copyright 2016 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc
Editor: Taylor Carter
Get out your bathing suit, it soon will be time to kiss Winter bye bye! Time to choose your beach destination for this summer Pristine white sand, all day sun, miles of shoreline, shops galore, and hotels where you can see some of the best sunset or sunrise views available. All of these factors and several more go into deciding which beaches in the nation are worthy of being placed in the Top Ten and are ranked accordingly by Dr. Beach, aka Dr. Stephen Leatherman, who specializes in Coastal Environments.
All together, Dr. Beach lists 50 criteria that are used to determine where any given beach falls in the rating scale. Science plays a huge role in the determination, taking into account turbidity, wave size number of waves, sand softness, average temperature and wind speeds, as well as debris in and out of the water. But also taken into account is the local scene, views and vistas, litter, buildings, safety and the number of visitors to the beach. So while science and nature play a major role in the beach’s rating, humans have a large impact on the rating as well. If the beach is well kept and the wildlife respected, there is a better chance for a higher rating. Nearby tourist attraction and access to the beach also contributes to the overall rating.
These criterion are what ranked four Florida beaches in the Top Ten for 2014 and 2015, as well as two Hawaiian beaches in 2015 and three in 2014. In 2015, the beaches that were listed in the previous year all went up in ranking, with East Beach in California making the Top Ten list. In one year, these beaches and cities did something that only helped their ranking in the eyes of Dr. Beach.
Visitors of the beaches could have become more conscientious of their surroundings and cleaned up their trash, made sure not to litter or damage the surrounding area in any way. Reforms could have been put in place that limited the amount of pollution put into the surrounding marine environment. New tourist attractions, better hotels, restaurants and shops could have been built in the immediate area. Or it could have been a remarkably dry rainy season that allowed for more beachgoers to explore both the beach and the city.
Places like Hawaii and Florida are a vacationer’s dream with beautiful beaches, exciting hiking trails, and top-notch hotels. It makes sense that immense effort would be put in place to attract more tourists, increase sales and make the season as long as possible. Part of that, especially in these places, means keeping the beach in the best shape possible, adding concessions, grilling stations, showers and amenities wherever possible. All these things are done to keep people coming back, to add to the tourist revenue that fuels the area and keeps the shops, restaurants and beaches thriving.
Waking up to the most beautiful sunrise one has ever seen and dining by the pinks, orange and glowing yellows of an unobstructed view of the sunset, having the clearest, smoothest water with the most upbeat surrounding area is what allows these beaches to remain listed in the Top Ten. Picking up litter, not polluting the water, and respecting the beach and all it has to offer keeps the beach clean and visitors coming back. Feeling the powdery, white sand between the toes and the wonderful mix of crazy and serenity of the beach, combined with everything else the area has to offer, it only makes sense that these beaches have earned their spot in the Top Ten.
For some cool and refreshing summer recipes to get you in the mood for summer planning, check out the original book that started it all:
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking
Filled with recipes, menus and stories of life in some of Italy’s most charming places!
