West Coast vs East Coast Beaches; What to Expect

Beaches are some of the most fun destinations to visit, no matter what age you are or who you're bringing along. Families can occupy their children with sand castles and hole digging, introverts can spend their time reading with the sound of the waves crashing next to them, or a bunch of college buddies can run around the beach drinking and partying all night long. When picking beaches though there is a distinct difference between the west and east coasts.

Easiest difference between the two is the number of states involved between them. While the West only has three states, the East has fourteen, making the climates and atmospheres much more varied on the East side. When visiting in the summer expect the weather to be humid and sticky in the East, but nice and dry out in the west. Out on Western beaches the sand is rougher and it's likely that rocks will be present in the area, whereas East is predominately rock free.

Next up is the culture that is associated with each side. In the West, thanks to the warmer waters and more active waves, the surfer culture was able to strongly grow. Their laid back lifestyle can be seen in places like Muscle Beach in San Diego, or Malibu Beach. Here the people and the shops should be more laid back than on the opposite coast. Further North along this side are plenty of national parks with campgrounds to stay at like Kalaloch, Olympic national park. While they aren't as popular as the Southern beaches, they are surrounded by great sights and plenty of nature.

Flying over the US to the East places people in a very different general atmosphere. Thanks to influences from places like New York the lifestyles in these areas tend to be faster than the ones in the West. The people are quick to move and don't want to sit around. Places like Myrtle Beach, South Carolina or Nantucket, Massachusetts are major tourist destinations. Most of their money is based on them so there are plenty of activities or clubs to go and visit to keep everyone occupied. On the other hand places like Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts or the Hamptons in New York are where the rich and famous like to go to visit private beaches and enjoy a vacation away from the crowds.

To wrap it up; in the East expect a fair amount of culture based around the beaches that is laid back and relaxing, and in the West get involved in any tourist attractions you can and prepare for plenty of people to be there with you.