5/15/2008 at 10:16 AM
Tags: Sanibel-and-Captiva-Map, Active Travel, Beaches, Summer Travel (all tags)
David LaHuta just got back from Florida, and he's telling us all about it this week. Keep up with our Sanibel and Captiva Map.
You've been staying busy while on Sanibel and Captiva Islands. There were days spent shelling on Lighthouse Beach, afternoons bird-watching at Darling National Wildlife Preserve and dinners at The Bubble Room, perhaps the wackiest restaurant in all of south Florida.
It's time for some active pursuits. And considering the islands have an average year-round temperature of about 75 degrees, there's no good reason to stay inside.
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by David LaHuta
5/15/2008 at 9:30 AM
Tags: Oman, Animals, Ecotourism, Beaches, Summer Travel (all tags)
Although a rush on accommodation might mean going to Oman isn't instantly possible, we've just discovered yet another reason to try it. Sea turtles.
Turns out there are seven different species of sea turtles in the world, and Oman's got five of 'em. If you visit Oman's beaches in the evening between June and September, you've got a great chance of seeing a leatherback or a loggerhead or a bunch of other turtles laying eggs.
There are a few special rules for sea turtle viewing in Oman: You shouldn't get too close, never touch their eggs (we thought that went without saying?), you can't camp nearby and, most importantly, don't litter. Sea turtles aren't that bright and sometimes confuse plastic with jellyfish, which they eat. And we could certainly use fewer jellies on the beach.
Related Stories:
· Into the Azure [The Australian]
· Still Crushing on Oman [Jaunted]
· Come Back Soon, Oman Is Full [Jaunted]
[Photo: Mct-Enigma]
by amandak
5/15/2008 at 9:15 AM
Tags: Surfing, Beaches, Summer Travel, Budget Travel, Tourism Boards (all tags)
Already spent your entire economic stimulus check in Vegas? In 12 hours? Try San Diego. It offers beautiful beaches, wonderful weather and the local tourism board has just released a list of 50 great things to do this summer without breaking the bank.
No shirt, no shoes, no surfboard? No problem at this year's World Body Surfing Championships. Held August 23-24, the best of the best in body surfing take to the waves and put on a show. Just make sure you bring some binoculars so you can alert the competitors if any finned friends make an unwanted appearance.
Come evening, you can check out the funky shops and cool restaurants of La Jolla. After you've spent your last dollar on dinner, enjoy a stroll along the sand to check out the local marine life, including sea lions, and then watch the sun sink into the mighty Pacific.
Related Stories:
· San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau [Official Site]
· La Jolla [Official Site]
· World Body Surfing Championships [Official Site]
· San Diego Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: tailcat2000]
by kjb
5/13/2008 at 4:17 PM
Tags: National Parks, Beaches, Summer Travel, Outdoor Travel (all tags)
Apparently, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a better tourist attraction than the tallest brick lighthouse in the US. North Carolina's Outer Banks is home to both, but the area earned the nickname "The Graveyard of the Atlantic" thanks to all the ships that have been lost off the shore.
Visitors are free to bring their vehicles onto the sand and shore to find the perfect spot for a summer afternoon. As of this May, though, drivers can only practice sand time trials between the hours of 6 am and 10 pm. The new rules are in effect in order to protect the nesting areas of the sea turtle and shore bird populations in this area.
Further south, Ocracoke Island is the most remote island of the Outer Banks and can only be reached by free ferry from Hatteras Island. Not to be outdone by its sibling to the north, Ocracoke has its own snazzy lighthouse as well as an excellent beach.
If you grow tired of all the swimming, driving, and lighthouse looking, snag a spot on the beach and set up camp. Fees start at $20 a night this summer; be sure to get there early.
Related Stories:
· Cape Hatteras National Seashore [Official Site]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Seamus Murray]
by kjb
5/13/2008 at 3:00 PM
Tags: Sanibel-and-Captiva-Map, Shelling, Beaches, Summer Travel, Animals, Outdoor Travel, Active Travel (all tags)
David LaHuta just got back from Florida, and he's telling us all about it this week. Keep up with our Sanibel and Captiva Map.
By now your pockets are overflowing with seashells, after all, yesterday was spent combing the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva, by far two of the best islands in the country to spot a rare find. Looking for a break from the sand?
Head to JN "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge--with over 6,400 acres of mangrove forest and submerged seagrass beds, plus more than 220 species of migratory birds, the refuge is perhaps one of Florida's finest sites to view nature in the raw.
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by David LaHuta
5/13/2008 at 12:30 PM
Tags: Sharks, Animals, Killer Beaches 2008, Beaches, Dangerous Travel, Killer-Beaches-2008 (all tags)
We love Australia. It's gotta be the only country in the world where a swimmer who gets attacked by a shark laughs off the experience from his hospital bed.
After the 16-foot animal--believed to be a great white--bit swimmer Jason Cull on Saturday, he calmly tried to work himself out of trouble:
It banged straight into me ... I sort of punched it, and it grabbed me by the leg and dragged me under the water. I just remember being dragged backwards underwater. I felt along it, I found its eye and I poked it in the eye, and that's when it let go.
Ah, the old poke-it-in-the-eye trick: Works every time!
As for Middleton Beach, it was closed after the attack, and a couple more sharks were reported in the wake of Cull's encounter. Sounds like a good candidate for our Killer Beaches Map.
Related Stories:
· Australian Pokes Shark in Eye to Survive [AP, via Google]
· Sharks coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: natmeister]
by pbb
5/12/2008 at 12:30 PM
Tags: Sanibel-and-Captiva-Map, Shelling, Beaches, Summer Travel (all tags)
David LaHuta just got back from Florida, and he's telling us all about it this week. Keep up with our Sanibel and Captiva Map.
Forget about year-round sunshine and miles of beaches--what travelers to Sanibel and Captiva really want are seashells. Just 14 miles west of Fort Myers on Florida's southwestern coast, the two islands have consistently been rated one of the country's top spots to find shells of all kinds including coquina, conch and about 275 other varieties.
It's perhaps the number one reason people visit--but certainly not the only one. Want to discover where to dig up the best of the bunch? Find out after the jump.
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by David LaHuta
5/01/2008 at 11:15 AM
Tags: Surfing, Beaches, New York Times, Travel Trends (all tags)
Last we heard, naked vacations were the newest hotness. Now The New York Times says at least one beach town isn't getting in on the latest vacation "trend." So if the idea of cavorting nekkid with other tourists isn't your idea of fun, perhaps you'll be more comfortable in Long Beach, New Jersey.
The beach town has just passed an ordinance outlawing:
The change of clothes in any public area or public street unless within a permanent enclosed structure.
Doesn't sound too draconian, really, until you realize that just about everyone in town--locals and visitors alike--hit the beach as often as possible. And since wet suits and swim trunks don't mix, that means, yep, some people change on the beach.
Locals are split on the new rule, as it satisfies some tourists (the prudes) while causing headaches for others (the surfers). But while other people have mixed feelings on the ordinance, Surfrider Foundation manager John Weber has his mind made up on how important it is:
I'd like to fight the polluters and doers of evil, but we've got to fight about people changing their wet suits.
Related Stories:
· A Beach Where Discretion Is More Than Just Advised [NYT]
· No Shoes, No Shirt, No Worries [NYT]
· Beaches coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: john w]
by pbb
