Every summer tens of thousands of Southern Appalachian folk trade in the mountains for the beach for summer vacation.
Me included.
That’s what I did this past week, in fact, as I took a trip out to Myrtle Beach to enjoy the sand and waves. While I love the mountains it is nice to get away and sink my toes in the sand and enjoy some fresh seafood every once in a while.
My favorite beaches are the Gulf Coast ones, with beautiful, clear turquoise water and white sand. The Atlantic just can’t quite compare.
Regardless of where you go you will no doubt find plenty to photograph. The local wildlife almost always puts on a good show both in and out of the water. 
And of course, you can’t forget those beautiful sunsets and sunrises. I’m not usually much of a sunrise person but I try to get out and catch at least one on each vacation. I didn’t do so this year but here’s one from the way-back machine from 2014 when I was first getting into photography.
Despite not catching many sunrises I almost always get out for my favorite time of day: sunset. There is something about watching the sun set behind the dunes or over the water being radically different than anything we see in the mountains. 
The sunsets over the water are particularly jaw-dropping and are best seen along the west coast of Florida and the Gulf Coast.
Hopefully, you get out and enjoy a beach trip this year. Everyone deserves some time away with a little Jimmy Buffett music and your toes in the sand.
Have a great week, and I’ll see you on the trail.
