Fishing on the Net

By Bonnie Nelson

Think Warm Sandy Beaches!

It has been so cold here in our wonderful state that I thought it would be fun to think about warm sandy beaches and beautiful blue waters.

In the Victorian era (1800-1900), popular beach resorts were equipped with bathing machines because the all-covering beachwear was considered immodest. This machine was intended to allow people to wade in the ocean at beaches without violating the rules of modesty. Bathing machines were carts that were roofed and walled. They were then rolled into the sea. Some had solid wooden walls; others had canvas walls over a wooden frame. If you have watched movies like Mrs. Brown, you saw a bathing machine that Queen Elizabeth I might have used.

During this era a walk along the beach was popular. Many times people would walk from one seaside resort to another. It was and still is customary for people to walk barefoot on the beach, because of the pleasant feeling of sand on their soles and between their toes. The best beach walking areas typically are near the shoreline, where the sand is wet and more comfortable to walk in (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathing_machine).

More than thirty countries in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Costa Rica, South America and the Caribbean have beaches or marinas with the prestigious Blue Flag Status. The program was started in 1987 by France and, the criteria for the best beaches/marinas are based on water quality and safety provisions (http://www.blueflag.org/).

Dr. Stephen Leatherman, more commonly known as Dr. Beach, rates the top 10 American Beaches every year. When he began surveying beaches at Cape Hatteras he studied beach erosion and storm impacts. Rating beaches later became an offshoot of his job. He received an inquiry from a magazine writer in 1989 who wanted a listing of the Top 10 Beaches. Pressed by the reporter, he rattled off the first 10 wonderful beaches that came to his mind. After the article was published he was flooded with calls about his article and the beaches that were chosen. Because of this he developed 50 criteria to rate each beach, and then surveyed 650 major public recreational beaches in the United States. Now, he releases his best 10 Beaches list every year. (http://drbeach.org/).

In the United States the top 10 beaches include:
*Bahia Honda State Park, Florida
*Hapuna Beach, Hawaii
*Fort Desoto Park, Florida
*Hulopo’e Beach, Hawaii
*St Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida (Cape San Blas)
*Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
*Kailua Beach, Hawaii 
* Caladesi Island State Park, Florida
*Hamoa Beach, Hawaii
*Cumberland Island, Georgia
“Nothing restores the body and soul like a stay at the beach. --Dr Beach

Bonnie Nelson is a freelance writer living in Fountain, CO. If you have any comments or questions, email her at waltbon@comcast.net

CONTACT THE WRITER • WALTBON@COMCAST.nET

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