Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This is an honest question from someone who never takes a vacation to go to the beach. Millions of tourists flock to warm sunny beach destinations and spend their 1 week, 2 week, or even 3 or more weeks of vacation time to go beach going.
What is the attraction? If you take this kind of vacation, please explain to me what the appeal is.
Are you working hard to get a dark tan? Do you find reclining on a beach chair extremely relaxing that it beats all other forms of relaxation? Is there something therapeutic about listening to the waves and shore. Do you especially love water sports like water skiing?
I grew up in South Florida only about a mile away from one of the finest beaches on the Gold Coast. Even as a kid I could not understand why tourists spent top to dollar to stay on the beach and lounge on the beach day after day.
When I go on vacation, other things enthrall me ... but not going to the beach. I am fair skinned with blue-gray eyes and I burn easily. Even with rarely sunbathing I still managed to get a small spot of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma) that had to be removed in the dermatologist's office.
Please enlighten me. I have an open mind!
Last edited by Clark Park; 12-16-2013 at 03:20 PM..
I'm from Kansas. Oceans, seas and gulfs are novelties to me. So are mountains. I tend to alternate. I'm not the kind of person who spends all day lying on a beach towel, though.
I grew up in/around beaches and I find them beautiful just as someone who appreciates nature and enjoys camping in a national park would.
The sound and smell of the sea is relaxing just like the sound and smell of a forest. I can sit on a beach and enjoy doing nothing just as someone can sit and do nothing in a campsite. I can hike or swim in the ocean and look at the animals and have a campfire just as I would in a forest.
You are assuming all people who take beach vacations spend their time lying on the beach getting a tan. I like beach vacations but never try to tan, I use sunscreen and often wear a hat. I do love to walk on the beach and wade in the water and find the sound of surf relaxing. I also go kayaking and canoeing. Or rent a bike and go for bike rides. If I sit on the beach it's under an umbrella.
I love beach destinations because I LOVE water activities! Snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, boating, etc. I also do enjoy relaxing at the beach, but not for the whole vacation. Beaches are beautiful, the salt water is good for your soul, and I love the laid-back atmosphere of many tropical locations. I also love the hot weather and how good it feels to cool off in the water. Not to mention the gorgeous surroundings. But I appreciate all climates - both cold and warm. I choose a variety of destinations to travel to, not just beaches.
I think people sometimes tend to dismiss the attractions of where you grow up, like the OP and the beach. I grew up in NYC and for a long time never understood why people would choose to vacation there.
As far as the beach, it's relaxing but there are plenty of physical activities to choose from should you be so inclined.
I've never dismissed our local attractions (northeastern MN), which a few million or so tourists come to see every year.
For beaches, yes, I can see spending a day or two at the beach, but a week seems excessive. I need more stimulation than that! Even with paragliding, jetskiing, etc., I would want to get away from the shore. Perhaps part of the attraction for many is the fact that they stay at all-inclusive resorts, which usually have activities beyond lazing around on a towel.*
(*From a person who never saw the ocean in real life until he was 18)
I was born in San Diego, lived on the Mediterranean and presently live 3 miles from the Atlantic. I like the beach somewhat but prefer fresh water.
I have lived just outside of DC for years and can't imagine why anyone would want to come here. I guess the museums and some monuments are cool but the mountains out west are my favorite. I'll gladly take the wide open west.
This is an honest question from someone who never takes a vacation to go to the beach. Millions of tourists flock to warm sunny beach destinations and spend their 1 week, 2 week, or even 3 or more weeks of vacation time to go beach going.
What is the attraction? If you take this kind of vacation, please explain to me what the appeal is.
Are you working hard to get a dark tan? Do you find reclining on a beach chair extremely relaxing that it beats all other forms of relaxation? Is there something therapeutic about listening to the waves and shore. Do you especially love water sports like water skiing?
I grew up in South Florida only about a mile away from one of the finest beaches on the Gold Coast. Even as a kid I could not understand why tourists spent top to dollar to stay on the beach and lounge on the beach day after day.
When I go on vacation, other things enthrall me ... but not going to the beach. I am fair skinned with blue-gray eyes and I burn easily. Even with rarely sunbathing I still managed to get a small spot of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma) that had to be removed in the dermatologist's office.
Please enlighten me. I have an open mind!
It is hard to explain the attraction. Personally, I prefer to go to the beach in the winter when it is not so hot and crowded. There is nothing as wonderful as sitting on the sand, the salt breeze blowing through your hair and listening to the sounds of the surf, the sea gulls, etc. It's relaxing and revitalizing at the same time.
20yrsinBranson
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
