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yes there definately are. An interesting thing about the drive time OBX is that I believe Charlotte for example is further than many of the NE cities for the drive time, it seems more people from VA, MD, PA, OH, NJ, NY there than NC based on my experience
Yep...Charlotte folks mainly hit up the SC (Myrtle, Charleston) and Wilmington area beaches.
I'm too drunk to read all of the previous posts, but the Wisconsin or UP coast with Lake Superior rivals the Pacific NW coast in beauty. Many people don't even know it's there!
Haha...yeah, and include the MN north shore as well. And Ontario, obviously. Absolutely beautiful area. Split Rock, Apostle Islands, Porcupine Mountains, Keweenaw, Huron Mountains, Pictured Rocks, etc. More beautiful than a lot of ocean shorelines, for sure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
^Can you swim in the water?
I have always wanted to see the Great Lakes. I have also always wanted to see Chicago.
I've been swimming in Lake Michigan about a dozen times this year, on beaches from Racine to Door County. It's chilly, for sure, more like the Pacific in S Cal than anywhere on the Atlantic, but it's absolutely doable. Lake Superior is a bit nuts, but you can swim there depending on the day (hot), the time of year (probably August), how hot the season was (hopefully pretty hot) and location (shallow harbor/bay is best). I've only been able to handle true swimming there a few times in my life, it's pretty damn cold.
yes there definately are. An interesting thing about the drive time OBX is that I believe Charlotte for example is further than many of the NE cities for the drive time, it seems more people from VA, MD, PA, OH, NJ, NY there than NC based on my experience
beutiful islands though a real treasure
I'm not entirely sure on all the numbers but I can attest that driving from Charlotte to the Outer Banks, especially the Kill Devil Hills/Mateo is a bear, did it last month in fact. Even driving to the Morehead City area is quite long. If you take highway 74 to Wilmington it's still another 2 hours or so. And you are correct about the out of state thing, lots of cars with Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Michigan, etc. there. Even Canadians seem to love it too because there were several Ontario and Quebecers there. But then again, thats kind of true for a lot of beaches in this state.
As Munity pointed out, for Charlotteans it's easier to hop on one of the highways and hit up the Wilmington/MB/Charleston/Hilton Head beaches. For Triangle residents the Wilmington area beaches and the Crystal Coast (Atlantic Beach and Morehead City areas) are the go-to beaches.
I understand why people mention Alabama because it has a small coastline (less than 50 miles) but I'm not sure it qualifies as not a big part of the state. Alabama's coast produces BY FAR the most tourism revenue in the state and the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area is very comparable in visitor numbers to popular Southeastern U.S. beach locations like Destin, FL, Panama City, FL, and Myrtle Beach, SC. Though small in area, it's a massive tourism draw for visitors from the Southeast and Midwest like the 3 aforementioned popular beach destinations.
I understand why people mention Alabama because it has a small coastline (less than 50 miles) but I'm not sure it qualifies as not a big part of the state. Alabama's coast produces BY FAR the most tourism revenue in the state and the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area is very comparable in visitor numbers to popular Southeastern U.S. beach locations like Destin, FL, Panama City, FL, and Myrtle Beach, SC. Though small in area, it's a massive tourism draw for visitors from the Southeast and Midwest like the 3 aforementioned popular beach destinations.
While the Maine coast maybe a big deal to the state, to drive rt1 you'd never know you were next to the ocean which you only get to see if you take a side trip down small roads to reach a very rocky shoreline.
You live in Denton. Inland DFW is your first impression of Texas. If you had relocated to Houston first, you may have a different perception instead. Houston has two major restaurant chains, Pappas and Landry's, that have seafood restaurants in its portfolio. There are many more independent seafood restaurants, mostly in Galveston and in the mainland parts of the county.
Houston is quite unique to have Texas barbecue, Tex-Mex, and Louisiana-style seafood overlap. Probably the impetus of the vibrant restaurant scene here!
Galveston is a quick weekend getaway. Kemah is famous for its marina. Water sports are pretty popular with locals doing it in the lakes north of Houston and along the Gulf.
I have only just moved to Denton. I lived in Abilene, Cisco and San Angelo before here. True I have not been to Houston yet, but I been to Dallas, Ft. Worth and Austin. My point is, besides Houston, the rest of Texas' big cities are far in land and most of Texas' culture is not at all defined by the ocean. (Especially when compared to Florida's ) Texas has a large coast, but its more culturally identified with cowboys, open ranges and deserts than with the beach.
I know a lot of people out west that don't realize New Hampshire has a coastline. I would have to yield to a resident on whether folks see it as a defining factor or not.
When I think of New Hampshire, it is often more compared to Vermont than Maine.
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) Texas has a large coast, but its more culturally identified with cowboys, open ranges and deserts than with the beach.
