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Barrier islands are elongated, sandy extents of land that run parallel to a coastal mainland and effectively protect the coast from the brunt of waves generated by powerful storms. Between barrier islands and the coastline are calm bodies of water, ideal for all sorts of fun activities. The United States has three groups of barrier islands to be found off the Gulf Coast of Texas and Florida and along the eastern Atlantic coast from Florida to as far north as New York. Many are idyllic vacation destinations, but the state with the most barrier islands is Florida, where some of the finest beaches in the world, much less the United States, can be found. Most of Florida’s Gulf Coast barrier islands are concentrated in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater-Sarasota area in the central part of the state, all of which are accessible from any of the three major airports in the region and all serviced by professional limos in Siesta Key. How Barrier Islands Are Formed Barrier islands are roughly 4,000 to 6,000 years old, which is relatively young in geologic terms. Prior to this period, sea levels rose rapidly due to the melting of the glaciers during the last ice age and then slowed significantly, thus allowing the islands to be created. However, for the barrier islands to form, certain conditions had to come together. Most importantly, there has to be a source of sand to form the islands. Typically, the sand originated from the weathering of rocks and then was transported to the coasts by river flows. Much of the sand that formed the barrier islands along Florida and the East Coast of the United States originated in the Appalachian Mountains. The second requirement is that the coastline must have an expansive and moderate slope, which is the case along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf Coast. Finally, the force of waves must be dominant and must be strong enough to move the sand. In the case of the Gulf Coast and along the Siesta Key beaches, the sand texture is mostly pure quartz and thus feels soft and cool like baby powder under the feet. In fact, coastal expert and America’s foremost beach aficionado, Dr. Stephen Leatherman—also known as Dr. Beach—said that Siesta Key’s beaches are among the 10 best beaches in the world. Given that these miles of white sand beaches are so conveniently reached by professional limos in Siesta Key, there’s no excuse for anyone to miss out on visiting this paradise at least once in their lives.
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