Why I Can't Kick My Craving for Coastal Scenery

There is no doubt about it: My coastal craving must have begun when I was just a twinkle in my daddy's eye. As a young man, my dad was very tanned and svelte. He would spend his summers on California beaches, working out with his brother, friends and cousins, impressing all the girls. He even hung around with the famous "Godfather of Physical Fitness", Jack LaLanne. I can imagine all those handsome Portuguese hunks. Jack was a great mentor for my dad. My father has passed on, but Jack is still kickin' at the ripe young age of 93. Amazing!

My dad was a great swimmer, and he vowed that his children would stay physically fit, and learn to swim at a young age. About the tender age of 2, my brother and I had no choice but to learn. Living and vacationing around water, my dad's insistence about learning to swim was truly how I fell in love with the water. We began with the fine art of treading water, to diving off a springboard. By the age of 5, we were doing back flips and cannon balls with reckless abandon. From ocean to ocean, I have continued my love affair with the water to this very day.

My favorite swimming medium is however, the ocean. From the west to the east, my fixation with all things beach has become the very fabric of my being. I have often said, that seawater runs through my veins, and I'm truly happy when my feet are on the sand.

I could literally spend eight hours a day snorkeling. The crystal clear, Emerald green water in Panama City Beach, Florida, provides plenty of opportunities to explore the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico. As an owner of a vacation property, I can tell you my thoughts easily drift to sun swept days of long walks on white sand beaches. Shell collecting has always been one of my favorite past times. Our beaches are full of beautiful shells, and snorkeling will yield even more treasures. If you are fortunate enough to own a metal detector, there is no limit to what you might dig up there.