1. Siesta Key, Florida: One of our personal, ultra secret spots to vacation is Siesta Key (Siesta Beach) in Sarasota Florida. The sand is perfect white, warm water, and is the spot for some of the most beautiful sunsets in the south! During peak seasons, the beach can become a bit crowded, but if you stay at a private resort, a private beach front is normally included in the stay.
TIP: Remember to make reservations early. Once we tried to get a hotel during a spontaneous drive down and were hard pressed to find a place. Good bars and fun, just not the most luxurious/exclusive accommodations on the map.
FUN TIP: The sand is 99% pure quartz, soft and cool on the feet. “The many awards it has earned include the 1987 Great International White Sand Challenge (in which its sand was scientifically proven to be the world’s finest, whitest finest beach sand), “The Best Sand Beach in America” (The Travel Channel, 2004)
Simple Shell and Sterling Silver Cufflinks by Daniel Dolce
ANOTHER FUN TIP: The Ringling Brothers Museum and Estate is located in Sarasota and only about 20 minutes away from the beaches. Filled with one of the USA’s best art galleries, amazing architecture, and exotic plants and trees.
2. Maui, Hawaii: From GoMaui.com: Stand above a sea of clouds high atop Haleakala. Watch a 45-foot whale breach off the coast of Lahaina. Lose count of the waterfalls along the road as you maneuver the hairpin turns of the Hana highway. One visit and it’s easy to see why Maui is called “The Magic Isle.”
The second largest Hawaiian island has a smaller population than you’d expect, making Maui popular with visitors who are looking for sophisticated diversions and amenities in the small towns and airy resorts spread throughout the island.
Kaihalulu Beach
3. Sanibel Captiva Islands, Florida: Enjoy 15 miles of unspoiled beaches, 22 miles of bike paths, 50 types of fish, 230 types of birds, 250 types of shells and 0 stop lights. Nature activities, like bird watching and nature trail walks, are especially relaxing on this local island. Small, but friendly. Doesn’t have a real night life scene, so if you’re looking for something a little more upbeat in the evenings, you may want to consider Clearwater Beach, Florida instead for a dance filled night at Shepard’s Hotel and Resort. But Captiva Islands always make the lists for America’s Best Beaches, whereas Clearwater doesn’t.
Ocean Shell and Sterling Silver Cufflinks
4. Coronado, California: This is what the Travel Channel has to say about this West Coast treasure: Coronado Central Beach, stretches 1.5 miles behind the great houses along Ocean Boulevard in front of the glamorous Hotel Del Coronado. Swimmers, bodysurfers, boogie boarders, sand sculptors, tide poolers and, from December through February, whale watchers all take to the sand and sea. North Beach attracts surfers in the morning, and at the extreme north is Dog Beach, where leashless canines can frolic in the surf.
Sea Siren Fossilized Coral Cufflinks
5. Nantucket, Massachusetts: A trip to Nantucket is like visiting a faraway fairytale land — one set against a bright blue backdrop of ocean and bay in a community of simple, weathered white cottages surrounded by wild roses. This former whaling community has quaint neighborhoods and a beach for everyone, including Surfside Beach and Children’s Beach, both of which feature calm waters and no shortage of sandcastles.
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