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In America, 'Going To The Beach' Hasn't Always Meant Fun In The Sun

Millions of people in the U.S. will be visiting the beach this summer. It’s a vacation. A getaway. Fun. But, for Colonial Americans, the shoreline was a dangerous, untamable landscape.

For a look back at how America’s relationship with the beach has changed, Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson speaks with historians Joanne Freeman (@jbf1755) and Brian Balogh (@historyfellow), co-hosts of the podcast BackStory, which is produced at Virginia Humanities.

Our Host And Guests’ Favorite American Beaches

Jeremy’s pick: Lanikai Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii

Joanne’s pick: Santa Monica Beach in Santa Monica, California

Brian’s pick: Crandon Park Beach in Miami

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Children play along the shore at Crandon Park in Miami. (CX Matiash/AP)
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Children play along the shore at Crandon Park in Miami. (CX Matiash/AP)
The Santa Monica beach in Santa Monica, Calif. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)
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The Santa Monica beach in Santa Monica, Calif. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)
Jeremy's favorite American beach is Lanikai beach in Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii. (Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Images)
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Jeremy's favorite American beach is Lanikai beach in Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii. (Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Images)