Being a beach lover, I visited many great beaches in our country, and there are some that stand out as the most exciting for the best beach vacations. Some beaches are great for romance, while others offer family activities for budget travelers. Some prefer seclusion from the crowds with only the peace of crashing waves. These beaches offer hands down the most excitement in their own special way, and form a long triangle over our nation if lines were drawn on their locations.
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What makes a beach the best beach to visit is different for every person. Some beach bums prefer budget-friendly beach destinations with clean beaches with all the necessary facilities; restrooms, beach cafes, shower houses, and chair and umbrella rentals. Other beachgoers look for private, secluded beaches with pristine, natural areas for their summer months' beach vacation.
No matter what type of beach vacation you enjoy, there is a perfect beach for you in the USA this summer. Based on years worth of beach ratings, accommodations for families, naturalists, and recreation lovers, and my own visits to some of the choices, I have chosen the best beaches to visit in the USA this summer on a budget.
New Smyrna Beach
Florida is probably the most noted state for its affordable beach vacations. It offers both locals and visitors a variety to suit each taste. A popular beach choice is Sanibel Island, which is located just off the west coast of the mainland. This white sandy beach is lined with spectacular green palm trees and is offset with crystal blue waters. It affords visitors ample shopping, beach facilities, and a choice of water sports rentals.
New Smyrna Beach, located on the east coast of Florida, is one of the least polluted beaches left in the state. Delray Beach is noted for its family environment, while Mexico Beach has been rated as a favorite due to its complicated location. It is located about 30 miles east of Panama City and is hard to get to only due to a lack of direct road; however, once you arrive, its beautiful scenery, and endless sandy beach areas make it worth the effort.
Caladesi Island State Park
Caladesi Island, along the Gulf Coast of Florida, is the best summer beach for families looking for that fun in-the-sun vacation spot. Besides having a gorgeous and top-rated beach, Caladesi offers a pristine natural park environment that is only reached by private boat or the public ferry. Kids will love the fact that Caladesi Island was a pirate haunt and that they have free rein in this state park. Nature lovers will enjoy hiking acres worth of trails and enjoying the excellent wildlife. There are no hotel accommodations on the island.
Caspersen Beach
Caspersen Beach is the perfect choice for the active family that wants more than time in the water or sunbathing. The white-sand beaches are a favorite with beachcombers, snorkelers, fishers, and boaters who find their time at the beach is too short. Kids will be delighted with fossilized remains and the possibility of finding shark teeth on the beach, and nearby Venice Beach has a huge variety of accommodations and restaurants to choose from.
Daytona Beach
With a long-time slogan, "The world's most famous beach," Daytona Beach, Florida, has a unique feature. You can drive to the beach here. Visions of "cruising" in a muscle car of the past can appear in your brain. Safety concerns have limited beach driving to daytime, but you can cruise in your car or rent a beach vehicle.
Many events and budget-friendly activities are here, including races and tours at the Daytona International Speedway. Bike week draws motorcyclists in droves. The pier has rides, games, and occasional open-air concerts. If you like a great oceanfront room with the constant sound of crashing waves, Daytona offers the best variety of these I have seen anywhere.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the eastern United States. Featuring miles of beach line, it is the perfect place to spend a summer vacation, no matter your age. Hundreds of resorts and hotels line the coast, and every year surfing and beach volleyball competition take place that draws in crowds from around the world. Virginia Beach is truly a one-of-a-kind destination.
Because of the miles of beach and, therefore, the great effect of the ocean water, Virginia Beach has a humid subtropical climate. The summers are very hot, with the hottest temperature ever recorded being 103 degrees Fahrenheit. While the winters can get cold, snow is very rare, though entirely possible. Rain is much more prevalent than snow here, though Virginia Beach is located south and north of two major storm routes, so it is spared many thunderstorms and tropical storms.
Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is a popular tourist destination located on the east coast of the United States in South Carolina. It is known for its beautiful sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, vibrant nightlife, golf courses, amusement parks, and a variety of entertainment options.
Myrtle Beach offers approximately 60 miles of pristine coastline with white sandy beaches. The miles of beaches are a great place for sunbathing, swimming, building sandcastles, and enjoying various water sports like surfing, paddleboarding, and jet skiing.
Myrtle Beach is renowned for its family-friendly attractions. Some of the popular ones include Broadway at the Beach, a large entertainment complex with restaurants, shops, live shows, and attractions like Ripley's Aquarium and WonderWorks. The Myrtle Beach SkyWheel, a towering Ferris wheel, offers panoramic views of the city and the coastline.
Hanalei Beach
Hanalei Beach in Hawaii has been at the top of the world's best beaches lists for a couple of years now. Regarding beautiful beaches, it is understandable why Hanalei makes it on the list with its soft white sand beaches and crystal clear water.
The beach has several amenities and facilities, including showers, restrooms, pavilions, and picnic facilities. The nearby town of Kauai makes Hanalei a great beach vacation choice because it provides a small but very select choice of hotels and restaurants.
Hapuna Beach
Another Hawaii choice, but considering it is an island filled with award-winning gorgeous beaches, just two choices on my list of the top five beaches to visit in the USA this summer is nothing. The beach is among the best for swimming, and with the nearby coral reef, there is the opportunity to see some amazing underwater life. The beach offers all the best facilities with miles of secluded sand and a natural setting.
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is one of my favorite beaches on the West Coast and a great choice for those that love the beach and calm waters but can do without the heat. The location is beautiful even if the weather is not always ideal; there is plenty for everyone to do on a trip down at this beach vacation spot. The nearby town has enough to entertain locals and travelers, and you can choose to camp, budget hotels or even beach resorts to every budget is accommodated.
California is definitely a state that is renowned for its beaches. One of its unknown gems is Wildcat Beach. Located about half an hour from San Francisco, this beach is an unpopulated stretch of perfect sand that runs along the calm, blue waters of the Pacific. For a resort beach, Catalina Island offers high-end accommodations, entertainment, and water excursions for those looking for an action-packed vacation.
Santa Monica Beach
California has a special look in our nation because mountains can be seen surrounding the flat sands of beaches at Santa Monica. That alone creates more excitement and beauty than the typically flat terrain at many other beach locations. However, the excitement at Santa Monica goes way beyond that. There are so many activities, hotels, restaurants, and even trapeze lessons here.
Boasting a pier with a great amusement park, aquarium, and what seems like endless shopping makes this beach special. With an outdoor exercise area, Muscle Beach brings memories of Jack Lalane and movie stars. You can almost hear Beach Boys' music saying, "I wish they all were California girls," with the people watching and many activities being great here.
Atlantic City Beach
Atlantic City Beach, New Jersey, is the most exciting beach with a unique flair. Casinos abound with flashing lights, chiming sounds at the slot machines, and watching winners' and losers' exhilaration and agony at the gaming tables.
Walk along the huge boardwalk, find a great restaurant, or escape from clocks at the casinos. There is something special about watching the glitter of lights plus an oceanfront view here. Imagine the excitement of Las Vegas with body surfing as a bonus, which you have in Atlantic City.
Ocracoke Island Beach
Ocracoke Island Beach in North Carolina is the perfect place for those in need of a little isolation. The island is only accessible by ferry from Hatteras Island, so it takes a little effort to get there. Ocracoke is spectacular, with well-preserved beaches, endless sand, and natural beauty. Don't forget to bring a book.
Coopers Beach
For those seeking a glimpse at the rich and famous, Coopers Beach in The Hamptons on the east end of Long Island is the place to go. It is loaded with towering mansions, famous resorts, endless shopping, fantastic facilities, and seven miles of world-class beach.
South Padre Island
Most people may not associate sandy beaches with the Lone Star State, but for those seeking pristine beaches, look no further. South Padre Island is a beautiful stretch of powdery beach near Corpus Christi. It makes for an ideal weekend getaway with its endless selection of shopping, water sports, people watching, and fantastic family water park.
Old Orchard Beach
Known as a year-round beach, Old Orchard Beach in Maine has attracted families for years. The area is filled with traditional piers, seafood restaurants, a kid's playland, and an amusement park. For adults, there are more than seven miles of sand and 200 years of history to explore.
The United States, although it does have Hawaii, also has endless miles of its own magnificent shorelines. Warm waters, white sand, and relaxing beaches can be found in every corner of the country.
Some of the best American beaches are within a short drive or flight from most anywhere in the country. Each of the 650 beaches in the U.S. is unique in what it has to offer. Some provide solitude, hiking trails, sand dunes, or snorkeling, while others provide manicured facilities, live entertainment, and water sports.
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