Sexy Beaches

If you've been following along, you know my brother lives on the North Shore of Oahu. Which, if you're a beach and surf fan, is like having Bandon Dunes in your backyard. The three surf spots: Pipeline, Sunset Beach and Waimea, are all within a few miles of each other.

I go out there every year at Christmas to see my brother's family, hang out with his cool Hawaiian wife and their three perfect kids. At least that's what I lead them to believe.

MSN Travel has just blown my cover. They produced a list of "The World's Sexiest Beach Escapes."

*Sexiness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. But with surf, sand, sun and swimsuits, beaches are universally hot--and we're not just talking about the summer temperatures. We've scoured the globe to find the best beaches that offer sexiness in all its forms (including, yes, eye candy).

[#image: /photos/55ad71c4b01eefe207f685bb]|||North Shore.jpg|||__Oahu's North Shore, Hawaii:__Honolulu's Waikiki Beach gets the limelight, but it also draws the tourists--seemingly all of them. Ditch the crowds by doing as the locals do: Head to the north side of the island (and if you're into people-watching at beaches, you'll definitely want to see these locals). The North Shore is surf central, where the huge waves attract throngs of boarders … and bikinis. If you're still hot to hit Waikiki, no worries: Oahu's small enough that you can do them both in a day.*

Fortunately a pair of strained eye muscles doesn't affect a golf game. Just beyond all the surf spots is the Turtle Bay Resort. The Palmer Course is always on our list of America's 100 Greatest Public, the George Fazio Course is great for kids and couples golf and Lei Lei's, the restaurant around the corner from the clubhouse, makes a burger as delicious as the North Shore scenery.

Here's a link to the MSN article. Pictures two and three should brighten up your Monday. (Ladies, find your way to image number four.)

*--Matty G.