The Associated Press
Published: Friday, May 22, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
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Siesta Key Public Beach took second in this year's "Dr. Beach" rankings, edged out by the doctor's favorite personal refuge, Hanalei Bay in Hawaii. The remote, two-mile crescent-shaped beach on Kauai where the emerald mountains meet the sparkling sea was selected No. 1 in the rankings, released Friday. "The sheer beauty of Hanalei Bay is breathtaking," said Dr. Beach, a.k.a. Dr. Stephen Leatherman, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research. "If I want to get away from it all and forget about the rest of the world, Hanalei is about the best place to go, as far as I know." Siesta Beach, with its powdery white sand that gently slopes into clear blue water, was ranked No. 3 last year, up from No. 10 in 2007. Ranked No. 2 in 2008, Hanalei will now be retired from Dr. Beach's list. Its selection returns the top spot to Hawaii, which has won 12 times since Leatherman started the list in 1991. Florida beaches have been named tops six times. North Carolina won once.
