What was your most memorable beach or seaside vacation?

When I was 11, my family and I all went to Panama City Beach. It was a tradition that we had kept going since I was 2. We stayed in the same room at the same hotel on the water each year.

This particular year was bittersweet for me and will always remain one of my favorite childhood beach memories. Our room was on the 8th floor of the hotel and I practically lived on the balcony when my toes weren't in the sand or surf. One evening, towards the end of our week long vacation, I looked out towards the horizon and saw something jumping in the water. I looked closer and realized it was whales! i counted almost 13 of them and called my family out to watch them. My grandfather grabbed some binoculars, (now that i am older i am thinking he used them for watching girls on the beach) and saw that they were Killer whales, orcas. we sat there for almost 2 hours, until the sun set over the gulf of Mexico. After researching it, we realized it was a very rare event to see them in the gulf, much less that close to shore. There are only a few other accounts of this happening, but they were there. Clear as daylight.

When we arrived home about a week later, my parents informed me that they were filing for divorce. that trip was the last my family would ever take together and that is one reason the memory is so bittersweet. as corny as t sounds, it's almost like the whale sighting happened to make sure i would never forget that last precious memory of my family together all at once.

While reading the answer I have thought of two or three unforgettable seaside vacations that I will remember forever.. I won' t loose your time or waste some of mine with too much explanations because I' m sure everyone has his own memorable holiday i his special memories.. Anyway, I'm from the east Europe, Bulgaria and I always spend my summer on the Black sea. There are too many places from that deserve their honorable place in the so called " I should see before I die". So, I have been there many times, but it is strange that sometimes when you think you have the most clear idea of what is lying ahead, you become totally disproved. Well, I think I was about 14 years old and I thought that it would be a really boring vacations. Ten days were waiting only for me and my mom in a small village near the sea... As me, my mother was worried and we went their deprived of enthusiasm and spirit. However it turn to be the best vacation of all. I still remember our wild nights and the survivals.. We spent great time with each other. We didn't feel the need of anything else, while we were running from some mad/ furious dogs ( ' bout 5 or even 6), I was attacked by some horse- flies. We went to an ex temporary cinema outside and then we were lost... Yeah, there were lots of funny situations, which you may find more dramatic or weird than funny. And there wasn't any scuba diving, surfing, sky- diving fishing etc. However, there was my mom and maybe there I have started to grow up. There I did n' t only become closer with my mother but I felt the need to be with her, too, really.

So, that was my special memory, I hope you aren't bored at all and maybe I owe you an apology for loosing some of your time. Have a great summer, enjoying every second of it with the most special and loved people for you. !!!

The next morning we woke up and he took me to Sunset Beach. The ocean has always had an over whelming feeling of "HOME" to me. I love the sounds of the sea gulls and the waves splashing against each other. I love the smell of the salt and the sea weed. There really wasn't very many people there at all, so I didn't mind making a total fool of myself splashing around in the water and jumping into his arms. Looking into the open water and seeing no end was some how a relief of all the pain and stress I had been under. I knew that although almost everything changes, the ocean will always be there. A never ending open space of water. It's the end of the earth. I love it for the peace it brings me. But the best time I have on the beach is finding things. The best time I had was on a secluded Oregon beach years ago. We had to hike a ways down to an area that had a lot of small rocks. Among the rocks I found a lot of agates but I also found a fossilized clam shell that has latched onto a rock. I am a fossil collector so that was a thrill for me to find that. I love the simplicity of the beach more than anything. Peaceful waves, seeing seals off the shore, wading, playing in the sand, kite flying. The beach is heaven to me. I cannot go anymore cuz of medical limitations and it is too far. So all I have is my memories.

I love it for the peace it brings me. But the best time I have on the beach is finding things. The best time I had was on a secluded Oregon beach years ago. We had to hike a ways down to an area that had a lot of small rocks. Among the rocks I found a lot of agates but I also found a fossilized clam shell that has latched onto a rock. I am a fossil collector so that was a thrill for me to find that. I love the simplicity of the beach more than anything. Peaceful waves, seeing seals off the shore, wading, playing in the sand, kite flying. The beach is heaven to me. I cannot go anymore cuz of medical limitations and it is too far. So all I have is my memories. The museums were super fun. You can see and learn about pirates and ship wrecks. Or go see stuff you will not believe at Ripley's. If that's not good enough go see a famous writers house he started with one cat named snowball and then that cat met a cat now snowballs family tree has over 30 cats and they are still roaming the grounds. This house even has a cat cemetery.

I wish I could live on it. I love it for the peace it brings me. But the best time I have on the beach is finding things. The best time I had was on a secluded Oregon beach years ago. We had to hike a ways down to an area that had a lot of small rocks. Among the rocks I found a lot of agates but I also found a fossilized clam shell that has latched onto a rock. I am a fossil collector so that was a thrill for me to find that. I love the simplicity of the beach more than anything. Peaceful waves, seeing seals off the shore, wading, playing in the sand, kite flying. The beach is heaven to me. I cannot go anymore cuz of medical limitations and it is too far. So all I have is my memories. when the weather is even a little bit bad (or windy) cause then the boat changes its tracks and you see no fish unless you go a gazillion miles away from the boat. So we were all excited I thought the boat was gonna drop us at an island so we could swim as far as we please but the boat goes in the middle of the ocean and the captain says, " snorkel here". I was terrified and I only looked down a few times. The rope was my best friend (no offense Syd) and when I finally look down I see green nothingness. Seriously I'm not kidding. There were two people who saw fish. One was a lifeguard and one had brought a bunch of snorkeling gear. So take the advice at the top of the paragraph trust me.

Two years ago, when the housing market collapsed in Miami Beach, we bought an ocean-view condo at a price that would have been deemed laughable a year earlier. After renting the place out for 2 years, we moved to a permanent vacation in retirement. Just looking out the window at the sea is enough for me, though we take walks on the beach almost daily and enjoy leisurely what the tourists cram into a week of hectic and frenetic running around. To us, a vacation is more exhausting than work but living in a vacation paradise is the last laugh ... hopefully an extended one. But the best time I have on the beach is finding things. The best time I had was on a secluded Oregon beach years ago. We had to hike a ways down to an area that had a lot of small rocks. Among the rocks I found a lot of agates but I also found a fossilized clam shell that has latched onto a rock. I am a fossil collector so that was a thrill for me to find that. I love the simplicity of the beach more than anything. Peaceful waves, seeing seals off the shore, wading, playing in the sand, kite flying. The beach is heaven to me. I cannot go anymore cuz of medical limitations and it is too far. So all I have is my memories.

I was on a cruise with my husband. One of the ports of call was St. Maarten. The weather that day was 96 degrees outside and not a cloud in the sky. This was my excursion to pick and since the beach was so beautiful I wanted just that. They supplied us with a free lunch buffet and 2 fruit cocktails, everything else was out of pocket. We were just lying on beach chairs under an umbrella, enjoying the band in the background, the beautiful hot weather, and occasionally running into the water to cool off. While I was relaxing with my eyes closed a voice came over the loudspeaker at the hula bar. "ladies and gentlemen, there is a storm cloud coming this way and in about 3 minutes or so it is going to pour. So grab your stuff and run for shelter; it will only last less than 5 minutes." Well, being from the North, where the weather was not so predictive lots of people ignored the warning. I looked at my husband and we said, "why not. They know better than us" So we headed to the part of the building where there was an overhang. We made it just in time as the rain cooled the beach by 10 or more degrees and poured hard for 5 minutes. We watched as astonished vacationers hurried to grab their bags and run for shelter. We laughed as they were warned like everyone else was.

To this day that has been the most accurate weather report I have ever heard.

Our most memorable seaside vacation was taken last winter. We went to a couples only all inclusive resort located in Negril Jamaica. The resort was called Couples Swept Away. It's located on what's called 7 mile beach, the largest white sand beach in Jamaica. We had a bungalow that was located about 50 feet from the beach.

We did the usual snorkeling and other beach activities. We only did one off resort excursion which went to Dunn's River Falls and Dolphin Cove. At Dunn's is a guided tour where you literally climb a waterfalls. Dolphin Cove was amazing. We got to swim with dolphins. Think of it as something like a dolphin show at Sea World except you are in the water with the dolphins and are part of the show. Very cool.

Back to the resort. There is lots of activities included with the stay. There was a catamaran harbor cruise with all the rum punch and Red Stripe you wanted. There are Tiki bars located on the beach and the drinks are included. While on the beach all you need to do is plant a little green flag and they will take your order and deliver your drinks to you right on the beach.

The night life was very entertaining. The main building had something going on every night. In the Aura lounge they had this performer, The Ultimate Chocolate. You sit around a large grand piano, he plays, and you pass a microphone singing karaoke. This same building has a disco bar that does not close until the last person leaves. So you can go all night long if you want.

The last night we went to a bonfire on the beach. My wife and I snuggled in a large beach chair near the fire. They had a person playing an acoustic guitar in the background. Very romantic.

For anyone looking for a couples only all inclusive vacation I highly recommend this resort. It is a little on the expensive side but is worth every penny.

San Gregorio beach Northern California between Santa Cruz and San Francisco...There is a part of the ocean that at high tide and during the winter months washes back into the valley of the shoreline (under highway 1). When the spring/summer months are here and the water is not pushing its way into the valley, it makes a lake at the beach that runs back into the ocean. The water changes the sand every year so the lake on the beach is a different shape, and size....Nice for a family, you can be at the beach but not have to worry about the lil ones going in the ocean. Last time I went there was a $5.00 per car charge (this way they keep the sand clean)...oh yea tons of drift wood! ENJOY

Back in 2005 my family took a trip to Topsail Island, North Carolina. Despite the long 18 hour car ride it was a truly great vacation, ironically though during this vacation I had a broken hand because 2 or 3 weeks prior I got frustrated playing floor hockey and punched the floor (I know not very bright). The weather was beautiful (absolutely stunning walking on the beach as the sun set), my family wasn't so confrontational lol, and I had a great time swimming and body boarding at the beach (apart from a nose dive into a sandbar lol). Apart from the more obvious reasons we got to enjoy some incredible food (huge seafood fan), some quality family time together on the beach and playing card games, and it was the first vacation my family took after my dad married my step mom. What makes that vacation so special is that three years later my sister was diagnosed with cancer and throughout her battle she always talked of how she loved Topsail Island and of how that was the one place she wanted to go back to. Sadly my sister passed away last June, but not before she got her final wish to go back to the beach one last time. Topsail Island has a special place in my heart and I hope that one day I can take kids of my own there.

The most memorable beach vacation? I love the Caribbean and decided to try a slightly different adventure (I've done beach camping on Yost Van Dyke; nice hotel on beach in Dominican Republic; cabin with outdoor kitchen in Culebra, PR), so I went to Dominica, "The Nature Island of the Caribbean." It was my first real trip alone...totally alone...and I chose it because you could stay in a tree house in a mountain. This was not the white sands beach trip like the others!

Dominica has only one place where ships make berth and the rest of the island is a volcanic masterpiece of huge ledges dropping off to the crashing sea below. The windward side is the the Atlantic and the beaches are black sand. One day, I headed down the mountain, from the tree house, and walked the 4-5 miles to the beach. I was alone and although I love to swim, the waves were big and crashing, and as a single person and woman, I had to be mindful of who was there and who wasn't! If something happened in the water, I could be swept out and it would be days before I was missed. I was very careful and of course, made it back in one piece.

On the way back from the beach that day, I found a human hip bone. Villagers stared at me as I carried it back, wrapped in a palm leaf. Nobody at my "eco-camp" believed it was human until I brought it up from the internet. Later in the trip, I dropped it off at a police station--they also didn't believe me. Perhaps it was the last piece of a missing person. Who knows?

But between the black beaches, amazing rain forest, sleeping up in a tree house, up a mountain, with no electricity, where it was raining half the time, and hell and gone from Margaritaville, this was by far the most memorable beach trip!