Siesta Key Beach

Siesta Key Beach is considered by a few places to be the #1 beach in America (and boy does the town let you know it!). And after visiting for a few days, it is easy to see why. The sand is very soft and comfortable to walk on and lay down on. Even on a hot day, it is cool on your bare feet. The waves are very calm, making it nice to hang out in the ocean.

While you will find some cigarette butts and other trash in the sand (I don't understand how anyone can litter like this on a beach!), for the most part, the town keeps the beach area pretty clean.

There is a gigantic parking lot located at 909 Beach Road. On busy days, it can get full, so be aware of this. However, there are a few free shuttle options in the area to get you to the beach, where the only cost is the amount to tip the driver. If you plan on getting to the beach before 10 AM though, you should have no trouble getting a parking spot, even on the busiest of days.

Brass Balls Saloon

The Brass Balls Saloon, with indoor seating (with air conditioning!) and outdoor seating on a patio overlooking the Ocean City, MD boardwalk, was a great stop for lunch on our trip.

We ordered the Avocado Chicken "Samich," which had a nice moist chicken breast and was topped with a very tasty, but spicy, pepper jack cheese and served with the chipotle mayo on the side. The avocado was a nice cooling flavor among all the heat. This is served with chips, but unless you have a real hankering for chips, upgrade to the fries. They are seasoned waffle fries and worth the upgrade cost.

We also ordered the chicken and cheese quesadilla - which was huge, but still light enough to not feel stuffed after lunch.

Traveling with a 6-year-old, we also ordered the chicken finger meal from the children's menu. The children's meals are served in a take home beach bucket, which is a cute idea, however, impractical for eating. The chicken fingers were served on top with a bucket full of fries. A pickle was stuffed in on the side and all the way on the bottom of the bucket was carrot sticks. By the time we realized there were carrots in there, everyone was done eating. We did ask for an additional plate, but there was still a lot of fries to dump out before getting to anything on the bottom.

Johnno's Beach Bar

Johnno's Beach Bar, located at Sandy Ground, had a good reputation and is known for live jazz music on the weekends at lunchtime. While we almost drove past it, we were thankful that we found it. The location is right on the beach, just past the boat dock on Sandy Ground.

We ordered a round of rum punches - which were strong, refreshing and delicious - and lunch. During lunch, a live jazz band played, and locals and tourists streamed in and enjoyed drinks, snacks, meals and the music. We definitely recommend this place.

South Beach, Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard has no shortage of beach options for visitors.  During our stay, we spent a few hours at South Beach, which is just a few miles south of Edgartown with ample parking.  This peaceful beach is quite nice with soft sand and only mildly sized crowds that were very laid back.  The waves were slightly rough, not exactly the type you can only put your feet in without getting the rest of your body wet, but it was a very nice and clean ocean (unlike other parts of the country...I'm looking at you Jersey shore).

If beach time is something you're looking for while visiting Martha's Vineyard, this is an excellent choice!

Stone Harbor 95th Street Beach

The Jersey Shore has numerous beach options to go to.  They can be quite varied in terms of the type of sand, ocean and people you'll find at each one.  For Stone Harbor, NJ, you'll find a pretty sedate crowd, not a bunch of loud and obnoxious people that most people associate with the Jersey Shore.

This allowed us to have a relaxing few hours at the beach.  The waves came in very calmly here, which made it a great place to take a 5 year old without much ocean experience.  The sand was mostly soft, albeit a little bit "shelly".  There is ample street parking around the 95th Street area, as well as a bunch of small-town style gift shops.

Elk Neck State Park

Located on the coast of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland is Elk Neck State Park.  This park features a small beach area, multiple hiking trails, a lighthouse, and beautiful views of the Bay.

For the beach area, it does cost $4/person to enter (or $3 if you're a Maryland resident).  The area here is quite small though with an estimated guess of maybe 100 yards in total width for the sand.  The sand is also quite rocky, as is the water for the first several feet.  While you do get a very nice view of the Bay from here, I honestly can't say I was a big fan of the beach.  While it seems very well maintained (no garbage around at all!), I'm more of a fan of a less rocky beach.  Along the East Coast in both Maryland and Delaware, plenty more beaches can be found that would contain more pristine sand.

After we spent time at the beach, we decided to hit one of the hiking trails further down the road.  The trail we took led to the Turkey Point Lighthouse.  The view of this small lighthouse is a nice way to end the small hike and this is something we'd recommend more for an easy walk, as the trail is very flat.

I'll definitely highlight the best part of this State Park as the views of the Chesapeake Bay.  If you're in the area, that might be the best reason to visit here.

Day 6 in Spain: Estepona

A gem of a town hidden between major tourist sites is Estepona.

A laid back old town, Estepona has a traditional feel. From our hotel, the H10 Estepona Palace, we could look out and see Gibraltar and Tangier.  On either side of the hotel were hotel and apartments still being completed.

In town, there is a long promenade with flowerbeds, benches, on the beach restaurants and shopping.

Since the majority of tourists are heading to Málaga, it leaves a beautiful, non-commericalized beach for an actually relaxing vacation.

At the center of town is the Plaza de Flores, filled with orange trees and jasmine. This plaza has many benches to sit and relax as well as a few restaurants.

In the marina, there are great restaurants that serve all meals as well as really good coffee. If you are a fish fan, these restaurants are right off the docks and get the freshest seafood around, as well as have the largest selection of dishes.

Also at the marina is a old style lighthouse that is still is use. However, to walk to the lighthouse from the marina, you have to walk through the fish processing district (bleh - I recommend NOT walking through the marina).

Take a walking tour through the town - Estepona is  a very traditional, old world Spanish town. Make sure to see the clock tower, the old castle, the Estepona bullring, and more.