Admit it: You're beach crazy. We can't blame you. In fact, with sandy stretches on two coasts, the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes, and around countless bodies of water throughout the country, most of America has the same affliction.
No one gets hyped up more about these inviting expanses of gold and white crystals than adventurers—and with good reason. America's beaches serve up some of the nation's best hiking and biking, and some of the world's best swimming and kayaking. They attract amazing wildlife. They gather themselves into huge dune playgrounds. They make the perfect seat in nature's amphitheater.
Think a beach getaway is all about big towels and lotion? Then read on for a review of the nation’s best spots to play, relax, snooze, swim, and take in some of the best sunsets you’ll ever see—all where sand meets sea. See Holiday Systems International travel destinations.
Best Sand Playground: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore (Michigan)
Get ready to play in the sand: With a 35-mile stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline (and more than 50,000 acres in total), Sleeping Bear offers world-class sand dunes that make up an unbeatable natural playground. These massive coastal dunes and bluffs line the lakeshore, making for outrageous hiking. It's not easy climbing a beach, but once up top, you'll get great views of the lake and its sugar-white beaches (which are great for lounging when you come down).
Inland, you'll find hills and forests of birch, pine, beech, and maple, as well as small lakes and rivers for great fishing. The scenic, seven-mile Pierce Stocking route can be done by car or—for the very fit—by bike. There’s plenty to glimpse besides great views of sand and water—the park is home to more than 220 species of birds, along with deer, foxes, and the elusive bobcat.
Essentials: For more info, call 231-326-5134 or go to www.nps.gov/slbe/.
Tip: Sleeping Bear also has two islands inside its boundaries; don't miss 'em. Take a cruise with Holiday Systems International
Best Sunrise: Sand Beach, Acadia National Park (Maine)
It's a no-brainer: To find America's best beach to watch the sunrise, head east. In fact, head so far east that there's nothing between you and the wide-open ocean. Acadia National Park certainly fits the bill; the problem, of course, is that most of the park's coastline is rocky. So keep driving into the park; on the eastern edge of Mt. Desert Island is Acadia's only sand beach—called, appropriately, Sand Beach.
These are the only grains of sand you'll find out of Acadia's almost 48,000 acres of granite-domed mountains, woodlands, lakes and ponds, and ocean shoreline. But the reward is well worth the effort. Wake up while it's still dark and catch dawn's rosy fingers easing over the horizon.
Essentials: For more info, call 207-288-3338 or go to www.nps.gov.
Tip: July to September are the busiest months. Skip 'em. Try for the fourth Sunday in April each year—it's officially Car Free Day in Acadia.
Read more at Away.com
No one gets hyped up more about these inviting expanses of gold and white crystals than adventurers—and with good reason. America's beaches serve up some of the nation's best hiking and biking, and some of the world's best swimming and kayaking. They attract amazing wildlife. They gather themselves into huge dune playgrounds. They make the perfect seat in nature's amphitheater.
Think a beach getaway is all about big towels and lotion? Then read on for a review of the nation’s best spots to play, relax, snooze, swim, and take in some of the best sunsets you’ll ever see—all where sand meets sea. See Holiday Systems International travel destinations.
Best Sand Playground: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore (Michigan)
Get ready to play in the sand: With a 35-mile stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline (and more than 50,000 acres in total), Sleeping Bear offers world-class sand dunes that make up an unbeatable natural playground. These massive coastal dunes and bluffs line the lakeshore, making for outrageous hiking. It's not easy climbing a beach, but once up top, you'll get great views of the lake and its sugar-white beaches (which are great for lounging when you come down).
Inland, you'll find hills and forests of birch, pine, beech, and maple, as well as small lakes and rivers for great fishing. The scenic, seven-mile Pierce Stocking route can be done by car or—for the very fit—by bike. There’s plenty to glimpse besides great views of sand and water—the park is home to more than 220 species of birds, along with deer, foxes, and the elusive bobcat.
Essentials: For more info, call 231-326-5134 or go to www.nps.gov/slbe/.
Tip: Sleeping Bear also has two islands inside its boundaries; don't miss 'em. Take a cruise with Holiday Systems International
Best Sunrise: Sand Beach, Acadia National Park (Maine)
It's a no-brainer: To find America's best beach to watch the sunrise, head east. In fact, head so far east that there's nothing between you and the wide-open ocean. Acadia National Park certainly fits the bill; the problem, of course, is that most of the park's coastline is rocky. So keep driving into the park; on the eastern edge of Mt. Desert Island is Acadia's only sand beach—called, appropriately, Sand Beach.
These are the only grains of sand you'll find out of Acadia's almost 48,000 acres of granite-domed mountains, woodlands, lakes and ponds, and ocean shoreline. But the reward is well worth the effort. Wake up while it's still dark and catch dawn's rosy fingers easing over the horizon.
Essentials: For more info, call 207-288-3338 or go to www.nps.gov.
Tip: July to September are the busiest months. Skip 'em. Try for the fourth Sunday in April each year—it's officially Car Free Day in Acadia.
Read more at Away.com
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