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Coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman, a.k.a. Dr. Beach, released the 23rd version of his Top 10 Beach List, and the closest entry to the Tampa Bay Area is about 150 miles south of Tampa - Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park in Bonita Springs. Florida had two other entries in the list, St. George Island State Park in the Panhandle and Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne.
Sarasota's Siesta Beach topped the list in 2011
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) - This may be hard to believe in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, but an annual list of the best beaches in the country has a New York beach ranked No. 1. Less surprisingly, that beach is in East Hampton, the vacation playground for the rich and famous.