[thebigbaker]

I agree with you Carl, just have fun giving you a hard time. Though I do think, in some ways, the gulf is prettier than the beaches of Hawaii. That said, I'd dig having a coffee tree.

I spent 8 yrs in Mobile, Al and I love the Gulf.  The beaches along the panhandle of Fl are the best beaches in the US...the mainland that is.  I grew up in HI and have a condo in Kihei, Maui and as much as I love the Gulf beaches, I can't think of any way that those beaches are prettier than the beaches of Hawaii.  Sure, there are some beaches on the islands that are nothing to write home about, but the great ones (and there are a lot of them) are some of the best in the world. 

[punatic]

I lived in Florida for a around 36 years.  The beaches there are great.  My family and I used to rent a condo on the beach on Captiva Island 2 or 3 times a year.  It is one of my favorite places in the world.  Sunsets and thunderhead skies over the Gulf there are amazing.  So many shells on the beach...  There is nothing like that here.

Over on the Atlantic side, Playalinda is awesome too.  I learned how to surf in the shadow of launch pad 39B.  I've made more batches of prickly pear mead from cactuses on the dunes of Canaveral National Seashore than I can remember (they are in season now, by the way).

I miss them a lot, but if I never left Hawaii Island ever again, that would be just fine.  Black sand beaches have gotten under my skin...  And the diving here is unbelieveable!

[majorvices]

I agree with you Carl, just have fun giving you a hard time. Though I do think, in some ways, the gulf is prettier than the beaches of Hawaii. That said, I'd dig having a coffee tree.

I spent 8 yrs in Mobile, Al and I love the Gulf.  The beaches along the panhandle of Fl are the best beaches in the US...the mainland that is.  I grew up in HI and have a condo in Kihei, Maui and as much as I love the Gulf beaches, I can't think of any way that those beaches are prettier than the beaches of Hawaii.  Sure, there are some beaches on the islands that are nothing to write home about, but the great ones (and there are a lot of them) are some of the best in the world.

I guess it is the sugar sand and the water wild life I see at the gulf that I never saw at Hawaii. Or maybe it's the $2000 plane ride that sours me as opposed to the 6 hour drive. I never lived in Hawaii, so I don't know it well. I have lived at the gulf for a period.

[punatic]

Or maybe it's the $2000 plane ride that sours me as opposed to the 6 hour drive.

We love our 2,300+ mile wide moat!   

[erockrph]

Jeez, you guys are getting me jealous. We just had our first frost up here in RI yesterday. Hawai'i is definitely on my bucket list, but the Keys are a perfectly acceptable substitute until I can get there (even if I can't hunt the deer on Big Pine). Southwest gets me to Ft Lauderdale cheap, and once you get past Miami the car ride is fantastic. Nothing beats being able to wade out hundreds of feet from shore on Bahia Honda, still be in knee-deep water, and sight cast to fish cruising the flats.

[thebigbaker]

Jeez, you guys are getting me jealous. We just had our first frost up here in RI yesterday. Hawai'i is definitely on my bucket list, but the Keys are a perfectly acceptable substitute until I can get there (even if I can't hunt the deer on Big Pine). Southwest gets me to Ft Lauderdale cheap, and once you get past Miami the car ride is fantastic. Nothing beats being able to wade out hundreds of feet from shore on Bahia Honda, still be in knee-deep water, and sight cast to fish cruising the flats.

The Keys are great!  I had friends live down there for years and I went to visit them at least twice a year, sometimes for a month + long stays.  So many great fishing spots and like you said, you can wade out hundreds of feet or just take out a kayak.  I haven't been down there in about 7-8 years, as most of my friends have left the Keys.  As for Hawaii, if you ever make plans to visit, I would be happy to share our condo in Kihei, Maui (which is directly across from Kam II beach).  We rent it out when we are not there and would give you and all other AHA members our friends and family discount ($60/nt April - Nov).

[punatic]

I had family in Marathon while growing up (they are all gone now).  I learned how to high dive off of the old Bahia Honda bridge.  Caught my first tarpon in Vaca Cut.

You got me thinking.  When I lived in Florida, at this time of the year my friends and I would head up to Daytona for Biketoberfest and then head down to the Keys for Fantasy Fest the week leading up to Halloween

Man I sure miss that.  We just had the Iron Man Triathlon here yesterday, but a few hundred 0% body fat weirdos are not nearly as much fun as thousands of drunk bikers on harleys, or waunding around Key West drunk and nekkid.

[weazletoe]

Looks like your week is as good as my last 10+ days. Have fun, brah!

[tschmidlin]

It is cheaper for me to get to Hawaii than the gulf coast.  There are so many beautiful areas of the world that you don't need to spend $2000 getting to - my sister just spent a week in St. Thomas and the tickets from RDU were less than $400 each.

[punatic]

$2000 for 1st class.  <$800 for everybody else.

[thebigbaker]

We usually get our Denver to Maui flights for $500-$600 and either direct or one stop.  Our last trip to HI this past May was less than $500 w/ one stop.

[euge]

Ok I'll dive in and say the only good beaches we have are in the southern part of Texas. Almost to Mexico but the white sand on the barrier islands is something to be seen. World-class.

Usually though, it's so miserable, humid and stinky down in Corpus I don't bother.

[morticaixavier]

nothing can compare to the beaches in Maine though. grey sand that's hard as a rock, water so cold it will shrink your dinky even in July and August. Horse flies bigger than you. ahh the atlantic. (I kid, I love maine and walking on the beach in december with a big storm blowing up and giant snow flakes drifting down around you is AMAZING.

I took a road trip at one point from VT to key west and that was really nice. the outer banks in NC are also amazing places to contemplate the sea. Mallory square in key west, although over run with tourists (or perhaps sort of because of the tourists) is alot of fun. little beach in maui is great too though ahh naked goth girl with a black umberella, you will live in my memory for years to come.

they are all good and as soon as they work out that teleporting thing I will spend alot more time traveling.

[brewmichigan]

I love living just 3.5 hours from this



Beautiful white sand, crystal clear waters, no salt, no sharks.

[morticaixavier]

I love living just 3.5 hours from this



Beautiful white sand, crystal clear waters, no salt, no sharks.

plus if you get to cold you can just set the lake on fire