35 Best U.S. beaches for Summer

by Gadling Staff on
Coast Guard Beach, Massachusetts.

Coast Guard Beach, Massachusetts.

Summer is fast approaching. Where are you going to spend your vacation? How about visiting one of our country’s many fantastic beach locations? Bring your lover or family, a bathing suit, sun lotion, a blanket and a picnic basket, and you are all set for a romantic get-away or a relaxing family get-together on one of these magnificent sandy stretches.

Delray Beach, Florida

Delray boasts a great family-friendly stretch of sand, with youngsters playing Frisbee games and teens surfing the waves. Enjoy the well-preserved dunes and the warm, snow-white sand and comforting turquoise water. After a day on the beach, take a stroll in the European-style town and dine at the sidewalk bistros.

Mexico Beach, Florida

Mexico Beach is located on Florida’s panhandle …

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South by Southeast: Picking a beach in Thailand

by Jeremy Kressmann on

The allure of Thailand’s islands and beaches is immense. Sugar white sand. A wealth of activities, from diving to rock climbing to sailing. Raucous beach parties. But all these pleasing options can actually cause a big headache. With literally hundreds of beach and island choices, spread between Thailand’s west-facing Andaman Coast and the eastern-facing Gulf of Thailand, visitors will be hard-pressed to choose where lay their towels. Not to mention many of us have limited vacation time and budgets.

So how do you properly choose the right beach for your upcoming Thailand adventure? It was exactly the problem I faced last month as I began the last leg of my trip through Southeast Asia. Fortunately, I had the luxury of time on my side. I would check out as many beach spots as I could. From the upscale to the budget, from peaceful to packed, I was on a mission to uncover Thailand’s perfect beach. It was truly a dreadful task, I assure you dear reader, but I suffered through my investigation as best I could.

So did I finally uncover the perfect beach in Thailand? If you’ve ever wanted to take a Thai beach vacation, keep reading below for South by Southeast’s handy guide to picking the perfect stretch of sand.Finding the perfect beach in Thailand is all a matter of what you’re looking for, whether it’s partying till dawn, partaking in some active pursuits or getting in touch with your inner castaway. To help you figure out what’s best for you, consider the following categories:

Get Away from Me, World
Thailand’s islands and beaches are firmly on the tourist trail these days, but there are still a few spots you can get “off the beaten track.” For the best chance of success, consider sticking to the Andaman Coast, particularly the islands closer to the Malaysian border, like Ko Adang and Ko Bulon Lae as well as Ko Chang (the one on the Andaman Coast, not the Gulf of Thailand). Though there are still visitors, these are the types of islands where it’s still possible to grab a quiet bungalow, get lost and have a swim on a deserted beach.

I’m on a Budget
With all the exclusive resorts going up on islands like Ko Samui these days, you might get the impression that finding a beach paradise in Thailand is going to be expensive. But it’s not. For backpackers watching their dollars, check out islands like Ko Phangan, which manages to maintain scattered bungalows that are a downright bargain. Another good choice is Ko Tarutao, a protected national park island where you can score a tent or longhouse for less than $10/night.

The Active Adventurer
Does sitting on the beach make you antsy? In addition to nice stretches of sand, Thailand’s beaches are also the perfect place to enjoy a variety of active pursuits, ranging from kayaking to rock climbing to scuba diving. The limestone rocks at Railay are among the best spots in the world to try to some climbing. Is diving more your style? Check out Ko Tao or the Similan Islands, home to teeming schools of fish, turtles and sharks. And for kayakers? Head for either Ao Phang Nga or Ang Thong National Marine Parks.

I Came Here to Party!!!!!
Thailand is home to some world-class nightlife, and the country’s beaches and islands certainly don’t disappoint. For all the fire twirling, dance music and whiskey buckets you can handle, check out the islands of Ko Phi Phi, Ko Phangan and Ko Samui. Some travelers hate these islands. Others think they’re paradise. We’re not here to judge…just give you the facts. Check out this account of Ko Phangan’s infamous Full Moon Party from Gadling writer Stephen Greenwood for more info.

From raucous Full Moon Parties to deliciously deserted beaches, Thailand has the beach for you. With all this choice, the problem isn’t finding what you want – it’s trying to pick. Have any favorite island experiences or tips that we missed? Share them with us in the comments.

Gadling writer Jeremy Kressmann is spending the next few months in Southeast Asia. You can read other posts on his adventures “South by Southeast” HERE.

Capture your footprints in the sand – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

If you’re a beach bum like me, your vacations are to tropical places. Pictures of sunsets at the beach are pretty, but after a while, one beach looks like the rest. A better souvenir is to take a handful of sand. Once you get home, empty a spice bottle and fill it with the sand. Label it with the beach name and location. Consider making a note of a special memory on the label. After several trips to different beaches, you’ll have a nice spice rack full of sand.

You’ll be surprised to see how each beach differs in their textures and variety of sand; it’s much better than a photo.

SkyMall Monday: Sand Names Print

by Mike Barish on

Times are tough. The economy is still struggling and the holiday season makes our bank accounts hemorrhage money. I’ve even had to make cuts at the SkyMall Monday headquarters. I’ve stopped purchasing a new King-sized bed every three months and found a new way to sleep comfortably. Everyone’s budgets are tight and discretionary income is hard to find. It’s difficult to take women out on dates, let alone impress them with opulent gifts and vacations. So how do you survive these trying fiduciary times and not let the winter doldrums leave you feeling defeated and alone? How can you let people know that you’re not only surviving the financial crisis but thriving in it? How can you do all of these things while handsomely adorning your home? Well, you should know by now that you can do all of these things by turning to the ol’ SkyMall catalog. Save your money, don’t get on your employer’s bad side by taking vacation days and don’t seek comfort in the supportive embrace of a loved one. Instead, pretend to do all of these things by showing off your Sand Names Print.Your friends, family and coworkers will think that you’re living a storybook life when they see that you and someone very special not only went on a tropical vacation but proclaimed your love for one another in the permanence of sand. They’ll never know that you simply chose a random name (or, more likely, the name of that bitch in high school that turned you down when you asked her to the Winter Ball) and had it digitally inserted into a photograph. You’ll be able to hold your head high knowing that all the money you would have spent on dates, jewelry and gifts for a girlfriend is instead being invested in Mountain Dew and sweet shirts.

Don’t believe that simply ordering a fake vacation photo replaces the experience of traveling with a loved one and preserving your moment of tender declarations? Where’s your sense of whimsy? I suppose I can indulge your cold, dead heart by sharing the product description with you:

No wave will ever remove this memory. Showcase your love for each other with this personalized within the sand heart.

No wave will ever remove this memory because no wave was actually involved in it. But that’s just semantics. Who needs waves or sand or human interaction when you have the largest pornography collection in the tri-county area, right? Relationships are for suckers, Vacations are for the lazy. You’re too clever for all of that nonsense.

So, the next time someone asks you how you’re managing in this economy, point to your framed Sand Names Print and tell them, “Mind your own business, jerkface!” Then open your Double Umbrella and tell them about your fancy model girlfriend who they’ve never met because she lives in Canada.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

24 Hours in Rio de Janeiro: The easiest best beaches

by Grant Martin on

It’s cliche to think of The Girl from Ipanema and feel corny when planning your beach excursions on a 24 hour jaunt to Rio de Janeiro, but the fact of the matter is, Ipanema and Copacabana beaches (they’re adjacent) are the among the best, easiest to access stretches of sand in the town. Located in the Zona Sul, the heart of tourist activity, they’re also the most popular. So what makes these two beaches better than the rest?

Part of it is the view. It’s easy to find sand, a few palm trees and a gentle ocean breeze anywhere between Malibu and Buenos Aires, but the landscape around Rio is what sets it above the rest. The massive, granite peaks that shoot out of the Atlantic Ocean are most breathtaking, and as you gaze south down the coast line you can see Sugarloaf Mountain and the cable cars sleepily ferrying passengers to the summit. Behind you, Christ the Redeemer gazes onward as always from Corcovado.

And part of the beach experience in Rio is, well, the view. Beauty fits into a wider spectrum in Brazil, with the beautiful people more attractive than anywhere in the world and the uglier more horrifying. Naturally this is exacerbated when you’re on the beach and everyone is wearing next to nothing.
But that’s part of the beach culture here. People come to the beach just to loaf around and socialize, and there’s an entire economy dedicated to revelers. Those that forgot a towel or beach chair or umbrella can rent one anywhere on the beach, and food, drink and trinket vendors snake through the crowds hawking their wares. On a busy warm Sunday, it can be hard to find a spot to pitch your umbrella, let alone take a seat.

The sand, weather and views are with the trip are worth it, however, and no good tourist should visit Rio without a trip to the beach. Be forewarned that the surf at both beaches is quite strong. Anyone braving the waters is subject to an extremely strong undercurrent, and those that aren’t carefully can easily be dragged away. At the minimum, due to constant currents you’ll exit the water far from the point that you entered.