Perhaps one of the first steps of planning a vacation is choosing the destination. From there, most people struggle with choice between desert or beach vacations. Ultimately, the choice of destination lies upon your expectations for your particular trip. One of the biggest perks of traveling within the United States is the presence of differing terrains across the country. The ability to travel to the deserts of the Southwest states like Arizona or New Mexico or to the beaches of Florida or California and even Hawaii is an opportunity unlike any other.
In my experience, beach vacations are usually accompanied by less predictable weather, busy beaches, and fun tourist locations. Whereas, desert vacations are usually warm, sunny, and more independently navigated. While beach vacations can be immensely relaxing, desert vacations offer a sense of solitude that’s not found in many other places. Let’s compare the two types of destinations to help potential travelers reach a decision.
Let’s start with what desert vacations have to offer. One of my favorite states to visit is Arizona, so we’ll be using my knowledge of Arizona’s landscape to provide some insight. In my opinion, the Phoenix/Mesa/Tempe area is one of the best places to visit. With Hole in the Rock, Camelback Mountain, and South Mountain located in or near Phoenix, there are plenty of opportunities for some good views and hiking! The landscape in desert climates gets a bad reputation for being dry and flat, but desert states actually are home to some of the most picturesque mountains, valleys, canyons, and rivers I have ever seen. For those history buffs, Tombstone Arizona is a great place to feel the vibe of the Old Wild West. In fact, many of the Southwest states are full of a lot of history from the time of outlaws, cowboys, and the Wild West. In terms of wildlife you may encounter in the desert, you may stumble across lizards, scorpions, snakes, coyotes, and more! Contrary to popular belief, the whole state of Arizona is not all dry desert. Fun fact: it snows in Northern Arizona by the Grand Canyon! One of the best experiences EVER are Pink Jeep Tours in Sedona, Arizona where you get an exclusive view at Northern Arizona’s snow-capped mountains. The Jeeps take you up into the mountains surrounding Sedona that can only be accessed through their tour! The views in desert climates are often so vast and amazing that it sometimes looked like a painting. There were times were I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!
As you can probably imagine, a beach vacation is almost the exact opposite in a lot of ways. Like I mentioned before, where a desert vacation is much more laid back, a beach vacation could be more fast paced with bigger crowds in the area. Though, I suppose it all depends on your destination. For example, famous tourist beaches like Waikiki Beach in Hawaii or Clearwater Beach in Florida may be much more populated than some other lesser known beaches sprinkled along the coasts. Although, deserts are where you might find more solitude, there is just something so inherently relaxing about laying on the beach. The sun, sand, and waves creates a sense of tranquillity that is unmatched by desert getaways. Not to mention, there is plenty of activities to be done on a beach vacation as well, like hiking, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, paddle-boarding, parasailing, and more! You may even encounter some turtles, lizards, seagulls, and a variety of sea-life on these vacations.
Overall, you can’t go wrong with either a desert or beach vacation. I believe you need to try both types of vacations to figure out which vibe fits better with your personality! Each destination is different, so certain beaches might be better than certain deserts and vice versa. It’s truly whatever suits your destinations wants and needs!
