2 Outer Banks beaches ranked in Dr. Beach's top 10

OUTER BANKS, N.C. -- Two Outer Banks beach spots were featured in Dr. Beach's annual list of the nation's best beaches.

Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach was awarded second place on Florida International University professor Stephen Leatherman's list. Buxton's Lighthouse Beach ranked sixth.

Crescent-shaped beach Kapalua (kaa-paa-LOO-ah) Bay Beach on Maui in Hawaii got the top slot Thursday in the annual list.

The other seven beaches on Leatherman's list are Grayton Beach State Park in the Florida panhandle; Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York; Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin-Clearwater, Florida; Hapuna Beach State Park, Big Island, Hawaii; Coronado Beach, San Diego; and Kiawah Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

Dr. Beach says the volcano that's spewing lava hasn't impacted either of the Hawaiian beaches on his list.