I am just this close to having a truckload of sand dumped in the backyard,….a large mural of an ocean scene painted on a wall, and an outdoor speaker with sounds of waves playing. You think I am kidding? Well, these are strange times! This is a post of happy memories at the beach.

The photo above is the first beach I faintly remember as a small boy. My parents and grandparents took us to a small beach on the banks of the Russian river near Rio Nido.

We used to take our girls to the UK and Europe to visit relatives and explore our favorite places. We’ve enjoyed Cannes for years. This is “Riviera Beach”, a private beach our friend Philippe first introduced us to. It is one of the “Midi-Beaches” around the corner from the main beaches on the Croisette. You pay for the lounge chair and umbrella by the day or half day. Most private beaches have small restaurants.We like this area as it is less crowded and a little less expensive.

We went a little more posh on this Cannes trip with the Carlton Hotel beach. You can tell our girls, now much older, are loving it!

When Marla was given the green light for international travel after a year of cancer treatments and surgeries, I asked her where she would like to visit. Her answer was…Bali. I shot this fisherman at sunrise on Sanur Beach. Sanur is definitely not my favorite part of the island but great for sunrises!

Mauna Lani Beach on the Big Island of Hawaii is a favorite of our family for years. I will always remember our first trip with the twins!

Fabulous Mauna Lani Beach memory with the family in 2013. They came in from New York and California for this visit. My Mom is in the middle.

Lisa is ready to…TOTALLY RELAX at the beach club.

ʻAnaehoʻomalu Beach, or “A” Beach, as the locals call it, was our everyday destination on our last Big Island visit at the first of the year. Marla and the girls make an early morning visit.

Lisa and her family on a sunset walk just north of “A” Beach in Waikoloa.

Stacy admires a fabulous sunset.

I’m taking the grandkids on a beach walk.

The twins are waiting for the famous “green flash” at sunset.

The sunsets in Krabi and Phuket, Thailand are often stunning. Marla enjoys the view on the amazingly wide and long, Tubkaak, Beach.

Traveling opens up amazingly new and wonderful discoveries. The Island of Corsica is one of those places and is probably one of France’s best-kept travel secrets. We discovered “Arinella Beach” near Lumio, south of Calvi, and loved it immediately! The water was warm for swimming even in late September.

Muir Beach is an often overlooked discovery by visitors going to Muir Woods or up the coast to Stinson Beach in Marin County, California. This was our grandson’s first time to see the ocean in person.We went here on his “9-year-old” trip” in 2015.

This was our last day in Bali on our trip with our grandsons, Paxton and Logan, in 2019. Legian Beach is long and wide and very popular with visitors and locals alike. A major clean-up campaign has really improved the area! The sunsets are amazing! In the past, Legian was a good base for our shopping expeditions. The boys loved staying at the Padma Resort Legian. Click on the link.

One of the best-kept secrets on France’s Cote d’Azur is Menton. Click on the Menton link for a great video tour. The Beaches are very clean and offer very nice public and private options. We loved it and hope to return! The public beach (above) even has misters to cool summer visitors under the wood pavilions.

Many of Menton’s private beach clubs have nice restaurants featuring the cuisine of the area and great seafood. One hears a surprising amount of Italian spoken since Italy is only a brief walk. 2019’s top-rated restaurant in the world, Mirazur, is in Menton.

A really fun beach memory was at Mazzaro, in Taormina, Sicily. It has a laid back almost 1970’s vibe and great seafood at the beach club. Marla is happily floating on the left.

We love everything about Port Soller on Mallorca.

Marla goes out for a swim in the bay at Port Soller..

Fornillo Beach is a little secret around the point of the main area of Positano, Italy. Most visitors hit the main beach and aren’t aware of Fornillo. Yes, the beach is pebbly but we love Da Ferdinando restaurant. Probably the very best caprese salad ever!

Yes, I’ve been known to do a few really stupid things, like falling asleep and getting sunburned on Mae Nam Beach on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand. Wonderful beaches, incredible colors of water, and a fascinating island. We hosted a group of our interior designer clients to the island in 2009.

We often rent a cottage a few miles north of Bodega Bay. I love beachcombing and looking for interesting rocks.

A new 2019 discovery was Marbella, on Spains’ Costa del Sol.

Southern California’s Laguna Beach is a favorite of ours. Marla’s parents visited annually with her family when she was young and then we starting coming with our family. So many memories!

Marla enjoys the warm water at Pansea Surin Beach, on Phuket, Thailand in 2004. We first stayed on this same beach at the Amanpuri Hotel in 1995.

And,…how about MY LEAST FAVORITE BEACH? The Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon just about did me in on multiple levels! The run on Baker Beach was horrendous as I was having terrible cramps in both legs! Check out the video of the run for an idea. Baker Beach Run. I did the race with Lisa and Stacy. They of course rocked it!

I’ll tell you one thing for sure,…I am totally ready for new beach discoveries when it is safe to travel again !

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.