5 Top Beaches in The USA for Canadian Road Warriors
After a year and a half of reading the travel advisory warnings on the government websites, finding out about the limited health insurance available for those Canadians who venture into the USA, the promise of open land travel borders is on the horizon.
Whether your mobile home is sitting idle in your driveway or you love driving your car every year to your dream destination, that road trip you have been dreaming of could be much more feasible this year.
Listed below are five of the best USA beaches that road travelers from Canada will love. These beaches in the USA scored high in cleanliness, easy access from Canada, available parking, and safety.
1. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks, North Carolina
This beach scores high for safety. At Ocracoke Beach, there are lifeguards at this beach up to Labor day. The beach provides support for special needs by giving wheelchair-friendly access ramps. There is a boardwalk and a free ferry that leads to the island. It is a short walk on a wooden path from the parking lot to the beach. The parking lot also features a shower and changing facilities. Two guards on duty and a lifeguard till 5 pm. Ocracoke is a big beach, with warm water and soft sand.
The distance is around:
- Fifteen hour drive from Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.
- Fourteen hours from Niagara Falls, Ontario and Fort Erie, Ontario, border.
- Twenty three hours from Nova Scotia.
2. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Beachwalker is one of the beaches near Charleston, South Carolina. The beach has lifeguards on duty up till September 26, 2021. You can rent beach chairs; the park is special needs accessible from the beach to restrooms. The beach is beautiful, clean, and safe, with warm water and waves that are not too strong. There is a parking fee; a short boardwalk leads to the beach with convenient restrooms, outside showers, and changing rooms. You will love to watch the dolphin’s strand feed at Captain Sam’s Inlet, where the Kiawah River flows into the ocean.
The distance is around:
- Sixteen to seventeen hours from Montreal and Ottawa, Ontario.
- Fourteen to fifteen hours from Toronto and the Fort Erie border.
3. Georgia Beaches: Tybee Island
This quiet little town is near Savannah, Georgia. The sandy beaches are clean and near a pier with a picnic pavilion. You can view the Tybee Island lighthouse built in the 18th century as you drive into the town. Many of the hotels are within walking distance from the beach. There is one hotel on the beach, and parking is available near the beach. The beach has lifeguards available in the summer months. If you get a hotel or motel, you can save on the parking fee. The museum is right beside the beach, and there are some excellent restaurants nearby.
The distance is around:
- Fourteen hours from the Niagara Falls and Fort Erie border.
- Sixteen to Seventeen hours from Toronto or Ottawa.
4. Virginia Beach, Virginia
When it comes to safety, Virginia Beach has it. There are Fifty lifeguard towers/stands distributed along the Virginia Beach oceanfront. The lifeguards work from May to September. If you are looking for fewer crowds, stay to the north end. Public access is available in multiple locations along the shore with plenty of paid parking. There are lots of waves, so parents should watch their kids go into the water. Chair rental is available so you can watch the dolphins. The beach and boardwalk are kept clean, and bike paths are running the length of the resort area. There are lots of showers available at the entrances.
The distance is around:
- Ten to Eleven hours from the Niagara Falls and Fort Erie borders.
- Eleven hours from Ottawa, Ontario and Montreal.
5. Coligny Beach Hilton Head, South Carolina
This beach is a less crowded alternative to Myrtle Beach. This beach has bathrooms, showers, and beautiful miles of clean sand. The lifeguards are plentiful. The walkway is handicap-friendly. This beach rates number 1 for parking because parking is free. The shallow water makes this beach great for kids.
The distance is around:
- Fourteen hours from the fort Erie border.
- Fifteen hours from Toronto, Ontario.
- Sixteen to Seventeen hours from Ottawa and Montreal.
Your United States beach vacation does not have to come with a huge price tag; remember, location is fundamental when you have limited time and are on a budget.
“It’s the ‘everyday’ experiences we encounter along the journey to who we wanna be that will define who we are when we get there.” – Aaron Lauritsen, 100 Days Drive: The Great North American Road Trip
Source: Discover South Carolina, Outerbanks.com, visitocracokenc.com
Image Credits: Youtube.com, pixabay.com