Quote: Voted America's Best Beach in 2005
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TIERRA VERDE, Fla. - Historical Fort De Soto's north beach _ a finger of sugary white sand which reaches
out into the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico _ was named North America's best beach Wednesday.
International beach expert Stephen Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, lauded the Pinellas County beach
for its fine sand, its thriving natural dunes and "great shelling." Ocracoke Island on North Carolina's Outer
Banks ranked second.
Leatherman also noted the beach's 105-year-old fort built during the Spanish-American War, which is a
Florida landmark, its trails and modern facilities. A "barrier-free" nature trail _ on an island that is considered
a significant stop for migrating birds _ is accessible for wheelchairs.
Fort De Soto was second-place holder in last year's list, which was lead by Hanauma Bay in Hawaii.
Hanalei Bay in Kauai, Hawaii; Caladesi Island State Park about 30 miles away in Dunedin, and Fleming Beach
in Maui, Hawaii, rounded out the top five beaches.
Leatherman said Fort De Soto and the other beaches are examples of a well-tended beach that is easily
accessible to the public, where park activities are prominently displayed and the public is encouraged to
learn about the unique history and ecology of the park.
"A huge part of good beach management is involving the public and offering a meaningful connection with
the environment," Leatherman said.
Leatherman is a director of Florida International University's International Hurricane Research Center and the
Laboratory for Coastal Research. He has studied the coastal environment for 30 years and began compiling
his list of top beaches in 1991.
Fort De Soto covers more than 1,100 acres and is made up of five connected islands with seven miles of
beach. The county-owned park draws an estimated 2.7 million visitors a year.
"The secret is out," said Wit Tuttell, a spokesman for the Pinellas County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Tuttell said Dr. Beach's endorsement will mean a huge boost in exposure for Fort De Soto as beach lovers
from around the world seek the nation's ultimate beach.
Tuttell said tracking of media mentions that come from Dr. Beach lists are estimated to be worth about
$500,000 in free advertisement for Pinellas beaches on the list.
"People are drawn to the beach because of the list," Tuttell said. "People think, 'I would like to go to one of
the Top 10.' But they really want to go to Number One."
Tuttell said there are few beaches in the nation that offer the types of recreation that Fort De Soto does,
including areas where dogs can play in the surf and other parts of the park where nesting birds are carefully
protected. Among the species of birds that call the park home is the very rare reddish egret.
"I don't know of any other beach that offers everything it has, from history to nature to camping," Tuttell said.
"It's just really amazing."
Florida has some of the nicest beaches in the world and are one of the primary reasons visitors vacation in
Florida. Several of Florida beaches routinely receive awards by various rating organizations. In fact, three
Florida beaches rated among the top ten in Dr. Beach's America's Best Beach list for 2005. Fort De Soto
Park Beach, St. Petersburg earned the number 1 spot in the country, with the beach at Caladesi Island State
Park, Clearwater at number 4, and Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne at number 8!
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TIERRA VERDE, Fla. - Historical Fort De Soto's north beach _ a finger of sugary white sand which reaches
out into the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico _ was named North America's best beach Wednesday.
International beach expert Stephen Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, lauded the Pinellas County beach
for its fine sand, its thriving natural dunes and "great shelling." Ocracoke Island on North Carolina's Outer
Banks ranked second.
Leatherman also noted the beach's 105-year-old fort built during the Spanish-American War, which is a
Florida landmark, its trails and modern facilities. A "barrier-free" nature trail _ on an island that is considered
a significant stop for migrating birds _ is accessible for wheelchairs.
Fort De Soto was second-place holder in last year's list, which was lead by Hanauma Bay in Hawaii.
Hanalei Bay in Kauai, Hawaii; Caladesi Island State Park about 30 miles away in Dunedin, and Fleming Beach
in Maui, Hawaii, rounded out the top five beaches.
Leatherman said Fort De Soto and the other beaches are examples of a well-tended beach that is easily
accessible to the public, where park activities are prominently displayed and the public is encouraged to
learn about the unique history and ecology of the park.
"A huge part of good beach management is involving the public and offering a meaningful connection with
the environment," Leatherman said.
Leatherman is a director of Florida International University's International Hurricane Research Center and the
Laboratory for Coastal Research. He has studied the coastal environment for 30 years and began compiling
his list of top beaches in 1991.
Fort De Soto covers more than 1,100 acres and is made up of five connected islands with seven miles of
beach. The county-owned park draws an estimated 2.7 million visitors a year.
"The secret is out," said Wit Tuttell, a spokesman for the Pinellas County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Tuttell said Dr. Beach's endorsement will mean a huge boost in exposure for Fort De Soto as beach lovers
from around the world seek the nation's ultimate beach.
Tuttell said tracking of media mentions that come from Dr. Beach lists are estimated to be worth about
$500,000 in free advertisement for Pinellas beaches on the list.
"People are drawn to the beach because of the list," Tuttell said. "People think, 'I would like to go to one of
the Top 10.' But they really want to go to Number One."
Tuttell said there are few beaches in the nation that offer the types of recreation that Fort De Soto does,
including areas where dogs can play in the surf and other parts of the park where nesting birds are carefully
protected. Among the species of birds that call the park home is the very rare reddish egret.
"I don't know of any other beach that offers everything it has, from history to nature to camping," Tuttell said.
"It's just really amazing."
Florida has some of the nicest beaches in the world and are one of the primary reasons visitors vacation in
Florida. Several of Florida beaches routinely receive awards by various rating organizations. In fact, three
Florida beaches rated among the top ten in Dr. Beach's America's Best Beach list for 2005. Fort De Soto
Park Beach, St. Petersburg earned the number 1 spot in the country, with the beach at Caladesi Island State
Park, Clearwater at number 4, and Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne at number 8!
| America's No. 1 Beach - 2005 The St Petersburg / Clearwater area, as the state's ultimate beach destination, has been dubbed "Florida's Beach". In 2005 it also earned the title "America's Beach". By grabbing the #1 spot on the annual Best Beaches list compiled by coastal geologist and renowned beach evaluator Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, more commonly know as " Dr. Beach". After checking the health and vital signs of America's beaches based on 50 criteria, Dr. Beach found that Fort DeSoto Park's North Beach in St. Petersburg rated tops, moving forward from No. 2 position in 2004. He announced his top 2005 choices, as he does every year, on Memorial Day. "North Beach and Fort DeSoto Park just have so much to offer," said Dr. Leatherman. In addition to it's away-from-it-all natural setting, he claims that Fort DeSoto Park offers something for everyone; there's great fishing, boating, kayaking, bird-watching, camping, biking, walking trails and a dog park. There's even a 109-year-old fort on-site that's a landmark of Florida history." Criteria for Leatherman's top beaches run the gamut from color of sand and tidal range to smell, cleanliness, vegetation, maintenance, noise, views and public safety. Once a beach has been elected to No. 1 position, it is "retired" from the survey and entered in a sort of best beaches hall of fame. Only four other Florida beaches have made it to the head of the list since it's conception in 1991. In Dr. Beach's latest listing, Caladesi Island State Park ranked No. 2, and has ranked consistently in the Best Beaches List. Caladesi is in the Clearwater / Dunedin area. Dr. Beach lists another Pinellas County beach, Clearwater Beach, as the Gulf Coast's Top City Beach in his book America's Best Beaches. A number of St. Petersburg / Clearwater beaches, including Fort DeSoto Park, Caladesi Island and Clearwater Beach rant among America's beast beaches for beauty, recreation and environmental health. Thirteen have received the Clean Beaches Council's Blue Wave Award for sound environmental management. So welcome to Florida's Beach, where we don't have to exaggerate to say that our beaches are the best in the nation. |
click this link for more of the best Florida's Beach
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