BEST BEACHES IN THE SOUTH (PICS)

[MiamiMan305]

I think it would neat if everyone post pictures, shared memories, and gave a little background information on their favorite beach areas in the south.

I'll start with one of my favorites:

Marco Island, Florida- Located on Florida's west coast, Marco Island is a beautiful city located about 18 miles south of Naples. Royal Palm trees, hibicus flowers, and flora of all different shades and colors adorn the island. The area is fairly walkable on the main drag, which makes excercise such as rollerblading or jogging easy. The best beach is called "South Marco" or simply "South Beach" by locals. It's a very wide, sandy beach, with temperate water. The area is known for it's shells and the beach is a treasure trove of exquisite and unqiue shells. Dolphins are constantly spotted in the area and add to the image of a tropical paradise. Fishing is very popular and can be done year round. The sunsets are gorgous and indescribable with their mix and shades of vibrant colors. The area is not bustling with night life or for people who need to be constantly entertained by big city ammenities. I would reccomend this beach, to couples, families, retirees, or people with young children seeking gulf beaches, water activities, and a tropical atmosphere.

[Ray]

How about... best beaches in the south besides the ones in Florida? That wins by default...

[MiamiMan305]

Originally Posted by Ray

How about... best beaches in the south besides the ones in Florida? That wins by default...

The thread can be about any beach you want in any southern state. The point of the thread isn't to argue or make it into a pissing match into which state is better. I just think it would be cool to share the history and some stories about your favorite beaches that people from other states wouldn't know. And South Padre isn't too shabby from what I've hear

[diskojoe]

galveston



not mine. found on google search

[540_804]

Virginia Beach:

[scando]

Without a doubt it's Ocracoke Island, in the Outer Banks...I wish I were there now, although summer would be better.

[LSyd]

^hahahahahahaha yeah right. the super-stormy overrated outer banks.

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[scando]

Originally Posted by LSyd

^hahahahahahaha yeah right. the super-stormy overrated outer banks.

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The storms are half the fun as long as I don't have to live there. I've spent nights surrounded by water listening to power poles expode and days when I couldn't stand in the wind, but I seem to keep going back. The fun of Ocracoke is adding a ferry boat ride and 75 mile drive to the evacuation route and the knowledge that you're 20 miles offshore near the northernmost coral reefs, and a town that's been there since Blackbeard.

[LSyd]

Originally Posted by scando

The storms are half the fun as long as I don't have to live there. I've spent nights surrounded by water listening to power poles expode and days when I couldn't stand in the wind, but I seem to keep going back. The fun of Ocracoke is adding a ferry boat ride and 75 mile drive to the evacuation route and the knowledge that you're 20 miles offshore near the northernmost coral reefs, and a town that's been there since Blackbeard.

the dunes were pretty cool. and driving over a decently high bridge in 60 mph winds was fun.

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[QuantumX]

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr

[spencer114]

False Cape State Park in VA Beach is my favorite. You can spend hours on the beach and never see another person. One must walk or hike to the park (it's about a 6-8 mile hike from the parking lot each way) so when you get there, there's a pretty good chance that you'll be alone for a while. It's like being shipwrecked. It's awesome.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=fals...e%20park&w=all
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_Cape_State_Park

Here are more photos of VA Beach from one of several trips I took there last summer...

[miami305]

Nice pics....but I have to go with my city beaches! Miami Beach (South Beach) all the way.....

[Quadrilateral]

Well I know Florida wins. They have the warmest and clearest water, whitest sand, and they have freaking manatee. How can you compete with that?

So I'll just share some of the interesting beaches in my state, since that's probably what this thread will turn into.

Cape Lookout




Jockey's Ridge

[MiamiMan305]

I would like to visit Galveston. It looks like it has a decent amount of history to go along with it's beaches.

Virginia Beach looks very wide, which for me is a big plus because it's no fun to be on a narrow beach with hoards of tourists.

I also never knew Virginia had that type of foliage, very pretty.

I've never been to the Outer Banks but I hear good things.

[gwiATLeman]

In the category of "feels most like it could be in another country", I've always loved Ft Lauderdale beach.
image hosted on flickr


For non Florida beaches, I've only been to a couple in the southeast and since Virginia Beach has already been covered, I'll go with the eerie and fascinating Jekyll Island. It has secluded beaches (in parts of the beach, no building is visible) and a historic district consisting of "cottages" built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It really feels like a step back in time.

image hosted on flickr


Crane Cottage
image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr

[desertpunk]

I'll never tell anyone where my favorite beaches are but here's one that beats a lot of all the others: Pawleys Island SC.

[erm1981]

Anybody ever been to Myrtle Beach? I like Sullivan's Island near Charleston with its lack of hotels.

[StevenW]

There are so many of them. Hard to say. Florida is probably the winner for "most variety". Urban setting or not, it offers the most. Out of all the other states, I don't know that either. I have not been to the Alabama or Texas beaches. I've to all the others. I guess it depends on how someone defines "best" beach. Best what? Scenery? Urban setting? Natural? Fun? Crowded? Secluded? Overall? Historic? wildest? Family oriented? On and on and on...
Best family Beach: I'd say Myrtle Beach.

image hosted on flickr

[snookums]

Originally Posted by LSyd

^hahahahahahaha yeah right. the super-stormy overrated outer banks.

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Awwww there there my little snugglebunny. It's kinda cute how jealous you are of our beautiful, historical, and pristine beaches. Some of us prefer those kinds of beaches over the touristy, over-developed beaches.
Most people here are "homers" for the beaches of their respective states. I gotta go with my homestate's beaches. NC beaches are very different from other states' beaches; they are much less developed and "wild" and quaint with interesting history (Graveyard of the Atlantic, Blackbeard, shipwrecked Spanish ponies, etc.).

Link to someone's Ocracoke Island flickr page:http://www.flickr.com/photos/1094677...7601206048605/


Jekyll Island looks interesting. Seems to almost be GA's version of Ocracoke.

[spencer114]

Every state along the Atlantic has the same beach "history" that NC has. Ships wrecked along the entire stretch, there were pirates everywhere and wild horses are as common as squirrels from MD to GA.
Its OK that people are representing their own states. The thread is best beaches (not the best beach).

I personally like the NC (Nags Head excluded) and SC beaches. They look like what, being from VA, I expect a beach to look like (grew up on the coast) but the water is a bit nicer and the vegetation a bit more "exotic". I prefer beaches to be completely undeveloped (no parking, no driving on the beach, no ugly beach houses) but do enjoy board walks alot too (love the one at Ocean City MD).