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HOLLY BEACH, La. (WAFB) - Holly beach is a wide strip of sand on the Gulf of Mexico that stretches for 20 miles in the extreme southwest corner of the state. It’s an area that has been battered in recent years by hurricanes, but the area is on the rebound. I spent a couple of nights at the Pickled Pelican RV Park at Holly Beach, where I was only steps away from the sand and water.

Just after sunrise I spotted Joan Harding and Greg O’Reilly from Vancouver, Canada, taking their dog for an early morning walk.

This is their first time in South Louisiana at Holly Beach.

“This is the first time. Oh, it’s amazing. Never seen a beach that had nobody on it,” said Harding.

“Having an empty beach like this is amazing. You know, normally have people marching up and down. Uh, yeah. When you try and get out early, get the good shells,” O’Reilly said.

There were no crowds here on a chilly, early spring morning. Several miles down the beach, I found friends Carolyn Miller and Vicki Little walking along the shoreline.

“Every chance I get to be on a beach, I’m there,” said Miller.

They’re looking for special seashells.

“I come shelling to find the, I’m into cat paws right now. Those are the little shells that I’m looking for. Uh, ‘cause they’re unusual to find on our beaches.”

The beach follows Highway 82 and has places where you can pull over and enjoy the sand, the water, and seashells.

“This is a soil enrichment program. That was the, the soil was pumped in from offshore to save Highway 82. And we ended up with a very nice beach,” Miller continued.

The beaches on the west side of the Calcasieu River are connected to more beaches on the east side by a ferry. It’s a quick ride across the channel. Back at the campground, I met a couple of friends who drove 10 hours to Holly Beach from Jonesboro, Arkansas. They discovered the area last Thanksgiving.

“We loved it cause it’s like having your own private beach. You don’t see anybody,” said Bret Smith.

“We spent last summer in Galveston and these beaches rank up there with that,” added Mark Smith.

Even a cloudy day can sometimes bring a surprise at sunset. All it takes is a little break in the clouds and the sun can streak through and provide a colorful, beautiful ending to a relaxing day at Holly Beach.

More information on Holly Beach can be found on Heart of Louisiana’s website.

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