Outer Banks or Fla panhandle? Compare
I'm thinking of visiting either the Outer Banks of NC (Okracoke, etc.) or the panhandle of FL (St. Joseph Peninsula, Henderson Beach, etc) in a couple of weeks. Those of you who have been to both, co...
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I been to both places, they are quite different, hard to explain just how. I wouldn't RV in either place, rather stay in resorts, because I don't care that much for camping on the shore, would rather be there with a boat than RV.
OBX is on the Atlantic Ocean, routinely has bigger surf, colder water. You can fish the ocean or fish the back bays. When it is calm, you might go to the beach. With a small boat you can explore the inland waters, with a seaworthy boat you can go out into the ocean. On good surfing days, you can surf.
Florida Gulf Coast, especially the "Gold Coast" areas Pensacola to Panama City, has gorgeous beaches, more usually calm waters for swimming, warmer water for most of the year. Beaches are mostly carbonate, sand structure that sticks together well where wet, goes sugary where dry. Low wave energy means the beaches are wide, shallow slopes. The Gold Coast area has a resort atmosphere, not just hotels but resort communities, some pretty high class, others more affordable.
Around past Panama City, where the coast faces more to the west and wave energies are higher, the beaches are steeper and more narrow, like you find on the windward ocean shores. This area is not so developed. Because it is not so developed, it is not so crowded. Reminds me more of the Gulf Coast beaches around Port Aransas, Mustang Island.
OBX is on the Atlantic Ocean, routinely has bigger surf, colder water. You can fish the ocean or fish the back bays. When it is calm, you might go to the beach. With a small boat you can explore the inland waters, with a seaworthy boat you can go out into the ocean. On good surfing days, you can surf.
Florida Gulf Coast, especially the "Gold Coast" areas Pensacola to Panama City, has gorgeous beaches, more usually calm waters for swimming, warmer water for most of the year. Beaches are mostly carbonate, sand structure that sticks together well where wet, goes sugary where dry. Low wave energy means the beaches are wide, shallow slopes. The Gold Coast area has a resort atmosphere, not just hotels but resort communities, some pretty high class, others more affordable.
Around past Panama City, where the coast faces more to the west and wave energies are higher, the beaches are steeper and more narrow, like you find on the windward ocean shores. This area is not so developed. Because it is not so developed, it is not so crowded. Reminds me more of the Gulf Coast beaches around Port Aransas, Mustang Island.
