Stephen Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, has chosen Siesta Beach, on Siesta Key near Sarasota, as the number 2 beach in the nation for 2009, moving up from its number 3 position in 2008. As the beaches expert, my prediction is that there is an excellent chance it will move into the number one spot for 2010.

Leatherman's annual announcement of his Top 10 list is a great way to highlight the nation's top beaches, and Siesta Key definitely has some of the best.

Siesta Key Public Beach is located about mid-island and is known for its wide, flat, white quartz sand beaches and clear, calm shallow water. The public beach has excellent lifeguard and beach patrol coverage, a top-notch snack bar, restrooms and beach volleyball.

Siesta Public Beach is the place to be on a nice beach weekend. Parking is free, but often fills up on the weekends and on holidays. It is also famous for its Sunday evening Drum Circle, which is well worth coming to enjoy. Siesta Beach is great for walking, jogging and bike riding because the sand packs so firm and the because the beach is flat near the water's edge.

Siesta Key also has two other great beach areas:

Crescent Beach and Point-of Rocks is south of Siesta Public Beach. Crescent Beach offers a wide selection of rental condominiums and is bounded on its southern end by Point-of-Rocks, which features a natural outcropping of flat limestone rock that makes for excellent shallow-water snorkeling when water conditions permit (which is quite often).

Turtle Beach is several miles south of Point-of-Rocks and has soft sand that has a higher content of shell and fossilized material than Siesta Public Beach, so the sand is not white and does not pack as firm. It is also a steeper beach, and the water gets deeper more quickly than at Siesta Public Beach. Turtle Beach has a picnic area, restrooms, free parking and a sheltered lagoon that is a popular place to launch small boats. Turtle Beach is a good surfing spot when the surf is big enough.