (maguiresbayfrontrestaurant.com), as much for the spectacular sunset views as for the cuisine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

6\u00a0 Peterson Beach<\/h2>\n

\nWhere:<\/span> Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> Once named \u201cthe most beautiful place in America\u201d by Good Morning America, Peterson Beach fronts Lake Michigan\u2019s crystal blue Platte Bay. From the shoreline are unobstructed views of Sleeping Bear Point and Empire Bluff\u2019s billowy sand dunes, formed during the last ice age. Some dunes soar as high as 450 feet.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span> While most of the Great Lakes have rocky shorelines, this beach is known for its powdery, golden sand.<\/p>\n

What To Collect:<\/span> You\u2019ll find plentiful samples of Michigan\u2019s state stone, the mottled Petoskey stone (fossilized rugose coral). Take pictures; the National Park Service doesn\u2019t allow removing natural elements from the park without a permit.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> The Native American-inspired Legend of Sleeping Bear holds that a mother bear and her two cubs were driven into Lake Michigan by a forest fire. After swimming for hours, mother bear reached the shore first and perched on a bluff to await the cubs, but they soon tired and drowned. The Great Spirit Manitou created two islands to mark the spot where the cubs disappeared and a solitary bluff representing the mother bear.<\/p>\n

When To Go:<\/span> While each season brings distinctive hues and vistas, summertime offers the most tolerable water temps (up to mid-60s) for swimming.<\/p>\n

Stay:<\/span> The lakefront Homestead (thehomesteadresort.com) offers a range of resort activities and lodging options.<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span> Blu (glenarborblu.com), with panoramic views of Sleeping Bear Bay, incorporates local provisions into its eclectic menu.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

7\u00a0 Padre Island National Seashore<\/h2>\n

Where:<\/span> North Padre Island, Texas<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> The longest undeveloped barrier island in the world stretches 113 miles between the Gulf of Mexico and Laguna Madre, one of the world\u2019s few hypersaline coastal lagoons. Unlike kitschy and crowded South Padre Island, no hotels or businesses clutter the untainted seashore bordered by a narrow dune ridge, coastal prairie, and tidal flats. The beaches are quite desolate, populated by rare, protected wildlife, including endangered turtles and some 380 species of birds. The highway ends 10 miles in, so adventurers in four-wheel-drive vehicles must cross the sand from one beach to the next.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span> Billowy white sand, laden with exquisite shells.<\/p>\n

What To Collect:<\/span> Shells \u2014 common arks, cockles, and quahogs \u2014 and colorful coquina mostly found on Big and Little Shell beaches. Park Service permits the removal of up to five gallons of shells per day.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> Padre Island is reported to be a prime hiding spot for pirate gold. (Too bad the National Park Service prohibits the use of metal detectors.)<\/p>\n

When To Go:<\/span> As one of the southern-most spots on the mainland U.S., even December can bring warm days. Considering the staggering heat and humidity of summertime and hurricane threat into the fall, locals prefer the months of February\u2013April when precipitation is low and temperatures often hover around 70 degrees.<\/p>\n

Stay:<\/span> The modern oceanfront Sandpiper Condominium (sandpiperportaransas.com) is a welcome respite after a day of trekking around Padre\u2019s primitive shoreline. The resort offers well-stocked units with kitchens and balconies, a pool, and beach loungers.<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span> Snoopy\u2019s Pier (snoopyspier.com) is a family-owned, beachfront eatery serving local catch prepared with family recipes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

8\u00a0 Higbee Beach<\/h2>\n

\nWhere:<\/span> Cape May, New Jersey<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> Cape May\u2019s sugar-sand beaches are considered among the cleanest in the nation, sparkling clean, in fact. Some of that sparkle comes from sand laced with Cape May Diamonds \u2014 gorgeous, translucent quartz. The stones wash up on Higbee Beach from the upper reaches of the Delaware River. Higbee, at the tip of Cape Island, also contains the area\u2019s only remnants of coastal forest, protected by dunes up to 35 feet high.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span> The shoreline is blanketed with that downy white-blond sand normally associated with Caribbean beaches.<\/p>\n

What To Collect:<\/span> Those diamonds, of course. The largest wash ashore during winter months, when the current is strongest.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> Kechemeche tribe believed the diamonds possess supernatural powers.<\/p>\n

When To Go:<\/span> May\u2013mid-October.<\/p>\n

Stay:<\/span> Congress Hall (caperesorts.com\/hotels\/capemay\/congresshall) is a sprawling, historic beach resort still operating in grand style.<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span> The Washington Inn (washingtoninn.com), in a restored 1840s plantation house, features a menu of continental fare that changes daily to incorporate the local harvest.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

9\u00a0 Moshup Beach<\/h2>\n

Where:<\/span> Martha\u2019s Vineyard, Massachusetts<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> Moshup (aka Gay Head or Aquinnah) is one of the few places on the East Coast where you can catch the sunset \u2014 rather than sunrise \u2014 from a sandy beach. This secluded shoreline of white sand and crystal-clear water is sometimes tinged red by the surrounding russet-colored clay Aquinnah Cliffs, encasing eons of ancient animal and marine fossils \u2014 whales, horses, even camels \u2014 in their auburn grooves. Smattered around the beach are age-old rocks worn smooth by the crashing tide, and pieces of lignite \u2014 scientists say from the Cretaceous period. The most scenic time is sunset, when the cliffs glow with terracotta hues.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span> Surrounded by multi-hued rocks and clay cliffs, the soft, white sand takes on a variety of shades throughout the day.<\/p>\n

What To Collect:<\/span> The brightly striated glacial rocks, fossils, and mud (with legendary healing powers) are protected property, so capture them with your camera only.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> Native Wampanoag tribal folklore attributes the unique geology to a giant named Moshup. He hunted whales and threw them against the cliffs; their blood turned the clay red and their remains are those fossils found today.<\/p>\n

When To Go:<\/span> Most visitors and businesses operate around the seasonal ferry schedules, which run from Woods Hole or Falmouth with regular service mid-May\u2013mid-October.<\/p>\n

Stay:<\/span> The cozy guest rooms of the cliff-dwelling Outermost Inn (outermostinn.com), owned by musician James Taylor\u2019s brother Hugh, provide spectacular three-way vistas spanning the Nantucket Sound.<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span> In a rural garden overlooking the ocean, Beach Plum Inn (beachpluminn.com) incorporates local provisions into imaginative dishes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

10\u00a0 Henderson Beach State Park<\/h2>\n

\nWhere:<\/span> Destin, Florida<\/p>\n

Wow factor:<\/span> The beach here is known for its whitest-of-white, sugary sand. Plus, great fishing.<\/p>\n

Sand:<\/span> The ground-quartz sand washes down from the Appalachian Mountains via the Apalachicola River out into the Gulf of Mexico. From there, the sand drifts west in the currents, much of it settling here.<\/p>\n

What To Collect:<\/span> Dune rosemary, an edible, non-endangered Florida scrub, that sprouts fragrant lavender flowers in springtime.<\/p>\n

Local lore:<\/span> Destin calls itself the World\u2019s Luckiest Fishing Village. Perhaps that\u2019s because the continental shelf comes closer to shore in Destin than anywhere else in the state, allowing anglers to reach every depth of fishable waters more easily.<\/p>\n

When To Go:<\/span> April\u2013May and September\u2013November are when ocean temperatures range a comfortable 60\u201380 degrees.<\/p>\n

Stay:<\/span> Henderson Park Inn (hendersonparkinn.com), Destin\u2019s only B&B on the beach offers romantic guest rooms overlooking the beach, gourmet breakfasts, box lunches, beach chairs, umbrellas, and bicycles.<\/p>\n

Eat:<\/span> For Gulf-shore gastronomy, accented with a Creole flair Louisiana Lagniappe (thelouisianalagniappe.com\/destin) is a longtime local favorite. Hush puppies, jambalaya, blackened shrimp etouffee, it\u2019s all here.
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m on my hands and knees scouring the beach for diamonds. It\u2019s a picture-perfect summer day: sunny and warm, with practically no humidity and maybe the biggest blue sky I\u2019ve ever seen. The beach is heavenly, with that sugar sand you find in the tropics, framed by a dune forest protecting the scrub-shrub habitats of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=910"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/910\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}