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Best Beaches in the South


Mith242

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Ironic that I start this topic since I live in a landlocked state and have only been to the ocean a few times my whole life. But I was curious to what people though the beaches beaches were in the south and for that matter what the best beaches in your state? For those of you that aren't in a landlocked state. :D

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here's a coupl that I have been to that are worth mentioning:

Daytona Beach, Florida

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

The Outer Banks of North Carolina (definitely some of the best in the nation.

Tybee Island, Georgia

St. Simon's and Jekyll Islands, Georgia

The Outer Banks are great for those who want untouched beauty in beaches. Jekyll Island is great for that, too. Tybee and St. Simon's are great for those who want a small town feel to the beaches. St. Simon's, Jekyll, and the Outer Banks are great for those who want history. Daytona and Myrtle (as well as Miami's many beaches, I assume, but I have never been there) are great for fun and games type vacations that people typically take on Spring Breaks and over the Summer.

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Despite the "Redneck Riviera" rep, I think the beaches near Destin and Panama City are the prettiest, the former being the one I like more because it is more gentrified. That sugar-white fine sand is the best I've found.

As far as the whole package, the beach as a whole package - restaurants, bars, entertainment, scenery, etc I think South Beach wins hands down. Plus, there's the whole "European" aspect to the beach if you know what I mean.

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St. Simon's, Jekyll, and the Outer Banks are great for those who want history.

Don't slight Tybee on the historical beach category. The largest brick fort still standing in the nation is there: Ft. Pulaski. Tybee lighthouse is one of the longest continously operating lighthouses in the nation.

Favorite beaches of mine are:

*Tybee Island, GA

*Flagler Beach, FL

*Garden City Beach, SC

*Jekyll Island, GA

*Cumberland Island, GA

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the North Carolina beaches south of the outer banks are nice too. From Emerald Isle down to Ocean Isle and Holden beach, and including Wrightsville beach near WIlmington. These are not South Beach, and if you want "posh beach" go to Hilton Head or Duck. But these are great family beaches that have lots of sand, decent waves, and rarely have the crush of people that can make being at the beach unpleasant. Also, in general no cars allowed on the beach.

My family has been vacationing at Holden almost my entire life, and now my wife and I take our kids there at least once a year. There are about a million golf courses near by for the big boys, and the island is close enough to Myrtle Beach for a half-day trip down the coast to play mini golf with the kids and go to the pavillion, or head up to Wilmington in the other direction on a rainy day to see the battleship or hang out downtown. Plus, if you're into Calabash style seafood, Calabash is a short drive for some mighty fine eatin'

[end of commercial :P ]

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I like the AL-FL Gulf of Mexico beaches the very best. The sand is so white.

I have a tiny efficiency condo in Gulf Shores across from the beach that I love. The people down there are so nice & attitudes are so laid back. It's a family-oriented beach, which suits my tastes better than the "spring break/cheap tattoo places everywhere" type beach towns.

Destin is beautiful, but the roads from here to there are crummy.

Areas like Sarasota and Clearwater Beach are nice, too, but much too far away to do often.

The Mississippi beaches themselves aren't that eyepopping, but the large # of casinos and proximity to historic cities like Mobile and New Orleans make for a well-rounded trip. Plus, Gulfport is just a quick 250-mile, 4-lane drive from Tuscaloosa.

One Atlantic beach that I liked was Isle of Palms near Charleston, SC.

Myrtle Beach is interesting to visit, but traffic was awful when I went, and it seemed somehow overdeveloped.

I haven't been to Daytona since I was young, so can't really say much about it. The beach itself was neat, being so wide, but the overall feel of the area didn't do it for me. Maybe it has improved since then, though.

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I'm also partial to the Gulf beaches, particularly those in AL and the FL panhandle. Having visited multiple beaches along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, I cannot escape the beauty of the white sand found on the Gulf.

One beach we found especially interesting were the deep gray beaches of Kiawah Island off the coast of SC. The coloring of the sand was almost like molten ash, very different from anything we'd experienced prior. We loved seeing the turtle nests that were marked to keep curiosity seekers from getting too close.

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I hate to say it, but IMO the best beaches in the south are in South Florida.

However......

The golden isles in GA are absolutely gorgeous and are steeped in old coastal southern culture and not to mention lovely spanish moss.

- The NC coast looks beautiful as well, full of history and culture

- The Gulf coast of Florida and Alabama agre gorgeous with soft, sugary white sand and warm crystal clear gulf water

The GA Coast :http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/photos/album/full/207017-04.jpg

The NC Coast: http://www.innsite.com/files/A002461-3.jpeg

The Florida Gulf Coast: http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/florida_gol.../grayton_fl.jpg

The GA Coast: http://www.where-rv-now.com/Log/2004/GACoast/CrookedREst.jpg

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I've been to most beaches in Florida and to many beaches from Louisiana around to Virginia and IMO hands down the best by far are the ones that stretch from Gulf Shores, AL to Cape San Blas, FL. You just can't beat the sand color and texture and those emerald green waters. Now I am judging this on the beach itself as nature intended, not all the other *stuff* that goes with a beach town. When I go to the beach, I go for the water, the sand and the wildlife, no not that type, the dolphins and such.

Oh yeah and Newnan as an ex-South Floridian, I've burned my feet far too many times in the sand down there for it ever to be the best beach. But you can't beat swimming in 70 degree water in January.

The water clarity north of Jax on the Atlantic is just too darn dark for me to enjoy a good swim. If something is gonna bite by foot off, I wanna see it first!

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My brother lives in Ft. Walton Beach and to me that and Destin is the best one for natural beauty. The only downfall is the jellyfish. One of my twin sons picked up a jellyfish but luckily it was dead and didn't sting him. According to the park ranger where we were, even recently dead jellyfish can give a good sting.

For just downright playing the sand and enjoying the waves, Sunset Beach, North Carolina beats them all. It is just across the border from South Carolina.

For entertainment fun, nothing beats Myrtle Beach, SC and the Grand Strand. We went there this summer and went to the Pavillion Amusement Park, one of the Water Parks, bunches of miniature golf, and the beach of course. What fun we and the kids had. :w00t:

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