South Walton, Florida
With 26 miles of pristine white sand, quartz washed down to the Gulf of Mexico from the Appalachian Mountains, South Walton provides a very different experience from the typical Florida beach destination. Sixteen distinct communities dot the shoreline, each with a different flavor. With an ordinance prohibiting buildings more than four stories high, the county works hard to protect the delicate balance between tourism and the local ecosystem.
“Tourism is our No. 1 industry,” said Pamela Watkins, director of sales at Visit South Walton, “but we know that to promote our area, we have to preserve and protect it.” Forty percent of the land in South Walton is state forest and so will never be developed.
Biking is very popular in the area; visitors and residents alike make the most of the 200 miles of trails. One other popular activity is stand-up paddleboarding, suited to the salt water of the Gulf Coast and to the freshwater of the dune lakes for which the area is renowned.
Peak season for families is June through August, but South Walton is suited to group travel all year. Watkins noted that October is a particularly good time to visit since that coincides with the visually stunning migration of the monarch butterflies. Meanwhile, in November, Taste of the Beach offers four days of wine and culinary events at the numerous local award-winning restaurants.
Kaua’i, Hawaii
Kaua’i is the oldest island in the Hawaiian archipelago and the one with the most miles of white-sand beaches. Why do people choose Kaua’i for their beach vacation? Lisa Nakamasu, director of sales at the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau, summed it up: “In an age where we’re connected 24-7, everyone has an innate yearning to be connected back to nature.” The Hawaiian island offers that. There are enough beaches that being the only person on a particular stretch of sand is not unusual. This is the place tourists visit when they want a gentler pace of life.
The interior of the island is accessible only by air, boat and foot, and if it looks familiar, that may be because it was recently used as a filming location for the movie “Jurassic World.” Given the island’s isolation and natural beauty, its hiking trails attract backpacking enthusiasts from as far afield as New Zealand and Europe. Several local tour companies offer guided hikes that highlight the stunning natural beauty of the area.
For something different, there are mountain tubing tours. Unique to Kaua’i, these use inner tubes and old irrigation canals for a fun trip, free-flowing through the mountains and caves of the inner island.
Depending on the time of year, visitors can see a variety of wildlife, from humpback whales in the spring to Hawaiian sea green turtles and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. For those wishing to enjoy the colorful underwater wildlife, snorkeling is popular.
There is a concerted effort to provide tourists with an experience that is unique to the island while also protecting the local environment. Local activity companies partner with the landowners so that a share of the profits goes back into the community to be used for conservation.
Marina del Rey, California
Visitors to Marina del Rey are likely to be surprised when they realize that they are still within the boundaries of Los Angeles County. Janet Zaldua, CEO of the Marina del Rey Convention and Visitors Bureau, described the town as “convenient but without the LA vibe.” It has much more to offer than convenience, however. The marina, the only one within the county, feels more like a resort than somewhere on the edges of a huge metropolis, and the infamous LA traffic is nowhere to be seen.
Being so close to LA, attractions such as Universal Studios and the Getty Museum are within easy reach, but there are more than enough things to do in Marina del Rey, from sailing, kayaking and sport fishing to parasailing and whale-watching.
“The No. 1 thing people comment about is the water,” Zaldua said. “Everywhere you are, you have a beautiful view of the water.” In true California style, there are even YogAqua classes — yoga on stand-up paddleboards that are anchored in the water. Beginners in this or many of the other water-based activities don’t need to be afraid of tides and waves. Marina Beach, nicknamed Mother’s Beach by locals, is a man-made 12-acre lagoon of flat water, making it perfectly safe for beginners and children.
In the unlikely event that being on the water should ever become tiresome, bicycle rentals are readily available, providing opportunities to ride to neighboring Venice Beach or nearby Malibu.
For those visiting during peak season, a free summer concert series brings some impressive names to the local park, and gourmet-food trucks ensure that a great meal is never more than a few steps from the beach. During the spring and fall, crowds are smaller and hotel rates lower, and Zaldua said that the weather is still beachworthy as late as November and as early as February.
