Every year, a professor at Florida International University, Stephen Leatherman, known as Dr. Beach, ranks all of the beaches in the United States and comes up with a Top Ten. Most of these beaches are well-known and full of tourists. But one beach turns up on the list most years, and is much less famous than the others, although just as beautiful.
That beach, where coincidentally we’re at on vacation right now, is St. George Island. We spend the week before Memorial Day here; part of the reason is because of the beauty, part of it is because of the seclusion. The island is located about an hour or so due south of Tallahassee in a part of Florida known as the Forgotten Coast. Why don’t tourists come here in droves?
Well, there is only one hotel here and it has about twenty rooms, I’d guess. So, for teens and those in their 20s who are looking to meet the skank of their dreams, this wouldn’t be ground zero. Also, since the island is a breeding ground for sea turtles, there is a lights out policy at 10:00, and people are discouraged from going to the beach at night when the turtles are laying and hiding their eggs. So, most of the people here are either older couples or families with young kids.
Each year, we get about 100 yards of beach for myself, Mrs. Arriba, and the dogs. Oh, did I mention that the island is dog-friendly? The only rules are to pick up after your dogs and have them under your control.
The island was famous/notorious for a while. Howard Stern used to have a contest where the winner got free plastic surgery from a doctor who had his clinic here. The women who availed themselves of his services would exercise by walking up and down the beach throughout the day. Their gravity-defying bodies were a source of entertainment to the rest of us.
I’m getting ready to go to the beach now, but before I do, let me just say this. Dr. Beach has one of the sweetest gigs in academia. He travels to each of the beaches across our three oceans and ranks them on his own criteria. Here is his Top 10 this year:
1. Coronado Beach, Coronado, California;
2. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii;
3. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.;
4. St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle;
5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii;
6. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.;
7. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii;
8. Cape Florida State Park near Miami.;
9. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.;
10. Cape Hatteras in North Carolina.
Here are some more photos of this paradise:
May 27th, 2012 at 12:16 am
I used to push coal barges from New Orleans to Panama City.
The first time I laid eyes on Gulf Shores Alabama beaches I was astonished by their beauty.
White sand and blue/green water. And, they were usually deserted. I thought I had tripped on the South Pacific.
May 27th, 2012 at 8:52 am
Nice article with great photos. I’ve lived in FL for years and never heard of St. George Island. Can’t believe it.
re: Awlhattni O’Kaddle
I like Gulf Shores October through February. Other times it’s too crowded. Gulf Shores is still astonishing place but it’s been discovered, unfortunately. Still in the winter months you can go there without seeing too many folks and the ones you do see are Canadian snowbirds and they mind their own business.
May 27th, 2012 at 11:10 am
As a kid I remember visiting Sanibel island.
The shore break would bring in these itty bitty clams, Millions of them, and no two were alike but full of color. Reds,greens, purple, orange, and some were like rainbows.
As soon as they washed up they buried themselves and in no time the next batched washed up.
10 pound Shnook dragged this 4 year old down a gravel bank into a delta full of all kinds of poisonous creatures.
We ate the fish.
But, I’m sorry guys, hands down the most beautiful beaches are right here in Hawaii
May 27th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
I agree that Gulf Shores is nice but overcrowded. There’s a nice place near there, Dauphin Island. we’ve camped there, it’s not crowded at all.
Micky,we’ve been to #2 and #7. They’re both nice beaches. As an aside, last time on the big island, my wife wanted to snorkel. By the end of the day, we were covered in black sand.
May 27th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Nobody goes to Coronado beach. Obviously the presence of babes in southern California wasn’t high on the good doctor’s list of criteria.
May 27th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Life Is A Beach
Even in Maine. In a tiny cove on Mt Desert Island is Shell Beach. Surrounded by rock cliffs and pine trees.
Not long after you’ve settled down, something catches your eye.
The ’sand’ is made entirely of crushed sea shells.
The coast of Maine is painfully beautiful. In the sunset it looks so much like an oil painting, you have to check your systems to be sure you aren’t hallucinating.
May 27th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
We went to Gulf Shores when I was a kid…renting a wooden cabin in a national park.I remember seeing a George Wallace banner hanging over a small town square. The beach was unbelievable with great waves. I went to Fairhope Alabama a few years ago and drove to Gulf Shores.It was Condo-City.
Spent 2 weeks on Coronado (when I was living in California). Beautiful and lots of sailors.
Cape Cod beaches are bizarro.Too rocky yet nice.
@Mick
I own a small house on Sanibel.
May 28th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
@ Aririba.
Sounds like you went to the black sands beaches on the big island “Hawaii”.
Then again, they’re not all that much when it comes to standard requirements but seeing the coastlines in Washington and Oregon simply blew my mind.As far as eye candy goes, Waikiki will always be tops but if you want some serenity and a sense of what it was like long before the crackers arrived I suggest you head in the exact opposite direction of Waikiki.
Its like Rodeo drive and Tijuana. Stay away from Waikiki unless you’re looking to get laid, or ripped off.
Mission beach in San Diego was pretty cool, too bad the roller coaster wasn’t happening.
I have a couple secret beachs, and it’ll stay that way. And it will stay that way
(High tide at night washes the fish up into a pond inside a cave. Go there every morning and you got free breakfast you can catch by hand.
May 28th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
@ # 8
DANGER WILL ROBINSON ! DANGER !!
These freekin robo posts sound like they were written by someone with an Indian accent.