Travel in High-Def

Gas prices have put a serious dent on many Americans’ summer vacation plans. But if a summer “Staycation” is in your future, fret not! You can still live vicariously through TV travelers. Have surround sound and a high-def TV? It’s almost as good as being there. Almost.

My favorite series for exploring new beach destinations from the sofa are House Hunters International on HGTV and any of Samantha Brown’s shows on The Travel Channel. (Warning: If indeed you are a travel nut, the latter will at some point instill in you an unhealthy dose of envy for Sam’s job.) Most of the episodes that air over the summer months are reruns, but set the DVR and you won’t be disappointed. (It’s got to be better than the summer network TV lineup, right?)

Thanks to these shows, I’ve added a few locales to my list of would-love-to-visit-someday beach destinations. Nicaragua, Ixtapa, or Mallorca, anyone?

August Beach Deals

In case you haven’t noticed, summer is speeding by. If you’ve waited until the last minute to make summer vacation plans, well, you’re not alone. Luckily, there’s still time to fit in a long weekend at the beach before Labor Day and Orbitz has found some great deals to help make that happen.

Here are the top five beach deals for August, according to the travel website:

1. Hilton Head, SC
2. Grand Cayman
3. Kauai, HI
4. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
5. St. Petersburg, FL
   

I’ve been to Hilton Head a few times, and will be headed back at the end of July. Stopped in Grand Cayman on a cruise, and wasn’t overly impressed with the flat landscape. One piece of advice: If you must go to Stingray City, do so on a day when the fewest number of cruise ships are in port. Trust me on that one.

I’ve also been to St. Pete once. I don’t recall it having its own beaches, but it is close to Clearwater beaches. If you can swing it, stay at the historic Renaissance Vinoy, which overlooks a beautiful marina, and head into Tampa’s Ybor City while you’re there for some fantastic Cuban food and culture.

I’ll add the other two destinations to my always-growing would-love-to-visit-someday list.

Born to Beach

I don’t remember my first trip to the beach. My mom’s yellowed photos of our visit to Hampton Beach were taken years before the memories of my childhood kick in.

Like many families, the annual beach trip was arguably the best part of summer. We’d start packing a week or more in advance. Before dawn, we’d pull out of the driveway in the Bobcat station wagon, which was loaded down with camping gear and pointed due east with conviction. The excitement would build as we neared the Sagamore Bridge and the smell of the Cape’s sea air washed over the car. Building sandcastles, comparing tans, playing putt-putt, stopping at the homemade ice cream stand…

This summer routine was comforting as a child. Even as my interests changed as a teenager (Why lay on the beach when you can go shopping?), the beach became an indelible part of me.

And somehow – in the last few years – I’ve grown to appreciate the beach more than ever before. Maybe it’s the 180 miles that separate me from the nearest beach. (Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. Insert other appropriate adage here.) Maybe it’s the appreciation for nature that only comes with age. Maybe I just like the feeling of sand between my toes.

Regardless, it seems fitting to dedicate this blog to the pursuit of beaches near and far. I hope you enjoy it and get the chance to share your own beach stories and recommendations with me.

May fate guide you to the nearest beach without haste!