Portland officials closed the East End Beach on Sunday after being notified by the Portland Water District of a malfunction that occurred at the nearby East End Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Jessica Grondin, spokeswoman for the city of Portland, said the popular beach will remain closed until test results prove that the water conditions are safe for swimmers.

The closure took place after a Central Maine Power line that feeds electricity to the plant shut off around 8:15 a.m. Sunday, according to Scott Firmin, director of the wastewater treatment plant. Further complicating the power outage was a backup generator at the plant that failed to generate power.

As a result, an undetermined amount of wastewater discharge left the plant and entered Casco Bay, but was not completely disinfected, Firmin said. Power was restored around 2:30 p.m. and a rented portable generator was brought in as a safety precaution.

Our disinfection system was interrupted and out of an abundance of caution I made a call to the city and notified them, Firmin said Sunday night.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was also notified. Firmin said he must file a report with the DEP explaining what happened at the plant by Friday. He said the decision to reopen East End Beach will be up to the city after test results are analyzed.

The Portland Water District owns and operates the treatment plant, which serves 60,000 people and handles an average of 20 million gallons of water each day. The water district says its facility, located just to the west of the Interstate 295 bridge between East Deering and Munjoy Hill, is the states largest.

Sundays beach closure represents the second time in two years that malfunctions at the treatment plan have forced the city to shut down East End Beach.

On July 26, 2018, the city temporarily closed East End Beach because a disinfection tank was not put back on line after being cleaned and a second tank was overwhelmed by high flows caused by heavy overnight rains. When the tank overflowed, about 1.69 million gallons of partially treated wastewater spilled, flowing down an embankment and entering Casco Bay west of East End Beach and the boat launch.

The 2018 event also washed out the section of the Eastern Promenade Trail that abuts the treatment plant. The Portland Water District blamed the spill on human error. Repairs to the walking trail and treatment facility cost between $30,000 and $50,000.

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Portland's East End beach closed over contamination fears - Press Herald

FRAMINGHAM On July 1, the City of Framingham opened its three beaches. The problem is since July 1, swimmers have been prohibited in the water at Lake Waushakum beach every day since it opened, including today, July 21.

The beach is open and people have been visiting since we provided lifeguards, however, the Health Department has not allowed swimming until the water quality testing results are within the range according to the State Health Departments guidelines, said Framingham Parks & Recreation Director James Synder.

Waushakum Beach hasnt been able to open this season, due to a chronic water quality issue, said Framingham Health Director Sam Wong.

Residents in the Coburnville-Tripoli Neighborhood are frustrated that the can not swim at the city beach. For the first time in decades, the beach is free, but no one is allowed in the water to wade or swim due to the water quality.

I agree that it is disappointing to restrict access to the water for Framingham residents for any reason, said Synder.

As required by the State Health Department, the City tests the water quality at all the beaches in preparation for opening day. They are testing for bacteria and E. coli.

After that, we are required to test weekly if the water quality passes or retest within a day if the water quality test fails. In this case, the water was tested in the last week in June and was within acceptable limits, so we prepared for opening. The results from the next water quality test did not pass, so we were required to prohibit swimming until it did pass, said Synder.

Framingham Health Director Sam Wong provided the news outlet with the test results.

Ive created this table below for you in regards to beach water quality testing forE. colibacteria at that beach, said Wong.

The standard for a single sample is 235 CFU/100mL or less, and a geometric mean of the 5 most recent sample result at 126 or lower. As of the last lab result, Wausahkum Beach has not been able to meet this state standard, said Wong. A new sample has been collected yesterday (July 20) and we are waiting for the result. For Waushakum Beach to achieve the state standard, this weeks result needs to be 11 or less. A result of 12 or higher will produce a geomean higher than 126, explained Wong.

As you can see in the State Minimum Standards for Bathing Beaches, the State Health Department refers to the geomean of the last five water sample results to determine if a beach may allow swimming again. To date, Waushakum Beach water quality results indicate that even though Waushakum has passed the last water test, water sample levels were not within the geomean of the last five samples and therefore swimming is still prohibited. We will continue to test each time we do not pass and will notify the public once it does, said Synder.

All of our beaches are natural bodies of water that will experience water quality fluctuations. This may be due to an extreme rain event that brings water from the neighborhood to the outfalls near the beach which includes oil, fertilizer, goose droppings and other contaminants that will impact the quality of the water. Waushakum is particularly impacted because of its small size and shallow depth, said Synder.

The 1600+ water quality number is unusually high nearly 7 times higher than allowed.

SOURCE asked the City if they were investigating why it was so high, and if there was a possibility of illegal dumping.

We dont normally investigated high bacteria count at a beach, unless it is consistently high for an extended period of time (a few weeks or multiple failed test results over the entire beach season), said Health Director Sam Wong.

We do not have cameras in this location and did not receive any complaints of illegal dumping, said Synder.

It is not unusual to have a high bacteria count after heavy rainstorms (6/29), especially for a small pond. We did not see a high count after those three days. The level seems to be going back to normal range now. Obviously, we will continue to monitor the situation, said Wong.

We have seen elevated numbers in the past after a heavy rain or at the end of the season when the water is shallow and warm.There was a significant rain storm in late June that may have resulted in the original high number and contributed to the problem, said Synder.

The area around the beach are densely populated, and we have not received any complaint on illegal dumping. An one-time illegal dumping is almost impossible to catch, unless someone witness that in the neighborhood. If we are seeing high bacteria count more frequently, that may indicate an ongoing issue worth further investigation, said Wong.

The Waushakum neighborhood has formed an Waushakum Pond Association to advise the abutters to not permit chemicals from your lawn into the water as well as other ways to preserve the beauty of this pond. The recent numbers are within the State limits but the geomean of the last five tests is preventing access to the water, said Synder.

***

Photos By SOURCE intern Kayleigh OConnor, a Framingham High student

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City of Framingham Opened Waushakum Beach July 1, But Swimmers Still Prohibited - framinghamsource.com

North Shore beachgoers be warned: Unless youre a Gloucester resident, youre not going to snag a parking spot at any of the citys beaches this weekend.

After complaints of excessive traffic clogging up roadways last weekend, city officials have decided to bar non-residents from entering the lots on Saturday and Sunday.

Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken says the jams created by sun- and wave-seeking visitors is a common problem for the coastal city every summer. Closing the parking lots to non-residents is the last thing we want to do, the mayor said, but the situation has intensified this year.

Cooped-up Bay Staters, after months of hunkering down during the coronavirus pandemic and with limited travel options available, have been drawn to local beaches even more so than usual in hopes of spending a day out of the house, officials say.

More people are understandably looking to get outside after staying home for months to reduce risk of exposure to the virus, but that has meant traffic is worse and it isnt a sustainable situation for our residents, Romeo Theken said in a statement.

More folks are taking day trips to take advantage of the warm weather without going far from home, according to Karin Carroll, the citys public health director.

However, its critical we ensure there is plenty of space for social distancing on the beach and that residents can go about their daily lives, Carroll said in a statement.

Additionally, officials have their eyes on the tides.

In its press release, the city referenced early high tides for Saturday and Sunday, expected at 10:21 a.m. and 11:07 a.m., respectively, as indicated by U.S. Harbors.

At those times, the beach area for visitors will be significantly reduced especially at Good Harbor and Half Moon beaches which brings a challenge for ensuring social distancing measures are followed, according to officials.

Those looking to drop down a towel or set up some chairs are asked to keep at least 12 feet away from the nearest cohorts of their fellow beachgoers, among other guidance visitors are asked to follow.

The release also noted that a portion of Good Harbor Beach is already roped off as conservation space for piping plovers.

Therefore, the city is closing parking lots including at Good Harbor Beach, Stage Fort Park, and Wingaersheek Beach to non-residents this weekend. Extra staffers will be patrolling the lots to keep an eye out for any out-of-towners trying to skirt the rules.

City residents will have to show a 2020 or a 2019 beach sticker to gain entry to the parking lots. Residents who are still waiting to receive their sticker for this season can show a license and registration containing a Gloucester address, officials said.

Gloucesters public beaches are currently open to a limited number of non-residents, and visitors to the area will still be permitted to park at public beach parking lots in Gloucester on weekdays, for the time being, the release says.

Whether non-residents will be able to park in the lots for the weekend of July 25 and 26 will be announced next week. Officials say this weeks announcement is the first in a series of measures that will be put in place to address beach parking and traffic issues.

Parking updates will be provided on the Gloucester Beaches Facebook page, officials said.

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Originally posted here:

Unless youre a resident, dont expect to park at Gloucester beaches this weekend - Boston.com

LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the number of families living in financial fear continues to grow. In January, WPTV first introduced you to Carmen Fusco and her two children, who were struggling to make ends meet.

A couple months later, COVID-19 would make living paycheck to paycheck a reality for thousands of people living in Palm Beach County.

Now, as Fusco sits in her new home in Lake Worth Beach and watches her children, Kyla, 6, and Jacob, 4, play with their bin of toys, the noise of it is music to her ears.

"My first month and second month, I was just waking up like, 'Thank you God, we're not in the park,'" Fusco said.

When Fusco spoke with WPTV in January, she had just gotten into the Adopt-A-Family program and was living in a shelter. She said she was working 50 hours a week and making $12 an hour. She said her lowest point was sleeping in the park with Kyla and Jacob.

A couple months later, Fusco began working two jobs and, with help from the Adopt-A-Family organization, she was able to get her own apartment in Lake Worth Beach.

"I was like, 'OK, we can make it. We're actually going somewhere,'" she said. "We have our own place."

Then the COVID-19 pandemic got worse.

"There's a two-hour, three-hour layover for every train, every bus," Fusco explained.

Just this week, she said, she was laid off from both jobs.

"Pretty much since that day forward, I've been constantly on the hunt for more work, putting in applications," Fusco said. "Not stopping."

"Once COVID hit, we started to see a big need for homeless prevention, so families that were housed that suddenly became at risk for losing their housing," Adopt-A-Family CEO Matt Constantine said.

Since March 1, Constantine said, they've received a little more than 2,000 phone calls from families in need of homeless prevention. He said they are serving close to twice as many families compared to 2019 and have provided rental assistance to 112 families.

"Now it's really become almost like triage," he said. "We're really trying to put out the fires that are in front of us and really be there for the community and address the need that we see."

When WPTV spoke with Constantine in January, he said all 130 of their affordable housing units were full, with a long waiting list. That's still the case. However, now they're adding 14 new units of affordable housing to the mix.

"We celebrate 14 units," he said. "That's a huge victory."

But, Constantine said, as the COVID-19 crisis continues, for every victorious moment, there are still severe challenges.

"That despite every family's best efforts, bad things have happened," Constantine explained. "We've lost folks that are a part of the families we've served. We've watched as so many of the families that have worked their entire lives have had to pick up the phone and call us and they're not accustomed to this. It's a lot to take in at once, but the piece that always sticks with me is, despite someone's best efforts, that through no fault of their own, that so many folks are sort of ending up in this hole."

Read more here:

Palm Beach County nonprofit says COVID-19 pandemic leaving thousands of families on verge of homelessness - WPTV.com

Although Falmouth beaches were not as crowded last weekend as they were on the Fourth of July weekend, town officials are still concerned about the lack of social distancing and people not wearing masks.

Suffice it to say, everyone was pretty shocked by what we saw, particularly at our beaches, with Falmouth Heights Beach as one notable standout among a lot of crowded beaches, select board chairwoman Megan E. English Braga said at the board meeting on Monday, July 13. A lot of people were concerned, and they have raised those concerns with us.

Acting Beach Superintendent Margaret G. Clayton said Falmouth Heights Beach was the only beach where the crowd size became unsafe. She said there were issues at other beaches, including people not wearing masks in the parking lot or bathrooms.

At Old Silver, I might be the only person of 20-plus walking on the bridge between the public side and resident side wearing a mask, Ms. Clayton said. In terms of compliance, it is hard to judge, but that is where we want the public to engage.

She is working with the town department of public works to put additional signage at the beaches to remind people to wear a mask. The signs will also state no alcohol or ball playing is allowed on the beach.

Were trying to put those in problem locations, Chapoquoit, Old Silver, Goodwill and The Heights, she said.

Partying was also a problem on the Fourth of July. Police Chief Edward A. Dunne said the department broke up two large parties that were advertised on social media.

They were really there to party, Chief Dunne said. They werent there to go to the beach and go swimming or anything like that. They were there to party. We made them all aware of the bylaw regarding alcohol and had it all poured out. Once it was all poured out, they didnt want to hang around.

Ms. English Braga also noted the really huge party that took place on Black Beach on the Fourth of July, with more than 400 people crowding the West Falmouth beach. She asked if there continued to be problems with late-night partying at the beaches.

Not this weekend, we didnt have the problem like we did on the Fourth, Chief Dunne said. There might have been a small party up on New Silver Beach, but it was nowhere near the weekend of the Fourth of July.

As of the July 11 weekend, he hired a second seasonal officer to patrol the beaches. The officers requested to search coolers, making those who brought alcohol either pour it out or bring it to their cars.

The two officers who were up there ended up pouring out several cans of beer, but it was nowhere near the Fourth of July, nowhere close, Chief Dunne said.

However, police were still active at the beaches last weekend.

This weekend, while we didnt have the issues of crowding like we did on the Fourth of July, I had to call the [police] all the time on Sunday for illegal queue lines and live parking forming, because every lot in town was full by 10 AM on Sunday, Ms. Clayton said.

The parking lots are available, but at 50 percent capacity. When the parking attendants leave in the afternoon, Ms. English Braga said, beachgoers attempt to use every inch of parking available.

I have noticed, as soon as the parking attendants are gone, and I know there is not much we can do about this, it is a free-for-all, with people parking every which way to fit their cars in, she said.

Board member Douglas H. Jones asked if the town could extend parking attendant hours from 3:30 PM to 5 PM.

I think that does maintain better control of the lots, Mr. Jones said.

Ms. Clayton said parking attendant hours were extended on the Fourth of July, so it is doable.

It is a possibility, but the staff being there will just enforce the sticker-only or the daily fee, she said. They wont necessarily be able to enforce the crowds or the noncompliance.

Mr. Jones asked about the possibility of opening up additional parking spaces at the Surf Drive Beach and Mill Road parking lots.

Mill Road, because it is a smaller lot, seems to have a longer line to get in than when it was fully opened, he said. I guess I am more concerned about that existing because that beach, when Ive been there, has not been overcrowded on the sand. I feel Surf Drive is the same way.

Noting the beach department tracks when parking lots fill up, Ms. Clayton described Mill Road as a very popular place.

Mill Road fills as often as The Heights or Wood Neck or Old Silver or Megansett, but the density of the sand there, it would be hard to know if opening more spaces would change the number of the people, because it is also our closest beach to the bike path for access, so we do see bikers who leave their bikes on the rack there and go across, she said.

The department will take steps to determine how many parking spaces the beaches can support safely by using a figure of 144 square feet of beach space per party. In addition, beach staff will tape measure social distancing compliance three times per day at all beaches going forward.

We will have a little bit better data available the next time we have this conversation, Assistant Town Manager Peter Johnson-Staub said.

Health Agent Scott McGann said his concern is the social distancing of people on the beaches, not of cars in beach parking lots.

In terms of the parking lot, if you can fit them, you can fit them, I just dont know if you can fit them in terms of beach space, Mr. McGann said.

Board of health chairwoman Diana Molloy asked if reduced parking is accomplishing the goal of encouraging social distancing at the beach.

I dont think it is doing what we intended or hoped it would do, decreasing the volume, Ms. Molloy said. It just feels like it is still crowded.

She said her bigger concern is people not wearing masks.

Letting our guard down, I think that is the biggest concern, she said. We are seeing it all over the country, and things are cropping back up because you get that false sense of security because you get really good numbers and think there is not a lot of COVID down here.

Mr. McGann said there were no new cases of COVID-19 in Falmouth this week, the sixth consecutive week with fewer than five cases in town. If cases spike, he said, the town is much better prepared for it now than at the start of the pandemic.

Read more:

Crowds On Beaches A Concern For Falmouth Officials - CapeNews.net

GRAND HAVEN, MI The Grand Haven State Park beach is closed Monday, July 20, while rescuers try to find the body of a teen presumed down in Lake Michigan.

Access to the beach and day-use parking lot is temporarily closed.

A 14-year-old Grand Rapids boy was last seen Sunday, July 19, swimming near the swim buoys at the state park.

Grand Haven Department of Public Safety responded to a 3:40 p.m. report of a missing swimmer. Beachgoers formed a human chain but could not find the victim.

Rescuers searched nearly five hours before halting the search. Police planned to search the beach overnight before Ottawa County sheriffs and state police dive teams resume the search Monday morning.

The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids had warned of hazardous swimming conditions with high waves and strong currents. The night before the teen went missing, several people were swept off the south pier but were recovered or reached safety on their own.

Read more:

Several people swept off Grand Haven pier, prompting temporary closure

14-year-old boy presumed drowned in Lake Michigan

10-month-old dies after being backed over in yard

Originally posted here:

Grand Haven beach closed while rescuers search for Lake Michigan drowning victim - MLive.com

Paris Theater, Mathieu Massa (Credit: Google Maps)

UPDATED, July 21, 5:20 p.m.: Massa Investment Group bought the Paris Theater on Miami Beachs Washington Avenue for $13 million.

Miami-based Massa Investment Group, led by Mathieu Massa, bought the 25,589-square-foot building at 550 Washington Avenue for $508 per square foot, records show. Big Time Productions, led by Eugene Rodriguez, sold the property.

The building sold at a sharp discount from its $23 million listing price in 2015. The Art Deco-style building was built in 1945. Under different owners, the property had been used as an adult movie house, a nightclub, and a photography and film studio, according to the Miami Herald.

It had a capacity to hold 1,200 patrons, and could be used for any type of event, including theatrical productions, launch parties and dances. A liquor store, Surf Liquors, sits next to the Paris Theater.

Massa Investment Group secured a $15.2 million loan from IberiaBank to acquire the property, records show.

Big Time Productions paid $975,000 for the building in 1992, records show.

Massa Investment Group specializes in private equity, real estate construction and hospitality, according to its website.

Massas plans for the site are unclear, and he was unavailable for comment.

Massa also owns Mr. Hospitality, which runs Baoli Miami, Marion in Brickell and El Tucan. Hes an heir to a family that founded a large tire company in Europe which eventually sold to Continental Tire of Germany in 2011, according to Massa Investments website.

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Massa Investment buys Paris Theater in Miami Beach for $13M - The Real Deal

Desperate for crashing waves on a beautiful sandy shore but keen to avoid a beach packed with boozy post-lockdown holidaymakers Ive opted for a road trip along Belgiums North Sea coast, which stretches for 40 miles between the French and Dutch borders. There are 15 resorts dotted along the dunes that line the entire coast, and as Belgium has been out of confinement since 8 June, everything has pretty much reopened. I can choose between campsites, B&Bs and classic hotels, enjoy a traditional Belgian beer in a cosy, pub-like estaminet or sit outdoors at a sunny beach cabana, ordering at the bar. Restaurants have also reopened, and the only reason to book is to ensure a table, capacity having been reduced to ensure social distancing.

While it is easy to drive here from the UK, via the Eurotunnel or the ferry to Calais or Dunkirk, I am embarking on a different kind of road trip, jumping on the Eurostar to Brussels, followed by a local train to Ostend, where right outside the station, De Kusttram, the Coastal Tram (1.80 a ride, 7.50 for a day ticket) is waiting to whisk me off to my first stop, De Panne. Close to the French border, this is the starting point of the worlds longest tramline, which hugs the coast up to Knokke-Heist near the Dutch border, with 67 beach stops along the way.

After checking in at De Pannes family-run Hotel Cajou (doubles120 B&B), I forgo the tempting beach just across the road and head to Westhoek nature reserve on the edge of town. Travel brochures describing the reserves dunes as a Little Sahara had caught my attention, and on a sunny July morning I discover a landscape of peaked dunes stretching as far as the eye can see.

During an hour-long ramble I meet just one man, walking his dog. The reserve is free to enter, there are no boundaries or rangers, and several paths lined with thick heathland gorse and a kaleidoscope of sea lavender, wild thyme, evening primrose and pansy of the dunes, criss-cross the rolling dunes.

Walking back into town I pass the Sportstrand, a kilometre-wide beach where people are racing up and down on high-speed sand yachts basically go-carts with sails a sport invented here in De Panne. In town the weekly Saturday market is in full swing. As in every Belgian coastal resort, pedestrians follow one-way signs on the pavement to avoid close contact but I, of course, dont know about this and feel like Jacques Tati in the 1971 film Traffic until locals politely ask me to cross the road.

At the entrance to the market, friendly young volunteers in bright yellow Summer Safe 2020 T-shirts, squirt gel on our hands as we patiently line up, most of us wearing masks voluntarily. (Recent laws made face coverings compulsory in shops and museums.) I buy provisions for a lunchtime picnic local cheeses and home-cured ham and salami and walk over to the beach.

With brightly striped windbreakers and retro bathing huts, it resembles a Victorian seaside postcard, with rented sunbeds and deckchairs laid out to ensure each group has their own bubble. Families are having all the usual fun: building sand castles, playing beach tennis, paddling, swimming, and wind- and kite-surfing. There are signs everywhere warning people to respect distances and of a possible 250 fine but the police presence is minimal and three constables patrolling the boardwalk I speak to are confident they could even cope with an invasion of partying bank holidaymakers. I notice that we are also being monitored from above, with helicopters checking crowd levels.

Back at the hotel restaurant, over a dinner of plump moules marinires and crispy frites, owner Bruno Dequeecker says, We are delighted to see people coming back, especially foreigners who are discovering our coast for the first time, but we are by no means fully booked. I expect a quiet summer.

This section of the Belgian coast is not strong on campsites, but there are some delightful B&Bs, especially in the neighbouring town of Koksijde, where I discover the romantic Loxley (doubles 125 B&B), a half-timbered 1930s cottage where owners Anne and Koen also run a bistro and bar in the garden.

The next day I trundle along to and Ostend, the midpoint of the Belgian coast and its largest city. I disembark to explore for a couple of hours but the boardwalk and beach are packed, so I head into town. Ostend has become something of an avant-garde cultural hub in recent years, and while everyone is at the beach, the museums (advance booking necessary) are forgotten by visitors, including both the contemporary Mu.ZEE and the new interactive James Ensor House, showcasing the work of the Ostend painter and printmaker. I go for a rooftop aperitif cocktail at the desperately hip Grote Post, the majestic former post office and modernist masterpiece, before sitting down to a plate of Ostends speciality shrimp croquettes at Caf Botteltje, where the beer list runs to some 300 varieties.

I then put on my mask (obligatory on public transport) and pick up my faithful tram again, direction Bredene-aan-Zee. Bredene and neighbouring De Haan stand out from other Belgian resorts as neither were afflicted by the 1970s building boom of concrete holiday apartments. Bredene may be the coasts best-kept secret: there are no buildings at all along its seafront, just a protected dune reserve, pristine beaches and a couple of casual bars perfect for a sunset cocktail. The modern town lies inland on the other side of the main road, where some 28 campsites offer self-catering chalets, caravans and tents.

Prices are reasonable at the friendly Veld & Duin (pitches from 20, chalets, apartments or caravans sleeping 2-6 from 550 a week in summer or 100 for two nights off-peak) run by a brother and sister team, Els and Stefaan Casier. You cant miss the campsite as it has an upturned caravan outside the entrance, actually an art installation.

There are six beaches at Bredene one used to be nudist but has been reserved for day-trippers this summer and electronic roadside panels indicate whether beaches are empty, filling up or already at capacity. This efficient Crowd Barometer operates all along the coast and can also be checked online .

The next tram stop is the belle-poque De Haan (or as French-speaking Belgians call it, Le Coq-sur-Mer), which resembles a dolls house village of ornate red-roofed villas, many converted into elegant B&Bs such as La Tourelle (doubles from 120 B&B). Pleasures are simple here, from waffles and gelato to renting pedal karts and a round of mini golf. This is where I meet Andrew James, a British businessman living in Brussels, and here with his wife Petra and young son Philip. For us, it was natural to book our holiday in De Haan. Weve already been twice before: it is great for families, the common sense choice after lockdown. In fact, when we get back to Brussels we will voluntarily self-isolate for 14 days by working at home, and many Belgian friends intend to do the same thing.

At the busy Jeannine tearoom, a big sign announces: We are so happy to see you again. It is in English because it is the international language of tourism, says Paul, a young masked waiter. We are already seeing a lot of foreign travellers arriving.

In between De Haan and chic Knokke-Heist is the retro resort of Blankenberge. With its art deco pier, surf club and kitsch amusements including the 1933 funny-bike Lustige Velodrome the town revels in its role as the noisy neighbour.

Sipping a beer at Salito Beach bar, Cline Claeys, the towns tourism director, tells me: I like to think we are a family-orientated, democratic resort where everybody is welcome. And while some of our neighbours are trying to discourage day-trippers that is not the spirit here in Blankenberge. Just look around: on one of the sunniest days of the year there are no huge crowds, kids are having fun in the playground, people are enjoying a cold beer or spritz, but no binge drinking.

I quickly pass through Knokke, the St-Tropez of the coast with its Ferraris and Porche SUVs and Hermes and Louis Vuitton boutiques. Beyond the exclusive villas, almost on the Dutch border, is the Belgian coasts final hidden secret, Het Zwin (entrance 10), a stunning wetland and bird reserve inspired by the philosophy of the UKs Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust founder, Peter Scott.

It is a total contrast to Westhoek, where I started my trip. Numbers are limited and visitors must book a 30-minute time slot during which to enter, but can then stay all day. As I follow the trail through the freshwater marshlands I pass numerous lookout spots equipped with high-powered telescopes for birdwatching, and helpful guides everywhere. This is a popular migratory stop-off for spoonbills, avocets, geese and terns, as well as a dozen families of storks perched on high poles.

Then I reach the grassy tidal mudflats, whose changing landscape ebbs and flows with the North Sea, where many visitors don wellies or go barefoot across the inlet. The only company here is the grazing Highland cattle, sheep and wild goats, and the distant worries of lockdown life seem to be from another world.

This trip was supported by Visit Flanders. For further information see belgiancoast.co.uk

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Endless dunes and beach cabanas thats summer on Belgiums coast - The Guardian

Jul 21st, 2020by Darren Hillock.

Lance Park beach on Lake Mary in Twin Lakes is under a swim caution after testing showed elevated levels of E.coli there.

The State Department of Health recommends posting warnings at beaches when the test results indicate a E.coli level of 235/100mL or more and closing a beach when test results exceed E.coli 1000/100mL.

The test result from Monday that resulted in the caution at Lance Park on Lake Mary was 272 E.coli/100 mL.

Other results from Monday as reported by the Kenosha County Division of Health (except where noted) are:

Salem LakesSilver Lake County Park beach 4 E.coli/100 mL; Silver Lake DeWitt Park 41 E.coli/100mL; Lake Shangri-la 220th Ct. 10 E.coli/100 mL; Center Lake 71 E.coli/100 mL; Camp Lake: 15 E.coli/100 mL; Hooker Lake Boat Launch 219 E.coli/100 mL; Rock Lake 1 E.coli/100mL.

Paddock Lake Old Settlers County Park 91 E.coli/10; Hoag Park 162 E.coli/100 mL; North Shore Association 142 E.coli/100 mL; PHLA beach 38 E.coli/100mL. PHLA Diving Board 11 E.coli/100 mL.

Wheatland Lilly Lake <1 E.coli/100 mL.

Twin Lakes Lance Park on Lake Mary 272 E.coli/100 mL.

Randall (as reported by town of Randall) Powers Lake beach 33 E.coli/100 mL.

Posted in: Lake test results, Uncategorized.

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July 21, 2020 lake test results: Lance Park beach at caution - West of the I

LONG BEACH, N.Y. Authorities in Nassau County are cracking down on Long Beach following a rowdy weekend of hundreds of beachgoers who weren't following pandemic rules.

Some residents said the crowds were young adults who were drinking and gathering in large crowds.

A curfew has been set for the beaches on Long Beach. Beaches will now close at 8:00 p.m., and the boardwalk will shut down an hour later, at 9:00 pm., according to police.

The curfew begins on Thursday.

The city is also limiting the sale of non-resident daily passes to weekdays only.

Meaning, if you don't live on Long Beach, you won't be able to come to the beach on the weekend.

Riptides owner Brian Braddish said people need to follow the rules or everyone, including his business, will be penalized.

Closing the boardwalk at 9:00 would be a good thing because theres been issues, and police presence is a good thing. Not having out-of-town residents here is going to hurt my business and hurt the revenue for Long Beach, said Braddish.

The measures are in place to keep the people safe.

The new hours will last until further notice.

The City Council is expected to discuss more about the new hours Tuesday night.

Link:

Long Beach issues curfew on beaches, boardwalks; non-resident passes limited to weekdays only - WPIX 11 New York

By MADDY VITALE

A furnace or a stove were some of the descriptors for the scorching air as temperatures soared into the high 90s at the shore Monday afternoon.

George Groves, of Bensalem, Pa., simply put it like this, hot, as he swooshed and coasted on his skim board alongside his son, Jeff, and his 17-year-old grandson, John, along the waters edge on the 34th Street Beach.

The family of 14 rented homes for the week in Ocean City and spent their Monday enjoying the 75-degree ocean temps and some breezes.

Its a really hot day at the beach, but in the water its great, George Groves said.

Like the Groves crew, other beachgoers clung to the shore line, just above where their beach gear would get soaked, for some relief from the sweltering heat.

Stephanie Sokorai, of Shamong, N.J., her five children, her sister, Jennifer Cipparone, and her three children, took to the ocean without hesitation.

We have been coming down to Ocean City for vacation for 16 years, Stephanie noted.

But Monday was memorable for high temps, she acknowledged.

And being near or in the water was the only smart thing to do, she said.

Sokorai summed up the feeling of being on the beach as opposed to being near the water.

A drastic difference. The heat is oppressive on the beach, she said.

Sokorais 14-year-old son, Declan, added to his mothers thoughts of the benefit of being near the ocean. The water feels cool, he said.

While vacationers took to the water to find relief, dipped their toes in or dove in, or sat near the ocean, others, like mother and daughter duo, Pat Shakin and Beth Vandusen, both of Egg Harbor Township, sat in the middle of the beach.

But they came prepared.

Sitting under a blue, flowered cabana that seemed to give just the right amount of protection from the blazing heat, the two, who have a summer home in Ocean City, noted that there was a cool breeze blowing perfectly under the cabana.

Its very breezy. It is very nice, Shakin said.

Vandusen added, We always bring it, but dont always put it up. But on a day like today, it went up.

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Vacationers Enjoy Beaches in Blazing Temps - OCNJ Daily

OCEAN CITY At the north end of Ocean Citys Boardwalk, a small crowd gathered July 17 in the shadow of the Ocean City Beach Patrol headquarters to watch a beach be built.

Federal beach replenishment projects have become routine in the city since the first one, in the 1990s, which drew far larger crowds to watch the then-unusual project progress.

A large ocean-going dredge pumps water and sand from the shoals of the nearby inlet onto the beach, where crews use heavy equipment to shape a beach.

Before that first project, high tides slipped under the boardwalk daily, with little beach in the citys downtown.

Under a 50-year commitment, as part of that first project, the Army Corps of Engineers returned with a contracted dredging company several times to rebuild the beaches as they erode. The projects usually take place in the winter. This years project was set for spring, but repairs to the dredge delayed the start of the project until this month.

No one is happy about the work taking place during an already difficult summer, Mayor Jay Gillian told Ocean City Council, business leaders and others leading up to the work, but the city cant pass up the needed project, worth millions of dollars.

We need it, he told the council during a June meeting, held remotely. Weve gotten some emails about why do we do it in the summertime. We do it whenever we can when somebodys paying about 90% of it.

The dredge, owned by contractor Great Lakes Dredge, is now just outside the Great Egg Harbor Inlet, with steel pipes running along the beach. Orange netting and dune fencing blocks access to the project area, while piled sand allows beachgoers to cross the thick metal pipes through which the sand and water flow.

Visitors stop to watch a beach replenishment project underway, in Ocean City, adding sand to north end beaches. Officials usually try to avoid summer projects, but the Ocean City mayor said the project was needed, and this was when it could be accomplished.

According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the latest phase of the project will add sand from Morningside Road south to 13th Street, and then sand will be added between Morningside and Seaview roads.

The project area closes about 1,000 feet of beach at a time, with access preserved north and south of the project area.

The city has not heard any complaints about the work so far, said Ocean City spokesman Doug Bergen in a recent interview. He said the erosion in the project area is obvious so most visitors and residents can see the need for the work.

The project has not reached the busiest beaches along the Boardwalk, where hotels and businesses already report a difficult summer due to the pandemic. In other years, some visitors complained about the noise and disruption of the project on their block.

Just past the heavy equipment moving sand on the beach, lifeguards were on duty, and families played in the waves on an overcast morning.

According to the Army Corps posted timeline, the project will be completed by August. This is the ninth project pumping sand onto city beaches since the first one started, in October 1992.

The city has been emailing regular updates on the project for those who have signed up, including which beaches will be closed and how far the beach building progressed. According to the most recent update, the project will add 1.6 million cubic yards of sand to more than two miles of city beaches.

The contractor also will stockpile sand so the city can rebuild areas of dune to create an uninterrupted line across the length of the project area, reads a statement posted at ocnj.us/projectUpdate.

Beach replenishments for Strathmere and Sea Isle City were also completed, as part of the first phase of this project.

The total cost for this portion of the work is estimated at $16 million, with the cost divided between the federal government and the state, with the city contributing to the states costs. The city will be responsible for 12.5% of the total cost.

Continued here:

Summer Beach Project Adds Sand in OC | Government - Cape May County Herald

People hoping to get on Long Branch beaches that were shut down due to crowding have resorted to purchasing badges from people headed home for the day, according to witnesses.

The badges are being sold at cost $7 by beachgoers as they depart, people in Long Branch told NJ Advance Media.

On Friday, officials said to expect beaches to close earlier and more frequently to allow visitors space to social distance. Then on Saturday, the city began charging to get on the beach at Plaza Court, Pullman Avenue, Park Avenue and Takanassee, which had been closed previously.

A few miles south, daily beach badge sales in Belmar were also suspended around 1 p.m. due to big crowds. Belmar officials previously said theyd limit daily sales to 7,500 per day.

Long Branch police couldnt immediately be reached.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Long Branch beach badges being resold by people leaving as access closed due to overcrowding - NJ.com

Virginias eastern region, outlined by the states beaches, has seen an explosive spread of the coronavirus in recent weeks as trends for the rest of the state have seen slight upticks.

But as a slew of states to the south face devastating spikes in cases and new lockdowns, Virginias localized surge has prompted questions about how the state will avoid following suit.

State officials say the answer may lie in a regional approach to examining trends and levying public restrictions that they hope could stem surges early without reversing the states reopening.

That could mean more restrictions in eastern Virginia, where daily cases surged from an average of less than 100 a day to more than 400 a day in the past few weeks.

Virginia as a whole remains in the third and most relaxed phase of its reopening what may become the new normal until there is a vaccine or effective treatment, Gov. Ralph Northam suggested last week. There are no plans for a Phase Four.

Stricter restrictions and enforcement loom, however, if the trend of new cases doesnt hold flat.

I would do it regionally, if we make that decision. When all of this started, we made guidelines statewide, that was to flatten the curve, Northam said Tuesday in a briefing with reporters. Now its about mitigation, and depending on where thats needed, well direct those changes.

The Northam administration had in the spring rejected a regional approach to reopening, eventually relenting in the face of disparate trends in Northern Virginia and elsewhere. Now, with more testing, data and a better understanding of the virus, state and local health officials said breaking the state into five regions may be the right compromise between making blanket statewide rules or applying restrictions by locality.

The eastern region, which includes all of Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore and more, has become the epicenter of the viruss surge in Virginia in recent weeks. There, health officials say, summer socializing coupled with the flouting of social distancing restrictions has disrupted a declining number of daily new cases.

The region has seen a precipitous increase in new cases that began over the last week of June. On June 26, the area matched its previous record for new cases reported in a day with 157, previously set on April 30. Over the last week, the seven-day average of new cases has continued to rise to more than 400 cases a day.

Part of the increase in new cases could be chalked up to increases in testing statewide, but not all. The region saw its peak on Wednesday at 526 cases, more than half of the 972 reported statewide.

Trends for hospitalizations have also risen in the region in recent days. Trends for deaths at the regional level remain steady in the eastern district and others. (The New York Times, citing its own analysis, reported Friday that additional testing in the U.S. may mean a bigger lag between a diagnosis, and hospitalizations and deaths.)

Todd Wagner, a health director in the eastern region, said the areas beaches and connected attractions have created an environment ripe for new cases, particularly among young people.

In his particular health district, Western Tidewater, which includes Suffolk and Southampton, Wagner said many outbreaks have been traced back to house parties and private social gatherings where one infected individual infected a broader group. Nearby outbreaks in the region could contribute to the frequency of those clusters, he said.

Wagner said his district fields visits by people traveling to and from the Outer Banks in North Carolina, another popular beach destination.

Theres a natural move toward the beach that happens every year in the summertime. When you go to the beach, theres closer proximity among people, than say, if you go to the mountains and hills of western Virginia, Wagner said.

You have whole rows of restaurants and bars. They dont have as much of that in the western part of the state, he added. Any time you have a setting like that, if restrictions arent properly followed, youve got a natural breeding ground for viral transmission.

The central region, which is anchored in the Richmond metro area, has seen an uptick in new cases this month. But the number of cases remains far below the areas peak in late May, when the area saw 279 cases reported in one day. The regions seven-day average of new cases was at 139 on Friday.

In the northern region, which includes Northern Virginia and is the smallest geographic region, new case trends have held steady and far below the regions explosive peak in late May. The areas seven-day average of new cases was 165 on Friday, compared to its peak of 685 cases on May 31.

The northwest region of the state which borders Hanover, reaches up to the border with West Virginia and down through Charlottesville has seen a slight uptick in cases over the past three weeks. Fridays seven-day average of new cases was 105 cases.

In the southwest region, which includes Roanoke down to Wise County, cases have been rising over the last week after an initial rise and fall at the end of June. The seven-day average of new cases was 98 on Friday.

All are trends officials continue to watch, said Stephens and Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky.

Yarmosky did not rule out the possibility of future statewide restrictions, but said that better data will allow state and local officials to use target approaches to respond to surges. The shift is happening as localities debate the reopening of their schools in the fall.

Now that we have increased our capacity, the commonwealth has more options to deploy targeted mitigation strategies, she said, citing the work to contain outbreaks in poultry plants and stricter enforcement of restrictions at beach-area restaurants.

While this situation continues to be fluid and quickly changing, a regional mitigation approach gives us increased flexibility to address specific problems as they arrive.

Nicole Riley, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents many small businesses in the state, said the organization supports targeted enforcement and restrictions that allow as many businesses as possible to stay open.

We feel that the governor is now open to regionalism in a way, and at the end of the day, if thats the system we need for Virginias economy to be open, we support it, Riley said. But, with the caveat, that state government and localities still follow a transparent process.

Link:

Rise in coronavirus cases in Virginia fueled by spike near its beaches - Richmond.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Islanders headed to the boroughs beaches and parks to cool off during the intense heatwave on Sunday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a heat advisory Sunday, warning of heat index values up to 104 degrees.

The advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. on Monday, the NWS said.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and state Department of Health (DOH) issued an air quality health advisory Sunday, which is in effect until 11 p.m. Sunday.

Residents are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun, and reschedule events to early morning or evenings to avoid the heat, NWS says.

Despite the warnings, Wolfes Pond Park, Princes Bay and Conference House Park, Tottenville were buzzing with activity.

Large groups were seen on Sunday gathered at Wolfes Pond Park, with some grilling lunch and others sitting at tables. Many sunbathers sat on the beach or took a dip in the water.

In both parks, many people were seen using the shade to protect themselves from the sun.

One mom said that despite the warnings about the heat, the beach is the best way to stay cool.

I always go to the beach with my family on days like this. The water helps more than anything else, Yesenia Brown, Rossville mother-of-two, said.

Brown brings jugs of water with ice in them to keep her and her two sons cool as they sit on the beach.

Regularly applying sunscreen and bringing a beach umbrella are also key ways to stay safe, Brown said.

Its hot, but I dont want that to ruin [my kids] fun and their summer, she said. As long as we have sunscreen and some water, Im good to go.

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Staten Islanders head to parks, beaches to beat the heat - SILive.com

International commercial flights and commercial vessels will NOT be permitted except Canada, UK and EU effective Wednesday July 22nd at midnight

Bahamas Air will cease all outgoing flights to USA effective immediately.

ALL returning residents and visitors will require a negative test result within 10 days before departure day. The must also have an approved health visa to enter. Any resident who does not have a negative PCR test must be quarantined with a monitoring device for 14 days, or at a government facility at their expense. Covid-19 tests will be administered at the end of the 14-day quarantine at cost of traveler/resident.

Domestic travel will continue to be permitted, but all domestic travelers are still required to complete the electronic health visa.

Public and private beaches and parks on New Providence, Paradise Island, Grand Bahama and surrounding cays will be closed effective tomorrow at 5 p.m.

Restaurants at Arawak Cay and Potter's Cay will be closed effective tomorrow.

See more here:

Bahamas Bans Flights From USA and Closes Beaches Due To Surge In Cases - Travel Off Path

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas Kleberg County

Kleberg County will be following Nueces County's ordering restricting vehicular access to the beaches and setting a curfew until August 1. The curfew will be from 8:30 p.m. - 6 a.m.

Pedestrians will still be allowed. The order does not impact Baffin Bay or Loyola Beach.

North and McGee Beach Rules

Padre Island Gulf Beach Rules

RockportOfficials in Rockport have decided to close vehicular traffic into Rockport Beach beginning Sunday, July 19 at 11:59 p.m. until Saturday, Aug 1. at 6 a.m.

Pedestrian access will still be available.

The Aransas County Navigation District said boat ramps -- other than the beach ramp -- will remain open.

Nueces County beaches, parks, local pools and splash pads:

Tougher restrictions are coming back to our coastal beaches from July 15 until August 1. Vehicles will not be allowed on the beaches. However, walking is permitted. There will also be a curfew from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Parks and city pools are also being shut down.

From Port Aransas down to the Padre Island National Seashore, beaches will once again be closed to vehicle traffic.

"We are just trying to reduce as many exposure options as we can," Mayor McComb said.

Mayor McComb acknowledged that the move to reinstate beach restrictions won't be a popular idea for some residents, but it is something that had to be done.

"Going to be extremely important for us to try and get the curve to start going down," City Manager Peter Zanoni said.

Zanoni said the order is mostly aimed at keeping an influx of tourists from descending on our area and adding to the spread of the virus. He said over the Memorial Day weekend 25,000 vehicles went over the JFK Causeway. When beach access was restricted during the Fourth of July weekend, there were only 4,000 vehicles.

"By closing vehicle traffic access, it will restrict the number of persons coming into the city and going onto the beach and that's the goal," Zanoni said.

North Beach and McGee Beach will also see access restrictions. You have to be active on those two beaches.

Meanwhile, the city has also announced a list of eight regional parks that will be closed along with city pools and splash pads.

City Splash Pads Closures

Sunrise Beach RV Park at Lake Corpus Christi Closure

Corpus Christi Marina - Jet Skis Closed

"Staff were telling me today that some of our pools right now have 100 children and that's at 50-percent capacity," Zanoni said.

Health experts said the spread of the virus is happening among families and close contact with people they know.

Leaders said the order could be extended if the numbers continue to climb.

Additional highlights from the press briefing on July 15:

For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.

More from 3News on KIIITV.com:

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LIST: Beaches, parks with restricted access in the Coastal Bend - KIIITV.com

SEARS ISLAND Join Friends of Sears Island for socially-distant yoga on the beach with Missy Hatch from 10-11:15 a.m. Friday, July 24. Using the beach environment, Hatch will engage participants in a relaxing exploration of movement and stretching, taking advantage of all the natural world has to offer for support. This class is for anyone able to walk on the beach. It will be geared for adults but attentive children are also welcome. In the interest of providing a safe experience, pre-registration is required and space is limited. Please register at: https://searsislandyoga.eventbrite.com

Hatch has been teaching yoga since 1989 and enjoys hiking and being outside. No matter the surroundings, there are always stretches that can be done; being unconventional is the fun part. Sears Island is located on Sears Island Road off Route 1 just east of Searsport. Registered participants should park along the causeway at the end of the road and meet at the kiosk near the island gate by 10 a.m. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a beach towel and water. Masks are welcome, but not required as long as social distancing rules are followed. Please no pets for this event. For more information and updates in the event of inclement weather, visit friendsofsearsisland.org, facebook.com/friendsofsearsisland or call 207-975-3878.

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Friends of Sears Island to host Yoga on the Beach with Missy Hatch - Bangor Daily News

Minuteman Beach at Vandenberg Air Force Base is temporarily closed due to increased snowy plover violations.

Base officials say the closure, which took effect Monday, will allow them to research and implement more safeguards to protect snowy plover nesting areas.

"Wing leadership knows how important beach access is to the base community," said Col Anthony Mastalir, commander, 30th Space Wing in a statement to KSBY News. "Especially during this time when we are restricted because of the coronavirus pandemic and we must follow the federally mandated guidelines to protect the Snowy Plover, so the hope is that the base community members will follow the guidelines, stay out of the areas that are designated for Plover Nesting and keep the violations down so the beach can reopen in the coming days."

Restrictions are enforced yearly from March 1 through Sept. 30 at Wall, Minuteman and Surf beaches on base property during the federally-listed plover nesting season.

Officials say the current and temporarily closure is designed to prevent a full closure of Minuteman Beach for the remainder of the nesting season.

The beach, which is only accessibly to those on the base, will re-open once additional safeguards have been put into place.

Surf Beach remains open.

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Snowy plover violations lead to temporary closure of Vandenberg AFB's Minuteman Beach - KSBY San Luis Obispo News

LUDINGTON, MI Longtime Ludington fans know to expect it, but it still catches first-time visitors by surprise: that sparkling expanse of Lake Michigan, lapping right at the edge of downtown.

Ludington is one of those true Michigan beach towns where everything is designed to take advantage of the water. The towns main thoroughfare leads right to it. Gorgeous beaches flank it, not only in the city, but just up the road where a gem of a state park is neatly sandwiched between the Great Lake and a popular inland lake - and its connecting river.

Add into that a downtown with lots of local shops and a handful of great restaurants and breweries, and its not a surprise some vacationers dont consider themselves having reached Northern Michigan until theyve landed in Ludington.

Thats kind of how we describe ourselves Were the front door to Up North, said Brandy Miller, executive director of the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

While summer and fall are the top tourist times, this spot has really become a four-season getaway. If youre hitting the road for Ludington, here are a few suggestions to round out your trip:

Dunegrass along Lake Michigan at Ludington State Park.

BEACHES

Stearns Park Beach: This one is right in town. Its got a half-mile of sandy beach, playground and concessions. Its a great gathering place to stay and play during the day, or stroll at the waters edge at sunset.

Buttersville Park Beach: Typically a quieter spot, this beach is located on the south side of the Pere Marquette River channel, and has a nearby campground.

Ludington State Park: This is the ultimate beach experience. The popular state park boasts several miles of shoreline and sandy beaches on both Lake Michigan and the inland Hamlin Lake. There are beachside playgrounds, picnic tables and concessions. You can follow the shoreline all the way to a lighthouse, or float down the Big Sable River until you reach Lake Michigan.

Hiking and biking trails abound in the Ludington area. Photo courtesy of the Ludington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

HIKING AND BIKING

Pack your comfortable walking shoes or day hikers and dont forget to load up your bike or plan to rent one from the bike shops in town. The Ludington area has miles of trails built for exploring. If youre headed to Ludington State Park, its got a bike trail connecting all three of its modern campgrounds, as well as a non-paved road out to the Big Sable Point Lighthouse that draws bikers. The state park offers a 4-mile canoe trail, 10 miles of cross-country skiing trails in the winter, and more than 25 miles of hiking trails that range from backdune to forest to marshland. Hint: the Lost Lake Trail is a favorite for kids, with its boardwalk, shady pathways and wildlife viewing spots.

Closer to town, try the Cartier Park Pathway, which offers trails for walking, road biking and a twisty, contoured, single-track mountain biking route called The Dragon. Cyclists say its as fun to ride as its name implies.

A stretch of beach in Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area.MLive.com

GET A LITTLE WILD

Want a little deeper back-to-nature experience? Check out Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area. These 3,400 acres stretch along Lake Michigan, north of Ludington State Park. This national forest land offers hiking and rustic camping. The wilderness area is popular for hiking, camping, hunting, nature study and wildlife viewing, according to the U.S. Forest Service. There are approximately 10 miles of trail that can be accessed from two developed trailheads at the end of Nurnberg Road and Lake Michigan Recreation Area. It can be a day trip or a mini-vacation, depending on your timeline. For trail maps and details on camping regulations, check the Nordhouse Dunes website.

The S.S. Badger car ferry leaves Ludington to take passengers to Manitowoc, Wis.Ken Stevens | MLive.com file

S.S. BADGER

No trip to Ludington would be complete without seeing the S.S. Badger. This 600-passenger ship is a National Historic Landmark, and the last coal-fired car ferry operating on the Great Lakes. It currently makes one round-trip a day between its Ludington berth and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It can accommodate 180 vehicles for those who want to drive off and start an adventure on the other side of Lake Michigan. Its also full of interesting things to do and see (Hint: Check out the Badger Bingo game), and its top deck has plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the waterfront view for the four-hour trip. Private staterooms can also be reserved. For more information on travel times and amenities, check the Badgers website.

Big Sable Point Light pictured at sunset.MLive.com

LIGHTHOUSES

The Ludington area has two spots for lighthouse lovers. The biggest draw is Big Sable Point Lighthouse, a towering black-and-white column that is best accessed via a 2-mile trail in Ludington State Park. The point itself was named by French explorers, and the lighthouse was built in 1867. In the 1940s, it became the last Great Lakes lighthouse to get electricity. While the tower itself is not open for visitors during the 2020 season, the lighthouse gift shop is open for weekend visitors.

The North Breakwater Light is another popular spot, this one right in town at Stearns Park Beach. Its a great spot to walk out to see the sunset, or wave at the S.S. Badger as it heads across the lake, or is pulling into port.

HIDDEN GEM

If youve got kids in tow, make sure to try the citys Waterfront Park for a little down time. Its not only a great place to see the S.S. Badger, but it sits between two marinas, so theres plenty of boat-watching to be had. Theres a big playground for kids and a unique sculpture park that gives visitors a little history lesson about the area. The sculptures also have QR codes, allowing you to scan them for a little audio tour of the artwork and what they represent.

A longtime brewery in Ludington, check Jamesport's rotating brew roster to pick your favorite.

RESTAURANTS AND BREWERIES

Some are relatively new additions, while others are Ludington staples. Heres a rundown of some spots to check out when youre on the hunt for a meal or a craft beer and a snack. Some of these come with amazing rooftop or waterfront views.

House of Flavors Restaurant, 402 W. Ludington Ave. Now in its third generation of Neal family ownership, House of Flavors flagship location is a downtown magnet for ice cream and sundae lovers, and those seeking a bit of 50s diner-style nostalgia. Each year, the manufacturing side of the operation produces more than 30 million gallons of ice cream. Favorites include Strawberry, classic Chocolate, Blue Moon and Orange Pineapple. Up for a challenge or planning to bring friends? Order The Pigs Dinner and get a collector pin.

Old Hamlin: 122. W. Ludington Ave. A family-owned restaurant right downtown, this place is a staple. Its known for its big menu and Friday Fish Fry. To see its menu and specials, check its website and Facebook page.

Blu Moon Bistro: 125 S. James St. This eatery draws people in with an eclectic menu fusion, sushi, Americana with a twist, anyone? and delights them with a rooftop deck, one of two outdoor seating options. Find updates on their Facebook page and a menu on their website.

PM Steamers Restaurant: 502 W. Loomis St. A waterfront locale and a steak-and-seafood menu make this a spot for locals as well as vacationers. See the website for seating times and more details.

The Q Smokehouse: 225 S. James St. Slow-smoked meats are the hallmarks of this eatery. Currently, it offers online ordering and a convenient outside ordering/pickup system. You can do strictly take-out, or enjoy your food outside on tables. Find the menu on the website and see the Facebook page for updates.

Jamesport Brewing Company: 410 S. James St. More than a century ago, this spot was a saloon whose seats were filled by sailors and lumbermen. Now its a place for craft beer lovers who want a good meal served up alongside their brew of choice. Check their website for the latest beer list and their Facebook page for updates.

Ludington Bay Brewing Co.: 515 S. James St. With about 20 brews on tap daily, youll want to check this brewerys website for the latest seasonal lineup. Menu runs from solid pub food to an array of creative pizzas and a conversation-starter Adult Mac & Cheese entre, which you can load up with chicken, bacon or grilled fresh jalapenos.

For more information about planning your next trip to Ludington, go online to pureludington.com.

READ MORE

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Planning a trip to Ludington? 8 things not to miss

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Beaches, trails, waterfront eats make Ludington the front door to Up North - MLive.com