Lonely Beach

When I was in Panama in the early 1970s I was stationed on the Atlantic end of the canal. The fort was situated on a small finger of land separating the Bay of Colon and the Atlantic Ocean. 
Palm trees grew almost to the water's edge. It was not uncommon to find fresh coconuts right on the beach. I also found seashells as big as my hand.
It was an easy duty station so I got off at three each afternoon. I never had to work weekends unless there was a drill which rarely happened. So I spent a lot of time walking on lonely beaches. 
My first six months in the Army were spent on basic training in Kentucky, and later advanced training in New Jersey just outside of New York City. There were always people around and the drone of traffic was ever present there.
My time in Panama was almost like a silent retreat because I spent a lot of time alone either snorkeling, which is a beautiful silent experience, or walking on the beach alone. 
These days when you go to any beach near here, there's always people around. The winter is better than summer, but neither compare to silent walks on a lonely beach.