# Quickest way to get 20 to gulf beach New Orleans **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2016, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-get-20-to-gulf-beach-new-orleans/760313 "2016-07-19T13:09:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-get-20-to-gulf-beach-new-orleans/760313/1 "2016-07-19T13:09:35Z")
I have 22teens downtown NOLa. They want an afternoon trip to the ocean. Beach if possible. We have no transport and little funds. Need answer today yet. How do I get this done? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-get-20-to-gulf-beach-new-orleans/760313/2 "2016-07-19T13:19:17Z")
Former New Orleans resident here. Don’t listen to the teens. There aren’t any decent ocean beaches anywhere close to New Orleans, at least not the kind they are thinking of. The closest beaches with sand and swimming are around Gulfport, MS but the water is brown and the sand is nasty. The closest _good_ beaches are around Gulf Shores, AL but there is no way you are going to go that far and back with 22 teens today. You are already in a world class tourism city and there is way more than enough to do in many trips there alone. Tell them to be quiet and stop wishing for things that aren’t available. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-get-20-to-gulf-beach-new-orleans/760313/3 "2016-07-19T13:30:49Z")
I think your best bet would be to try and get to a beach on Lake Pontchartrain instead of the Gulf. From downtown N.O., Pontchartrain Beach is only about 7 miles away and is, according to [Google maps](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/New+Orleans,+LA/Pontchartrain+Beach,+New+Orleans,+LA+70148/@29.9899803,-90.0921783,17772m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x8620a454b2118265:0xdb065be85e22d3b4!2m2!1d-90.0715323!2d29.9510658!1m5!1m1!1s0x8620a93b3e25eda1:0xc3f2d08cb71c779c!2m2!1d-90.0620163!2d30.0332574), accessible by bus. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-get-20-to-gulf-beach-new-orleans/760313/4 "2016-07-19T15:21:15Z")
Just for yucks, find Shell Beach on a map, about 20 miles southeast of New Orleans. It is totally unrewarding, has no beach. It faces an island in Lake Borgne. But the trip there will give you a glimpse of the real backwoods rural Louisiana. A few charter fishing outfitters down there, and the houses are up on stilts. Nitty gritty tourism for people who can go a whole day without a pizza. I strongly suspect it was named Shell Beach because it was once an offloading facility for the Shell Oil Company, but I’m not sure of that. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-get-20-to-gulf-beach-new-orleans/760313/5 "2016-07-19T16:26:25Z")
Just have them download Boom Beach, and it will keep them occupied all day. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-get-20-to-gulf-beach-new-orleans/760313/6 "2016-07-19T16:42:45Z")
Gulf Shores or Pensacola, and there’s no cheap way to get there. Rent a bus or go to a waterpark. ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-get-20-to-gulf-beach-new-orleans/760313/7 "2016-07-19T16:47:16Z")
New Orleans resident. You’re SOL. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-get-20-to-gulf-beach-new-orleans/760313/8 "2016-07-19T16:55:22Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > I think your best bet would be to try and get to a beach on Lake Pontchartrain instead of the Gulf. From downtown N.O., Pontchartrain Beach is only about 7 miles away and is, according to [Google maps](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/New+Orleans,+LA/Pontchartrain+Beach,+New+Orleans,+LA+70148/@29.9899803,-90.0921783,17772m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x8620a454b2118265:0xdb065be85e22d3b4!2m2!1d-90.0715323!2d29.9510658!1m5!1m1!1s0x8620a93b3e25eda1:0xc3f2d08cb71c779c!2m2!1d-90.0620163!2d30.0332574), accessible by bus. According to [this page](http://www.saveourlake.org/swimming.php), Pontchartrain Beach is temporarily closed. I don’t know if that information is up-to-date.