What is Your Favorite Beach?

[tafnut]

As I said this summer, Dr Beach (I kid you not), the world's expert on beaches, chooses the 50 best beaches in the WORLD, and Florida Panhandle beaches were TEN (10!) of them. They are clean (beach and water), large, and best of all, largely unpopulated, because there are so many of them! The sand looks like sugar and the water is a crystal clear light green. There's very little seaweed or 'icky' type sea creatures, just sanddollars and little friendly fish. And lots of pretty shells. C'mon over - there's PLENTY of room (I think it's close to 200 miles!)

[Bob Duncan]

>As I said this summer, Dr Beach (I kid you not), the world's expert on beaches,
>chooses the 50 best beaches in the WORLD, and Florida Panhandle beaches were
>TEN (10!) of them. They are clean (beach and water), large, and best of all,
>largely unpopulated, because there are so many of them!
No doubt about it! We call it the "Redneck Riviera". You might wish to stay away from Panama City Beach on the big holidays, though. My wife and I went there on a lark about five years ago on Labor Day weekend. The crowds were thick but that evening we went out to eat and ended up at Taco Bell because the lines were so long. We ended up cruising the strip in our pickup like a bunch of college kids (who were 95% of the crowd). I have never seen so many drunk people in my life.

About 25 years ago, my company had a convention in Gulf Shores, AL. This was back when it was really remote, only a couple of restaurants in town. I did an 8 mile run on the beach, barefoot. Ooooh, did I ever pay the price for that one, as my feet weren't tough enough and I received these little abrasions which hurt pretty badly.

[tafnut]

We call it the "Redneck Riviera".

Been to the 'real' one. Not impressed.

[Waikiki was nothing to write home about either. The North Shore WAS though!]

[Bob Duncan]

Well, we've got the best looking wimmen in bikinis down here in the South!

[tafnut]

>>"Well, we've got the best looking wimmen in bikinis down here in the South!"


sumbuddy gimme an amen, brutha!

[mike renfro]

Does that include Impanema? The photos of Rio seem to indicate otherwise.

[George P.]

My favorite beach is on a tiny place I believe is called Green Island, in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). It is so beautiful it's practically a caricature. But it's too small for a run, alas.

Our family's beach vacations have mostly been at North Carolina's Outer Banks -- Duck, and Sanderling. I've tried several times to take "long" (4-6 mile) barefoot runs on the beach there, but my feet always get carved up by the sand. I've had better luck running (with shoes) along the shoulders of Highway 12 -- it's flat and fast, depending on the weather. This road runs north and south along the barrier islands.

[MJD]

This one is pretty remote:

http://www.greenhorsesociety.com/

[KDFINE]

Unfortunately today you have to be on the alert from the stray pitbulls, but growing up in the Rockaways (Queens, N.Y.C.) gave the choice of running the beaches and scrambling over the jetties, or running up and back on a 5+ mile long wooden boardwalk, the boardwalk being the most forgiving surface I've ever been on.

[mrbowie]

Leo Carillo

[KDFINE]

O.K. Duncan Rinaldo, I don't understand Leo Carillo. Please enlighten?

[George P.]

Leo Carillo was a character actor (perhaps that's too grand a term) who played in TV westerns in the 1950s. Then again, there are probably a good many Leo Carillos out there.

[Rufus Cookie]

North Qld, where the rainforest meets the ocean.
-Australia
http://www.pasiva.de/Boris/images/Daintree/4mile.jpg

Fraser Island - Australia
http://www.virtualaustralia.com/photos/coast/027e.jpg

[KDFINE]

Yes, of course I know that Leo Carillo was the character actor best known for playing playing the sidekick Pancho to Duncan Rinaldo's Cisco Kid, I just need enlightenment as to why Leo Carillo is the answer to a favorite beach?

[26mi235]

Leo Carillo is the name of a State Beach in southern California. It was one of our favorites when I was a kid, but there were so many different beaches available that I cannot sort them all out many years later.

[KDFINE]

This easterner thanks you for the answer, Now you have me wondering. Was Leo Carillo the actor's stage name? Did he take it from the beach? Vice versa?

[GotdaBends]

Stinson Beach, Marin County, California

[MJD]

>>Sevem Mile Beach on Grand Cayman.... and I'll BE THERE FOR SEVEN DAYS
>from
>10/2-10/9.


>You're playing with fire with the hurricane season this time of year.

Cross your fingers steve. I just sent them an 1100US deposit but I'm going later. Last big hurricane to hit them completely destroyed the turtle farm.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MI ... 1448.shtml?

edit-yikes!

http://www.caymannetnews.com/

[EPelle]

Cayman Islands suffer 'catastrophic damage' -- MJD, do you have a "Plan-B"?

[MJD]

>Cayman Islands suffer 'catastrophic damage' -- MJD, do you have a "Plan-B"?

Don't really care-more concerned about the people and their homes. Years ago, almost EVERYONE was killed on one of the sister islands during a hurricane.

[EPelle]

I didn:t mean to take away from the human side of the story. The damage is horrendous, and I understand that all communication to the islands has been lost. I hope and trust that there is a sufficient emergency infrastructure in place to keep order, help the ailing, and protect the islands from any further damage.

[MJD]

Suits will weigh in here. These are the symbols for the two primary infrastructure companies-power and water.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CWCO&d=t

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CUPu.TO&d=t

[EPelle]

Both down on the index today.

[MJD]

None of this stuff is in the news yet that I can see but it is pretty horrible:

"...and pretty much the
entire island is underwater..."


http://www.stormcarib.com/reports/2004/cayman.shtml

[EPelle]

MJD - I appreciate the link. I will have the residents in my thoughts and prayers.

[dukehjsteve]

>>Sevem Mile Beach on Grand Cayman.... and I'll BE THERE FOR SEVEN DAYS
>from
>10/2-10/9.


No kidding. I go there every November for a week.
>Apparently, last year I just missed MJ and TM by a few days at the fitness club
>about a block off that road that I go to to work out at after my run every
>morning. You're playing with fire with the hurricane season this time of year.
>Place cracks me up. They close the schools if they get a hard rain.


Thanks a lot for your help MJD, my trip just got CANCELLED because of that stupid hurricane, and it is ALL YOUR FAULT !!!!

[buckeye II]

Woodford Bay. Island of Dominica. Carribean.

Much the same description as BCBaroo. Most of the island is a rainforest for some fantastic running & hiking. Dominica sprots waterfalls for lounging with varying water temps from cool to warm due to a boiling lake in the peaks in the center of the small island. Wonderful people. They have had a few notable tracksters as well.

[Halfmiler2]

Anywhere that they don't allow Beach Volleyball.

[Marquis]

One of the Hotels on the Cayman's 7 Mile Beach was reportedly quite badly damaged in news reports on Monday. Don;t know about the rest though.

[MJD]

The entire island is a mess.

[gh]

I guess my new answer is the one that I'm at now. I could tell you where it was but then I'd have to kill you. This also serves as the new answer for the thread about "best hotel ever."

Mahalo!

[EPelle]

[start]

In Hawaiian thinking, words have mana [pronounced: mah' nah], meaning spiritual or divine power], and aloha and mahalo are among the most sacred and powerful.

Say them often as they can be life-transforming and -enhancing. Be careful to use them ONLY if you truly feel mahalo or aloha within. Do not exploit these words for personal gain, and neither cheapen, nor trivialize their use by verbalizing them carelessly or without sincerity.

Aloha and mahalo are ineffable, indescribable, and undefinable with words alone; to be understood, they must be experienced. >>

http://www.geocities.com/~olelo/sheltie ... aloha.html

Learned something new today.

[tafnut]

>>mahalo

means much the same as what good-bye originately meant: God be with you here and forever

[marathonman]

Before it was overpopulated, really liked Madeira Beach and the other beaches of Pinellas County in FL. Also really like the east coast south of Daytona Beach, but unfortunately have never been to the beaches of the FL panhandle. Can't forget the beaches of Sarasota/Bradenton.

[MJD]

gh seems to take a lot of nice trips.