I used to work in travel public relations, long before I started this site and became a mom. From my early days in the tourism industry, I’ve always been fascinated with “Dr. Beach” and his annual Top 10 Beach listing. This year, three Florida beaches made the Top 10 list with Siesta Key Beach in Southwest Florida taking the top honors!
Image courtesy of www.sarasotafl.org
Dr. Beach credits Siesta Key Beach’s powdery sand and blue-colored water as just a few of the many positives located near Sarasota. Family friendly surroundings, environmental aspects and overall cleanliness take part in the rating criteria. There are 50 different, rated categories that are judged in order to determine the year’s best beach. This marks the 21st year of the annual designation!
Image courtesy of www.SarasotaFL.org
Here’s Dr. Beach’s top 10 Beaches of 2011 –
1. Siesta Beach – Sarasota, Florida
2. Coronado Beach – San Diego, California
3. Kahanamoku Beach – Waikiki, Hawaii
4. Main Beach – East Hampton, New York
5. Cape Hatteras – Outer Banks, North Carolina
6. St. George Island State Park – Florida
7. Beachwalker Park – Kiawah Island, South Carolina
8. Coast Guard Beach – Cape Cod, Massachusetts
9. Waimanalo Bay State Park – Oahu, Hawaii
10. Cape Florida State Park – Key Biscayne, Florida
Wanna learn more about Dr. Stephen Leatherman (aka Dr. Beach)? (He’s got a great job, doesn’t he?!)
As “Dr. Beach” (www.DrBeach.org), Leatherman has selected the annual Top 10 Beaches since 1991. Fifty criteria are used to evaluate beaches, which include water and sand quality as well as safety and environmental management. Dr. Leatherman is an internationally known coastal scientist who has published 17 books with the recent release of Rip Currents: Beach Safety, Physical Oceanography and Wave Modeling (CRC Press, May 2011) and hundreds of scientific articles about storm impacts, erosion and ways to improve beach health and safety. A new website (www.Beachfinder.org) has recently been developed to help you find other great American beaches.
So, tell me…. what is your favorite beach? Have you visited Siesta Key Beach?
