I love and loathe the beach at the same time.
I'm head over heels in love with the ocean. I could live on the beach every summer round and come back to my normal home during the rest of the year. :) But yet I do kinda loathe it due to living far enough away it is a very rare treat when we get to go. Then the time we are there goes as if it were but seconds. So I just dream and dream some more. Granted I know there are others who live farther away than me. Yes, yes.
The best thing we can come up with is the lake, half a hour from our house, that has 1/4 mile or so stretch of "sandy beach". Honestly though it is hard to focus on trying to enjoy what we have instead of letting it just wet out taste buds for a REAL beach! :D