SOOTHE MY SOUL
Soothe My Soul…
If you know me you know I love the beach, it is my “Happy Place.” There is such a wide variety of beaches and while they may seem similar there are no two that are just the same. Take California beaches for instance. Two of my favorites are in California, one in Southern and one in Northern.
Coronado Beach in Southern California is my favorite beach. The sand is nice and easy to walk, run, or play in. If you get there early enough or hit low tide, you can find wonderful shells and the tide pools are brimming with a wide variety of sea life. My favorite activity is to just lay back and enjoy the warm sand and the sound of the waves after a nice long session of playing in the water. What makes this extra relaxing is that Coronado has a laid-back feel, is not usually crowded and the bathrooms, showers and beach are kept clean.
The Glass Beach, Mackerricher State Park near Ft. Bragg, CA, is another of my favorite CA beaches. This beach was once a trash dump (don’t hold it against the beach) with broken bottles which were washed smooth over the years by the waves. People have removed so many of the pieces (which is illegal) that only small pieces remain mixed in amongst the pebbles of the beach. When the sun hits these pieces just right it is a beautiful sight. Along with the colorful beach this area is great for hiking and the tide pools are full of sea life. I spent the night camping here, so I was able to catch a beautiful sunset and sunrise. There are some high cliffs that I was able to sit on and just enjoy the sound of the waves and the view of the ocean with few interruptions.
There are several beaches outside of California that I really enjoy, and each has their own special qualities. First is St. Augustine Beach in Florida which has been a favorite of mine forever! The first thing I noticed about this beach was that the water was warm! The second was that the sand was the fine white sand that you hear so much about and don’t find at most CA beaches. Next add in the history that is associated with the area ( St. Augustine was founded in 1565 making it the oldest European continuously occupied settlement in the US) and it is definitely worthwhile stopping to explore. Whenever I’m here I spend hours in and out of the water, walking the water’s edge, or just sitting on the warm sand soaking up the calm atmosphere of one of my favorite beaches.
Next, I’d be remiss not to talk about the Florida Keys. My first glimpse of those beautiful turquoise waters and my soul said pull over now, find a spot you need to get to that water! I held out until I reached Veterans memorial Park. This park/beach is small and there is no charge to visit. It is just south of Seven Mile Bridge, mile marker 39.9. While the beach is small and there were very few people there. The water was clear, it was so clear I was able to watch the sea life without snorkeling. There were picnic tables, palm trees, grills and showers. Considering that I randomly pulled into this spot it was a gem and one that I went back to several times while I was in the Keys.
The next beach I want to mention is also in the Keys and is one my sister recommended, Bahia Honda State Park Calusa Beach (mile marker 36.8.) This beach has it all! White sand, warm turquoise water and is considered the best beach for swimming as the water is shallow for quite a ways thus fewer harsh waves. There are also concession stands, a nature center, picnic areas, souvenir shop, a marina and lots of people (which for some people is a positive but for me is a negative at times.) If you hike a distance, there is an old railroad bridge that makes for a great photo background. All the Bahia Honda beaches are natural while the other beaches in the keys are man-made. This is because the offshore coral reefs interrupt the natural flow of sand to the shore, so the hotels haul in sand to make their beaches.
When I was planning one of my trips, I was discussing staying on the Gulf Coast and a friend suggested I stay in Destin, Florida as one of my stops. I like to stay at National or State Parks whenever I can, so I found Topsail Hill Preserve State Park which is right next to Destin. This beach is fabulous. It has sand dunes, emerald waters, white sand beaches, hiking trails, wildlife, and forests. This park had it all! I walked miles of beach, never saw another person (maybe because it was so cold and raining) loving the sounds of the crashing waves, the birds calling to each other and the wind blowing through the sand dunes. I took advantage of my time watching the sunset and sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico. I would love to see this beach/park when it is nice weather, if I liked it this much when I was freezing, I can just imagine I may never want to leave if the weather is nice! Greg Lopez, thanks for the tip!
I’ve always been curious about the beaches in Texas. I’ve heard so much that I had to put a stop in at one of Texas beaches. I chose Mustang Beach State Park in Port Aransas as it has more than 18 miles of coastline and is near Corpus Christi. As I got close to the beach, I drove out onto the beach to see what it would be like to drive and park the RV on the sand. It freaked me out a little but there were much bigger rigs than mine already parked out on the sand, so I went ahead, making sure I stayed on the hard packed sand. I only stayed for about an hour, keeping an eye on the tide. I spoke with some of the folks that were parked there, and they said they were enjoying it although they were a little worried about the wind that was forecast as blowing sand could be a problem for the engines plus the paint. They shared that one couple had parked too close to the water and when the tide came in, they had left and had gotten flooded. Yup, tide is a good thing to watch for. With that I said my goodbyes and headed for the campground. After I got set up, I headed for the beach. The wind had started blowing and there was drizzling rain, so it was a bit chilly, but the beach was nice. The waves were wild and there were few people around giving me free reign of the beach. I walked enjoying the sunset while the sounds of the water and the sand soothed my soul. After the sunset, I made my way back to the RV which was being buffeted by winds (but not sand) most of the night. The next morning was up early so I could watch the sunrise on the rock reef. It was a beautiful way to start the day! Mustang Island has 18 miles of white sand beach. The waves while I was there were huge, but the swimming was great, although a little chilly. There are supposed to be Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, but I wasn’t lucky enough to see any. The birds in the area were amazing and were fun to watch. I got there at low tide. The shells were plentiful and diverse. The thing I enjoyed most was that I could walk for hours along the beach and the scenery was always changing. There were sand dunes, rock piles, there was a water tank on its side that people had painted with sayings. There are picnic tables along the way with coverings, it was just a pleasant way to rejuvenate my soul
The last beach I want to talk about is a stretch to consider it a beach, as there is no water involved with it. White Sands National Park in New Mexico is a unique place. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got there but they encouraged me to get a round sled to take with me into the park. Ok, I’m up for anything. When I get into the park it is overwhelming as I am surrounded by sand dunes that are huge, some are over 100 feet tall. While these sand dunes seem like sand, they are really gypsum. This gives me the feeling of being on the beach but not getting that sticky, gritty sand stuck all over that’s so hard to remove. I took my sled and hiked to the top of a dune (what a workout that was) and slid to the bottom. I could have sworn I was sliding in snow, what a rush! I had to repeat it several more times, I was reliving my childhood in South Dakota only I wasn’t freezing to death (It was 75 degrees out!) I then sat down on my sled, removed my shoes, leaned back, dug my toes in the “sand” and enjoyed the afternoon. I was in heaven; all I was missing was the sound of the waves on the beach.
I know there are some wonderful beaches in Michigan and Wisconsin and on the East Coast, and I plan on heading that way this summer/fall.
Which ones are the, “Do not miss” in Michigan and Wisconsin and on the East Coast?
What are some of your favorite beaches in the United States and what puts them at the top of your list?
Let me know so that I can get my plans made!
“If you need me, call me on my shell.” Unknown
