It is not as pretty as Fort De Soto or as fashionable as Clearwater, and it is rumored that the folks there have family trees that don't fork. However, you should not be so quick to dismiss Gandy Beach. With its close proximity, easy access, semi-private mangrove shelters, and parking right on the water, Gandy Beach can be a nice place to spend a carefree afternoon.

We do not have an old pickup or a new bass boat, but we do have a VW Bus (a social wildcard that blends in at almost any event).

So, we packed it up and headed to Gandy Beach. Luckily, we arrived early enough to grab one of the larger mangrove cabanas with nice access to the water.

We brought a couple of chairs, a cooler full of beer, a cooler of food, the hibachi, an old radio, and a couple of good books.

If you forget food, there is usually someone selling BBQ and there is always the infamous bikini-clad hot-dog girl. If you forget beer, this is definitely the wrong beach for you!

You will see people engaged in all sorts of redneck games, but we chose to keep to the basics. We threw the Frisbee around, played some fetch with the dogs, took a nice nap, and engaged in the always entertaining activity of people watching!

The day was spent having a few cold drinks, eating some terrific fresh grilled hamburgers, soaking up a little sun, and catching up on some reading. Not a bad day. Seriously, not a bad day at all!

You should give it a try!