That is so true! Mr B-wavy and I don't travel much, so until recently we'd only ever experienced the southern coastal beaches. Last month my stepson got married in Rhode Island, and we were struck by the differences. I kept telling him "There's something different here!" and he thought I was crazy until I noticed and pointed out that we were standing on a beautiful, green lawn with normal vegetation and trees, AND we were within 50 feet of the beach. That wouldn't happen in the south. With southern beaches, the minute you're within a few blocks of the beach, all you see is concrete and sand. Totally different.