Closest ocean day trip?

justdoit19

Proud parent of an ANG, USNA X2, and a MidSib
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Hard to tell from maps, etc but our family is wanting to see the ocean and swim. WITHOUT our plebe, to be clear. What is the closet (least driving time) to Annapolis?
 
Hard to tell from maps, etc but our family is wanting to see the ocean and swim. WITHOUT our plebe, to be clear. What is the closet (least driving time) to Annapolis?

Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, DE. It has great amenities. There are showers at the guarded beach, great trails, history, etc. There is a $10 fee per car out of state, BUT you would pay to park in the surrounding towns as well.

This is where we spend our summers if you have any other questions please feel free to message me!
 
The Delaware Atlantic beach towns are all roughly 95 miles from Annapolis, over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Delmarva Peninsula. Rehoboth Beach is well known. Ocean City, MD, is south of the DE beaches, just below the state line. Roughly 114 miles.

These are classic Atlantic Ocean beaches.

In Annapolis, there is Sandy Beach State Park, a Chesapeake Bay beach. DE also has Delaware Bay Beaches north of Cape Henlopen.

Here’s the DE beach guide link. All the beach towns and parks have their own personality. We like Bethany Beach and do weekend rentals. We also like to eat our way down the boardwalk at Rehoboth. Boardwalk Fries.... These beaches are all strung along together, so you can sample as you wish.

https://www.visitdelaware.com/beaches/

Whatever you do, during beach season and any nice weekend, the Sunday traffic coming back west over the Bay Bridge can be painful.

Finally, before you commit to the drive with a swim in mind, check out the jellyfish status. There are always jellies, but sometimes they “bloom,” and it’s not a fun swim experience.
https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/n...season-begins-early-climate-change/519681001/

Bonus option: swimming holes in DC-Balt area.
https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/07/27/6-great-swimming-holes-near-washington-dc/
 
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Thanks for that, didn’t think about jellyfish. Read the article. Is there a resource to check the actual status of a beach?
 
Thanks for that, didn’t think about jellyfish. Read the article. Is there a resource to check the actual status of a beach?

Recommend researching state park websites. Presumably they would update any beach warnings there.

I grew up on a coastal barrier island off GA. Jellies were part of the summer “fun,” along with sand spurs, chiggers, horseflies. Far outweighed by body-surfing, sailing Hobies, endless sunrise beach walks, and summer beach food, of course, but a painful sting can sure ruin a day. Every mom had a bottle of meat tenderizer in their beach bag. Jellies popped right up in my mind.
 
I really never hit the mid-Atlantic coast, but jellies were not a major issue further north (New England) and South (NC-Florida). They were present, but not in sufficient quantity /concentration to be a significant problem. On the other hand, they were very common when sailing the Chesapeake in vicinity of Annapolis, and I remember a swim call off Pax River during second class YP cruise that had so may that we could barely swim.
 
The Delaware Atlantic beach towns are all roughly 95 miles from Annapolis, over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Delmarva Peninsula. Rehoboth Beach is well known. Ocean City, MD, is south of the DE beaches, just below the state line. Roughly 114 miles.

These are classic Atlantic Ocean beaches.

In Annapolis, there is Sandy Beach State Park, a Chesapeake Bay beach. DE also has Delaware Bay Beaches north of Cape Henlopen.

Here’s the DE beach guide link. All the beach towns and parks have their own personality. We like Bethany Beach and do weekend rentals. We also like to eat our way down the boardwalk at Rehoboth. Boardwalk Fries.... These beaches are all strung along together, so you can sample as you wish.

https://www.visitdelaware.com/beaches/

Whatever you do, during beach season and any nice weekend, the Sunday traffic coming back west over the Bay Bridge can be painful.

Finally, before you commit to the drive with a swim in mind, check out the jellyfish status. There are always jellies, but sometimes they “bloom,” and it’s not a fun swim experience.
https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/n...season-begins-early-climate-change/519681001/

Bonus option: swimming holes in DC-Balt area.
https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/07/27/6-great-swimming-holes-near-washington-dc/


Yeah - this time of year - Sandy Run on the Chesapeake is loaded with jellyfish! Ouchie
 
Jellies and cockroaches - they will outlive us all.
 
There’s nothing wrong with walking at the wet edge, enjoying ocean water over the feet (while watching for beached jellyfish), and then repairing to a bench for people-watching and ice cream eating. But not as fun as a good jelly-free ocean swim...
 
As they tell the tourists in Florida they are not cockroaches they are palmetto bugs. Vinegar works well on stings also and at dinner you blend in with the salad.
 
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Jellyfish update: it’s a good day at the beach! Cape Henlopen State Park for the win. Kids (and husband) are digging holes. Young adults napping.

Morning on the yard, a late afternoon on the beach. Ahhh...vacation.

Seriously, thanks for the suggestions.
 
Glad to hear jellyfish were partying elsewhere. I haven’t been to that beach in a while, but it’s definitely a local’s favorite.
 
Jellyfish update: it’s a good day at the beach! Cape Henlopen State Park for the win. Kids (and husband) are digging holes. Young adults napping.

Morning on the yard, a late afternoon on the beach. Ahhh...vacation.

Seriously, thanks for the suggestions.

I highly recommend Jimmys Grille in bridgeville for dinner, the best fried chicken and pies, on your way back!
 
Thread crasher : The beach at NAVY LODGE , NAS North Island( San Diego, CA )was amazingly great last weekend with no jelly encounters...… we did do battle with gulls ravaging thru our potato chips and cookies , sorry for the crash
 
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The beach at Bellows AFB on Oahu was my favorite swim beach during my two tours there.

We answered the OP’s question, and had a live report from the selected beach. Our duty is done. I feel the urge to go wildly off thread about beaches, but will attempt to be prudent.
 
The beach at the end of the runway at NAS Bermuda was pretty nice, I've been back several times after getting out.
Also enjoyed the beaches near NAS Rota, Spain. Don't recall seeing any beaches near NAS Keflavik in the winter :(
 
The beach at the end of the runway at NAS Bermuda was pretty nice, I've been back several times after getting out.
Also enjoyed the beaches near NAS Rota, Spain. Don't recall seeing any beaches near NAS Keflavik in the winter :(

Ah, Rota... Playa de Ballena. Playa de Las Tres Piedras de Conil. Playa de Trafalgar. The beaches at Malaga and in Palma de Mallorca and Correlajo Beach in the Canary Islands and the black sand beach at Prainha in Madeira. I thank the Navy for sending me to places I would never have gotten near enough to explore.

Does the Blue Lagoon count for NAS Kef?
 
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