From boardwalk bike rides to retro arcades, there’s a beach for everyone.
Picture the sodding beach . Some item may vary from person to person : Maybe you ’re envisioning bike wheels thunking along a boardwalk , ortraipsing through dunesto find the ideal patch of grit . peradventure you ’re picturing ugly red-hot - dog vendors and teenage taffy pullers , or butter dripping off alobster rollonto your towel . Regardless , it ’s almost certain that your vision includes quick George Sand , blue weewee , anda vibration that can only be described as “ chill . ”
The US hasbeaches for every taste . And the towns that crop up around these blissed - out beaches — fromNew EnglandtoNew Jersey , fromCaliforniatoMichigan — are world - class name and address unto themselves . Our radical of travel author have pulled the best of the best , places where those backbone give path to dreamy towns , where the locals vibe with the visitant , and the food and drink become the stuff of sempiternal summer memories . Pack extra sunblock .
Asbury Park, New Jersey
In the not - so - distant past , Asbury Parkwas well make out asa dated Springsteen reference — a once - great tourist destination turned as stale as months - old saltwater taffy . The tide has shift . AP ’s iconic boardwalk vibraphone have now made way for a " Brooklyn on the beach " feel , an energy that extends into the city ’s legendary ( andrecently returned ! ) medicine conniption . Want to drink?Asbury Festhalle and Biergarten(currently in the process of re - opening ) is on point for al fresco imbibing , holding rank alongside the always - livelyJohnny Mac’sand the delightfully diveyBond Street Baratop the list of the 50 - asset saloon in town . Wanna sample out time of origin pinball ? TheSilverball Museum Arcadehas more than 600 machines . A bustling art conniption , a longstanding LGBTQ community of interests , and ( apparently ) a beautiful beach make Asbury Park worthfully greeting again , gaffer .
Must eat / drink : For a solid halfway primer coat between fancy and beachy - fooling , check out outMoonstruckfor a Mediterranean menu in a classic Jersey shoring straight-laced home plate . Asbury Park has one of the most abject - key yet top - pass pizzeria in the country atTalula ’s , andPop ’s Garageis a brassy - as - pit beachside favorite , slinging wetback and street corn .
Do n’t depart without : Perusing — and baffle in front of — the many mural ofSunset Pavilion . It ’s a perfect ( macro instruction ? ) window pane of AP ’s art community , and ideal beachside Instagram fodder . — Wil Fulton , former Thrillist editor
Ocean City, Maryland|Eliyahu Yosef Parypa/Shutterstock
Nags Head, North Carolina
Nags Head has become the de - facto name for a power trio of beach towns in the Outer Banks : Nags Head , Kill Devil Hills , and Kitty Hawk . A haven for East Coast surfer , Nags point right stretch for 11 mile of beach and sound , which includes the tallest sand sand dune on the East Coast atJockey ’s Ridge State Park(before it sets , scramble up to the top and catch the sun sinking beneath the horizon).Jennette ’s Pieris among the practiced position to citizenry - watch in this laid - back slice of the Atlantic , where saucy seafood from old - school day family restaurants is unequaled . air power geeksshould check out theWright Brothers National Memorialin Kill Devil Hills , then lope up the 90 - base hill where the Brothers Wright conducted their sailplane tests . And in Kitty Hawk , the canals crisscrossing the village make for first-class kayak adventures .
Must eat / fuddle : Have them build you a prodigious biscuit sandwich atBiscuits N ’ Porn(yes , you take that right field ) , or slurp down a dozen or so in the buff oysters atI Got Your Crabs(again , yes ) , where they pop loose the bivalves right in front of you .
Do n’t go forth without : Taking a break of serve from the beach and stretching your legs with a raise through the astonishingly hillyNags Head Woods Preserve , which boasts a full 1,400 land of pristine marine forest . — Jim Trotman , travel author and photographer
Find out how Asbury Park got its groove back.|Photo courtesy of Asbury Park Boardwalk
Saugatuck/Douglas, Michigan
Saugatuck is to western Michigan whatProvincetownis to Cape Cod . It is exhaustively a tourist ’s beach township — invaded in the summer — but like many ofMichigan ’s honest beach Ithiel Town , its lineament is impeccably maintained despite the inflow of visitors . nickname " The Great Art - Doors , " Saugatuck — along with its sister metropolis across the river , Douglas — has gained a reputation asMichigan ’s premiere gaycation office . It ’s also a address for the arts and antiques , thanks to ties to theOx Bow School of Art , theSaugatuck Center for the Arts , art galleries like theArmstrong De - Graaf International Fine Art Gallery , and theSaugatuck Antique Pavilion .
Must eat / drink : Start your morning off atUncommon Coffee Roasters , a rosehip coffee home that roasts their own sustainably sourced attic . shoot theSaugatuck Brewing Company ’s pub for made - from - scratch pub food wash down with a blueberry Citrus limon shandygaff . For dinner party — sorry , " supper"—don’t miss out on the southerly cordial reception from James Beard Award finalist chef Matthew Millar atThe Southerner . End with a nightcap at theNew Holland Spirits Tasting Room .
Do n’t leave without : The beach of choice here isOval Beach , one of the best freshwater beaches in the US . go up the 282 steps to the top ofMount Baldhead(a gargantuan moxie dune , actually ) for a gorgeous overlook of Oval Beach and the surround dune . — Nicole Rupersburg , change of location author
Get to know the Outer Banks beyond the Netflix show.|Photo courtesy of Jennette’s Pier
Cannon Beach, Oregon
At once buzzing and sleepy , Cannon Beach is home to one ofOregon ’s most recognisable icons : Haystack Rock , which rises from the Pacific like the centrepiece of a titan ’s careen garden . That Goonies - noted landmark might be the postcard star , but tiny Cannon — with its domestic dog - thronged beaches , handful of eatery , wealth of breweries , and overabundance of picture gallery — is bursting at the seams with treasures . This is a highly walkableslice of West Coast pleasures , where the waterfront is stud with cabin rentals and micro hotels that solicit for extended stays . Here , you ’ll find like a local after all of five minute .
Must eat / tope : Get a sampling of the coast ’s better breweries all in one place atCannon Beach Hardware — yes , it ’s a hardware store , but also a taproom with fantastic burger and seafood — then bop over toEcola Seafoodfor some fried fish straight off the rowboat .
Do n’t pass on without : fill in a prominent sundown , be it from the beach with a Dungeness crab cocktail from the aforesaid seafood hovel , or overlookingEcola State Park’sIndian Beach after a brisk salary increase through the thick woods . — Andy Kryza , travel writer
Saugatuck is Michigan’s premiere gaycation spot.|Photo courtesy of Saugatuck/Douglas
Ocean City, Maryland
This Mid - Atlantic shore townis forever trapped in the ' 80s , and that ’s why people love it . The vast majority of motel , hotels , and rental properties around town spud up in the ‘ 70s and ‘ 80s , and nothing — from the outdoor cover ring atSeacretsto the Gallic fries atThrasher’s — seems to have changed . There ’s even a cult film , Ping Pong Summer , that encapsulates the ' 80s - induced nostalgia of a tike ’s summer spent on the OC boardwalk . ( If you ’ve visited OC duringSenior Week , perhaps you could relate . )
Must eat / tope : Do as the local do and tot Maryland ’s Old Bay seasoning and some acetum to your bucket of Thrasher ’s Gallic Roger Eliot Fry . Ocean City is alsothe place of origin of the Orange Crush , a new - mash , orangish - vodka cocktail that ’s fuse with Sprite or 7UP . you’re able to find it at theHarborside Bar and Grill , where the drunkenness was invent , but Marylanders fence who serves the good one . Best legal profession hops to decide for yourself .
Do n’t leave without : visit the sprawling outdoor beach bar that isSeacrets , Jamaica , U.S.A.It ’s a 5,000 someone capacity complex — some call it an adult amusement parking lot — fill up with tiki - theme Browning automatic rifle , music acts , and a lagoon where waiter serve frozen drinkable to patrons on inflatable rafts . — Tim Ebner , travel writer
Haystack Rock is one of Oregon’s most recognizable landmarks.|DANCESTROKES/SHUTTERSTOCK
Anna Maria Island, Florida
The northmost of threecozy beach townson a seven - mil - long island , Anna Maria is packed with so muchold - Florida appeal — from its sunlight - melt architecture and methamphetamine hydrochloride cream shops to beachside seafood shacks — it ’s fundamentally a 1950s sentence warp . Outdoor explorer will be happy with its regalia of boat paddle boarding and kayaking tours , plus snorkeling trip to nearby smudge like Passage and Egmont Keys , where you’re able to see stingrays , manatees , sharks , and dolphins . But at the end of the day , this is a bonafide sleepy-eyed Ithiel Town ( the swiftness limit seldom exceed 35 mph ) , so be disposed to blissfully hold out on its pristine , tranquil white moxie beach from sunrise to salient sundown .
Must eat / drink : Grouper sandwiches from the very waters you ’ll be looking at fromRod & Reel Pier ; anything on the menu ( but it should belike be the mullet reuben ) fromSandbarsince you may literally dunk your toes in the sand as you bite into your order .
Do n’t result without : wheel to Bean Point to frolic in the pulverization white George Sand of this lesser - bed beach located at the northernmost tip of the island . If it was n’t for the sweeping vista ofTampa Bayand the iconic Sunshine Skyway bridge , you ’d think you were in Castaway . — Liz Newman , travel author
Ocean City has an ’80s vibe that never gets old.|Photo courtesy of Ocean City, MD - Tourism
Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii
This North Shore surf Ithiel Town is not not touristed , but it is your entry point in time tosome of Oahu ’s most stunning beach , like surfer paradiseSunset Beachor the sea turtle haven ofLaniakea . Parking sucks , so research Haleiwa ’s witching main retarding force on foot . The route is line with colored old buildings , an architectural nod to North Shore ’s saccharide manufacture past , and most of the boutiques , artistry galleries , and eatery are topically have . Hawaii ’s onetime surf and dive shop , the waterfrontSurf N Sea , has nifty Haleiwa - emblazoned apparel , whileAloha General Storeis overflowing with island - themed tchotchkes ( even if you do not want tshatshke , stop in for the noted shaved ice / ice cream roll ) .
Must eat / drink : food for thought trucks park themselves around Ithiel Town daily , including heap of theNorth Shore ’s famous peewee trucks . But do n’t sleep on some of the earth ’s respectable mobile poke , either .
Do n’t will without : Hitting theHaleiwa Farmers Marketon Thursday afternoons . you’re able to peruse locally grown garden truck and artisan - made craft and nosh on fish tacos , mac nut - filled baked goods , and a wildly goodhoney and fruit slushyyou’ll wish you could regain on the mainland . — Lizbeth Scordo , travel writer
Anna Maria Island is all Florida sand, no Florida man.|Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group/Getty
Rehoboth, Delaware
Rehoboth has a long - established LGBTQ community , and you ’ll spot plenty of buff dudes sashay along the beach in supernaturally humble speedos . But this upscale retreat on the Atlantic is fun for all , with its classic boardwalk , entertainment park , and free summertime concerts . While most of the early days and boozy beach parties keep toDewey Beachthree nautical mile down the road , Rehoboth boasts the better prevention and eatery scene . It ’s also a oasis for craft beer nerds : Dogfish Head beginner Sam Calagione can often be seen skateboarding around Ithiel Town , and his flagship brewpub and restaurant , Chesapeake & Maine , is one of the first house you ’ve made it to the beach .
Must run through / tope : Local favorites includeThe Cultured Pearlfor sushi with a rooftop view , orHenlopen City Oyster Housefor a raw bar bedcover . Meanwhile , Blue Moonrages into the dark , and it ’s where you ’ll find drag queen competitions and shirtless bartenders serving shots of Fireball .
Do n’t leave without : Taking a chill bike ride around Silver Lake , a sleepyheaded neighborhood with waterfront vista and ornate million - dollar sign beach home you may dream of one day owning . — TE
You’re sure to make some friends on the shores of Haleiwa.|Dmitrii Sakharov/shutterstock
Rincón, Puerto Rico
Rincón’sCaribbean cred is potent , but its “ advert ten ” vibes are imported bysurfersfrom all over the humankind . Waveriders , tourists , and longtime local anaesthetic alike are drawn to this tropical frontier settlement forsome of the cerebral hemisphere ’s best surf and sunsets . Drive along the fabled route 413 and 4413and you ’ll quickly see why Rincón is entrance up tobustling San Juanin popularity : Surfboard - carrying clotheshorse contribute a Boho sense unique to the island ; lines of food motortruck go along some of thebest culinary custom in Puerto Rico ; and there are plenty offerings for active traveler like human beings - class aqualung diving , horseback riding , and whale - catching .
Must eat / wassail : Rincón has plenty of bars for loose with a drink , but the beachfrontTamboo Tavern ’s mojitos are the consummate remedy to the ailment of the world .
Do n’t leave without : Scuba - diving aroundDesecheo , a little , uninhabited island promised land settle just 12 miles off the glide of Rincón and nursing home to a kaleidoscopic waterscape of wildlife . — Norbert Figueroa , Jehovah ofGloboTreks
What’s a trip to Rehoboth without a stop at Dolle’s?|MCT/Tribune News Service/Getty
Tybee Island, Georgia
You ’ll get Tybee just 30 minute fromhistoric downtown Savannahat the easternmost dot of Georgia , a barrier island of wide , arenaceous beaches and a laid - back vibe with just the good amount of weird . There are plenty of hotels , but the picturesque pastel - colored rental homes with ashen Bahama shutter and white spotter fences will captivate you . What truly rig this bantam , 21 - satisfying - land mile island apart is its long , funky history . dad in at a dive legal community ( Huc - A - Poo’s , Tybee Time , orthe Sand Bar ) , grab a beer , and gossip up a local , who will probably be eager to tell you all about the Ithiel Town or nearbyFort Pulaski , a Civil War - era national monument you could explore on bicycle or foundation .
Must eat up / salute : For a dependable , former - fashioned seafood disk on a dockage with a water supply view , guide to theCrab Shack . need something a little more sophisticated?The Deckis technically Tybee ’s only beachfront cake / restaurant and serves up juicy shrimp tacos and clean ceviche .
Do n’t leave without : Grabbing an ice pick or an old - fashioned malt atSeaside Sweetsand manoeuvre to the dock at sundown , keeping watch for sea polo-neck and their nest throughout the summertime . — Allison Ramirez , locomotion writer
Rincón is a surfer’s paradise.|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
Santa Barbara, California
The palm Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree - describe coast ofthis bougie SoCal oasishas a Mediterranean flair and a brilliant background of scenic mountains and crystal puritanic weewee . Do n’t skip the deservedly hypedUrban Wine Trail in the Funk Zone , a span of 10 colorful blocks where converted warehouse and art galleries control alongside 20 vino tasting room ( read : wine crawl ) . On top of all the delicious Mexican food ( tryLilly ’s Taqueria ) , Santa Barbara boasts some of the good produce on the West Coast , so hit up theSanta Barbara Public Market , a intellectual nourishment lover ’s paradise showcasing local food vendors where you could get a petty taste of everything under one cap . SoCal visitors can also ditch the auto and take theAmtrak Pacific Surflinerfor a scenic path that drops you off a stone ’s fuddle aside from the ocean .
Must eat / toast : New England clam chowder fromBrophy Brothers . It ’s creamy , it ’s console , and it ’s wedge - full of lolly . And while it does n’t descend in a bread pipe bowl , it does come with a wholesale view of the harbor .
Do n’t leave without : take hold of a cocktail and playing a few vintage board game at the Moroccan - themed library bar , Djinninside theHotel Californian . The Funk Zone - adjacent hideaway also hosts amonthly full moonshine celebration called HOWL , sport a DJ and tarot board reader . — Leila Najafi , traveling writer
Tybee Island is just a hop, a skip, and a jump from Savannah.|Jung-Pang Wu/Moment/Getty
Ogunquit, Maine
Summer in Maineis a heartbreakingly brief function , but oh so deserving it , if only for three months of pure blissfulness . And Ogunquit , locate right off Route 1 on the southerly tip of Vacationland , is the land ’s summertime sweet billet , swelling from a common universe of 1,200 residents to more than 80,000 between May to September . The three - mile sandy beach isconsistently ranked one of the country ’s best , thanks to warm tides from the Ogunquit River vacate right behind the sand sand dune . Pepper ina substantial LGBTQ+ community , a walkable main drag of superb eating house and artsy boutique , and its very ownMuseum of American Art , and you ’ll see why “ a beautiful blank space by the sea ” is still a fitting interlingual rendition for Ogunquit from the aboriginal Abenaki language .
Must feed / drink in : Grab French - ified Maine menu atThe Crooked Pine , locate in a 150 - yr - onetime Victorian sign ( do n’t miss the rooftop lounge ) , adopt by bash - you - over cocktail at al frescoBrix + Brineor a sing - a - recollective sesh at piano barThe Front Porch .
Do n’t leave behind without : saunter theMarginal Way , a cliffside way of life ( like a mini version ofSydney ’s Bondi - to - Brontewalk ) that leads to Perkins Cove , an impossibly photogenic harbor with snazzy seafood joints and galleries . Have a classic rummy punch , steamer bread , and the lobster roll of your aspiration atBarnacle Billy ’s . — Paul Jebara , travel author
Santa Barbara brings Mediterranean vibes to SoCal.|Bill Perry/Shutterstock
Folly Beach, South Carolina
Thetwo - dozen bar and eating house dot Folly ’s principal drag , Center Street , receive the shirtless , shoeless , and athirst masses on this down - key , six - mile foresightful sand bar . tomfoolery ’s wave are known for their steep drop-off , drawing surfersfrom around the stateto the island ’s " Washout " break . To lose the gang , both ends of Folly are nature preserves that harbor endangered seabird , bonehead turtles , and bottlenose dolphins aplenty . If you ’ve have the stamina to hoof it a half mile beyond where the route ends , the nineteenth - century , confect cane Morris Island Lighthouse emerges directly from the breakers at the island ’s Orient close . Its namesake island providesone of Charleston ’s most iconic prospect .
Must rust / tope : Bert ’s Marketis a 24/7 raw material on the island ( " we may doze , but we never tight " ) , and their Wooden Spoon Deli presses a mean panini . By late good afternoon , migrate toLowlife Barwhere , despite the name , you ’ll find friendly topical anaesthetic digging into marvellous drinks and full-blooded seaboard comforts .
Do n’t leave without : walk 1,000 foot out over the sea on the Folly Beach Pier . catch a cocktail from the open - air taproom for the promenade or rent a fishing rod and bait from the onsite tackle shop . — Stratton Lawrence , travelling writer
Talk a walk along the Marginal Way in Ogunquit.|Flickr/Livio Barcella
Paia, Maui, Hawaii
A historical village reverse surf Ithiel Town , Paia is — well , everything a tiny Hawaiian surf town should be : funky , bohemian , and blissfully loose of gigantic resort . Most visitors breeze through town on the path toHana , but sticking around for a night or two at thePaia Inn , simple step from the sandy shoring , has its reward . ( For one , you might see Willie Nelson ; according to local traditional knowledge , he periodically show up to play an impromptu show . ) Browse the artistic production galleries and endearingly hippie - dippie boutiques , stumble the “ secret”clothing - optional beach , or just take advantage of the many primesurfing localesalong miles of panoramic coastline . Be certain to shoot the breeze the crystal clear downcast waters and scenic shore ofBaldwin Beach Park , just outside town .
Must eat / toast : The plate lunches atPaia Fish Market(order the Yoko Ono ! ) , shaved ice and poke fromTobi ’s Shave Ice , locally grow green goods fromMana Foods , and smoothies with bee pollen and super wise açai stadium fromChoice Health Bar .
Do n’t leave without : Catching a glimpse of the Hawaiian greenish sea turtle that make their manner to the shores of Ho’okipa Beach like clockwork each day . Ho’okipa is sleep together as the windsurfing uppercase of the macrocosm , and while the intense surf is n’t the expert for swim , it ’s fun to watch the pro take on the waves . — Lauren Reichert , traveling author
Take a quick trip from Charleston to Folly Beach.|Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images News
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Aside from hosting the supremely play annualHangout Music Festival , Gulf Shores is very likely thescenic highlight of Alabama , a picturesque mash - up of pastel household and high - rise . The Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin is perfect powdery white and the water is clear and blue , a big reason why this is one ofthe serious destinations on the Gulf Coast . It ’s generally cheaper than its Florida counterparts and extend the contribute bonus of Gulf State Park ’s nil lines and nigh - empty beach . Plus it ’s only a short crusade to one ofFlorida ’s weird , wild bars , the legendary Flora - Bama , where you may attend a drunken church service and beam up a much - needed supplicant for all the Florida Men out there .
Must wipe out / drink : Anything fromAvenue Pub . It ’s the form of creative legal profession get along you ’d anticipate in a big city gastropub , but in an retiring waterfront smirch .
Do n’t leave without : Getting breakfast atHazel ’s Nook . It ’s everything a Southern breakfast joint should be , decked out like your grandmother ’s kitchen . — Matt Meltzer , travel writer
The water along Maui’s North Shore is otherworldly.|EQRoy/shutterstock
Wellfleet and Provincetown, Massachusetts
Quintessential vacation wonderland Cape Codis 77 miles of sandy shoreline , lobster roll , and Rockwellian towns . Of the latter , few are more lovely than Wellfleet on the Outer Cape , where life is quieter and the step slower . Marconi Beach , part of the Cape Cod National Seashore , has wide beach dotted with monumental sand dune . The water is a minute cooler here , and the waves harsher as they wander on from the Atlantic . Bayside at Duck Harbor Beach , the piddle is tender and it feel like you ’re at the end of the earth .
Just a short drive from Wellfleet on Route 6 is Provincetown , at the gratuity of the cape . P - town isknown for its LGBTQ community , but walk down crowded Commercial Street and you ’ll see a delicious mix of pull fag , families with kiddos , locals , and a young artsy crowd from all over . Visit one of the many artwork galleries downtown , duck into the shops , and then hit theLobster Pot(a favorite of Anthony Bourdain ) for some chowdah orPepe ’s Wharffor a lobster roll .
Must eat on / salute : deep-fried dollar atMac ’s Seafood . Take Commercial Street through town until you attain the pier drop Wellfleet Bay . Order boodle and fries at the shack ’s take - out window and sit at one of the communal picnic board in the Baroness Dudevant overlooking the harbour and Mayo Beach , a miserable - key , grassy , bayside spot stark for swimming and keep an eye on the sundown .
Pastel beach homes line the dunes in Gulf Shores, Alabama.|Steven Frame/Shutterstock
Do n’t leave without : Biking theCape Cod Rail Trail . The 27 - knot bike lead runs from South Wellfleet down to Yarmouth through table salt Reginald Marsh , cranberry bogs , evergreens , and pine woods . It ’s completely paved and mostly insipid . — Jennifer Mattson , change of location writer
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Tiny but mighty Rhode Islandhappens to have the good surfing inNew England , and the best place to do it is Narragansett . It ’s also home to one of thebest beach bars in Americaat the historicCoast Guard House , where views of Narragansett Bay span well with a phonograph recording of oysters and an ice - moth-eaten can of — well , take a idle guess . Gansett ’s universe more than doubles in the summertime as surfers , families , and college kids spate to some of the region ’s best beaches . The always - lively Narragansett Town Beach offers striking views of the “ column , ” the iconic remains of the departed Victorian - era Narragansett Pier Casino — but if you ’d rather skip the admission fees , opt for one of the state beach like Roger Wheeler .
Must eat / drink : Seafood , le duh . Hit upAunt Carrie’sclam shack orIggy ’s Doughboys and Chowder House , both classic with dining room and takeout window . They ’re not correct downtown ( a little closer to Point Judith ) but absolutely deserving the tripper .
Do n’t provide without : Strolling the seawall along Ocean Road , then grabbing a deglutition at the Coast Guard House . It ’s fun even if the atmospheric condition is n’t perfect . — MM
The Lobster Pot is a Provincetown institution.|James Kirkikis/Shutterstock
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Small and quaint x 1000,Carmel - by - the - Seaproudly displays its Spanish colonial source in the small details , from Spanish tilework to cottage seemingly pluck from a fairy tale . Soak upCalifornia ’s coastal peach — hoist tramp trails , cypress trees , and pristine white sand beaches — as you wander this sunnily walkable , transportive settlement where , for two years in the ' 80s , Clint Eastwood served as mayor . Do n’t leave out the sun - bath sea lions atPoint Lobos Natural Reserve , orpoet Robinson Jeffers ’ cottage he build himself , stone - by - stone . If you ’re feeling bougie , gain the green at Pebble Beach . Or channelise the country ’s boho vibes at theSunset Cultural Center , which typically hosts one C of performances a year .
Must use up / drink in : Cultura Comida y Bebidais your one - stop store for bomb Oaxacan fare — think 30 + mezcals and an raiment of taco that admit chapulines ( crispen grasshopper ) .
Do n’t leave without : Taking the17 - Mile Drive tour . There are no frightful horizon on this scenic drive — cogitate striking , majestic cliff , privy beach , and magical sequoia forests . — Liv Lawson , travel writer
The Towers are a Narragansett Beach icon.|Laura Stone/shutterstock
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is a address with two faces . One has long lived as a laid - back , center - form fellowship summer holiday hub with a crowded boardwalk , high - rise hotels , and eternal frozen - custard shop class . The other case , which has go forth over the past tense decennium , embraces the produce local arts community in theVibe Creative District , drawing in a vernal crowd that in spades was n’t travel to Virginia Beach before , and specially not in the off - season .
Must deplete / drink : check off out the sustainable intellectual nourishment scene at airyCommuneandEsoteric , where the dishes ( including sky - high burgers ) seem made for Instagram . While teens head off to wander the boardwalk , you ’ll find a congenial family vibe atWaterman ’s Surfside Grill .
Do n’t leave without : partake inLive ! On Atlantic , the annual summertime amusement card that is free and unresolved to the public . Magicians , chalk artists , stilt Alice Malsenior Walker , and other Acts of the Apostles take over Atlantic Avenue , endlessly think of visitors . — Keryn Means , Creator ofTwist Travel Magazine
Carmel-by-the-Sea gives you a slice of Europe in California.|S. Greg Panosian/iStock Unreleased/Getty
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
This offbeat hamleton the Gulfhas a tiny historic downtown that punches way above its exercising weight . apparently every block has a cool bar with live music on a sprawling out-of-door terrace , interspersed withfunky picture gallery and creative person ’ studios , autonomous shops , agiant artistic production museum , and seriously good , imaginative restaurant . The streets are lined with hot oak and colourful historic cottages , there ’s catfish and barbeque aplenty , and — oh yeah , the beach . The Gulf here is calm , and after you ’ve had your fill of culture and nightlife , you could take a paddleboard out to bask Mississippi ’s natural beauty . Or take a gravy boat out to the roadblock island and see beaches so distant and pristine they ’ll make any Floridian jealous .
Must eat / imbibe : The pioneering gourmet biscuits atThe Greenhouse on Porter . This born-again nursery is doing for biscuits whatVoodoodid for donuts , attend up stuff like jalapeño chili cooky alongside weekly live euphony and yoga .
Do n’t lead without : Getting out on the water . The townspeople is so fun you might blank out the beach is even there , but hitPaddles Upon Government Street and find some water - confine despatch . — MM
Virginia is for lovers…and beach bums, and artists.|Kyle J Little/Shutterstock
Demystify the so-called Redneck Riveria in Ocean Springs.|Photo courtesy of Coastal Mississippi
