Ivan Gillis

11 Under the Radar USA Beaches

Enough with your fancy remote beaches. The Maldives? St. Tropez? With the economy what it is, we'll be lucky to get to the next state on a $73 tank of gas. We want close. We want old-fashioned. We want a town where we can park the car, drag a beach chair and a book to the sand, and then shuffle down the boardwalk in our flip-flops for fried clams and an icy-cold can of beer: a place with fireworks, friendly locals, and sticky scoop shops. So we dug up 11 great American seaside escapes, from classic fun-in-the-sun California to New England colonial charm. Because when it comes to precious summer weekends in the sun, there's no place like home.

·         Ogunquit, Maine

Sand: Three and a half miles of white-sand beaches on a long hook of land.
Things To See: To avoid the traffic of crustacean-seeking crowds, you'll want to ditch the car. Snag a parking spot at Footbridge Bridge early in the morning ($15 for the day) and take the trolley back into town for blueberry pancakes at Bessie's. Then stroll with a cup of coffee through the galleries and too-cute shops. Cross back over at Ogunquit Beach to find the spot you've staked in the sand.
Place To Stay: Dunes on the Waterfront has screened porches and Adirondack chairs just 200 yards from the main beach.

·         Mexico Beach, Florida

Sand: Three miles of confectioners'-sugar sands, you'll see bald eagles, sea turtles, dolphins -- and only a few footprints.
Things To See: The 1,200 residents focus is on small-town fun, with gumbo cook-offs, kingfish tournaments, and fireworks fundraisers. You can kill two beach birds with one stone at the souvenirs-and-seafood shop Shell Shack. If you want to get off the beach, take a scuba dive through a sunken oil tanker just offshore.
Place To Stay: The Driftwood Inn's rooms have four-poster beds. The back deck has DIY barbecue grills.

·         Newport, Rhode Island

Sand: Exclusive clubs beaches to free, secluded spots on Aquidneck Island.
Things To See: Newport has a dramatic, ocean-crashing-on-rocks side facing the Atlantic; a cutesy, colonial side facing Narragansett Bay; and a third, Rhode Island Sound?oriented side that's swept with beaches. Easton's Beach (better known as First Beach) is the classic Americana spot, with a carousel, snack bar, and cabanas; Sachuset (Second) Beach is a 1.25-mile stretch below St. George's prep school that catches the crowd runoff. Third Beach is a quiet spot for kiteboarding, kayaking, and bird-watching.

·         Folly Beach, South Carolina

Sand: Six-mile barrier island with surfers, beachcombers, and shellfish aficionados.
Things To See: Communing with nature is more common than commuting to the office, honking is what the birds do, and a board meeting is a bunch of surfers hanging out at the Washout. Newcomers' first stop should be McKevlin's Surf Shop, here since 1965. They'll set you up with a rental and one-hour lesson for $40. Folly Beach County Park is quieter than busy Center Street beach, but still has boogie boards, umbrellas, and bikes for rent. At Folly Beach Crab Shack, grab a hammock chair, and munch on buckets of seafood.

·         Saugatuck, Michigan

Sand: Dunes that will remind you of Cape Cod, and beaches that mimic Malibu -- right in the heart of the Midwest.
Things To See: The historic, gallery-lined town has long drawn visitors. Beachgoers can cross the bridge or board a 1913 hand-cranked ferry. The ride costs a $1 and rewards passengers with the unspoiled stretch of Oval Beach, which frequently finds itself listed as one of the world's best -- despite being miles from any ocean. The nearby Saugatuck Dunes State Park has two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 200-foot-tall dunes, and 1,000 acres of hiking terrain.

·         Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Sand: More than 40 beaches on the island -- many protected by a national park.
Things To See: Long a hippie-ish hideout for old salts and new beach bums, the funky little town has none of the bling and bustle of sister islands St. Thomas and St. Croix. Here, the economy depends on the sale of tropical trinkets from rickety shacks and bikinis from a VW bus. The unofficial town hall is Skinny Legs, a beachfront bar where the burger selections are scrawled on an old windsurfing board and an old sail serves as the awning.

·         Port Aransas, Texas

Sand: An 18-mile stretch of beaches, marinas, and seafood shacks on the Gulf of Mexico.
Things To See: Port A has a Sandcastle Guy, who can whip up intricate turrets, archways, moats, and stairways faster than you can whip out your towel. (Mark Landrum also offers lessons.) Afterwards, surf the swells off the town jetty, kiteboard off the beginner-friendly sandbars, and cast the bays and flats for trophy tuna and tarpon. Fishing tournaments nearly every weekend in July and August add to the competitive spirit, but everybody's chummy over burgers and beers back at the oceanfront Beach Lodge.

·         Santa Cruz, California

Sand: 29 miles of beaches.
Things To See: Eat cotton candy and ride the roller coasters at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. At this college town on Monterey Bay, bookish students and buff Laird Hamilton types spend their downtime mountain biking, long-boarding, and refueling on organic, farm-fresh fare (or at least a great fish taco). Rookie surfers should head to Cowell Beach, while volleyball players can pick up a game -- or maybe a new friend -- at Main Beach.
Place To Stay: The Pleasure Point Inn has four tropics-themed rooms overlooking a surf break; ask about their learn-to-surf specials.

·         Jekyll Island, Georgia

Sand: A barrier island with ten miles of dune-swept beaches.
Things To See: You can go horseback riding on the beach, kayak and canoe through salt marshes, bike along 20 miles of trails along the sands, or visit a water park. This bounty of outdoors options is matched by the historic district, a 240-acre compound on Jekyll Creek. Named in 1734 for a financial backer of the Georgia colony, the island long belonged to co-owners J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, and William Rockefeller, and their moneyed manners still linger in elegant boutiques.

·         Cannon Beach, Oregon

Sand: Four miles of Pacific Northwest grandeur, with towering rocks, tidal pools, forests, and waterfalls, all connected by soft stretches of sand.
Things To See: Picket fences, surf shops, and glassworks boutiques have helped tame Cannon Beach, a town of 1,700 artsy and outdoorsy souls, into a perfectly stroll-worthy seaside escape. Born of volcanoes and still constantly smashed by the sea, the Oregon outpost overspills with fascinating formations, from the 235-foot basalt Haystack Rock and the forest-shrouded waves of Indian Beach to calmer spots at Arcadia Beach and the Tolovana Wayside.

·         Haleiwa, Hawaii

Sand: 40 surf breaks -- known as the Seven-Mile Miracle.
Things To See: Haleiwa inspires with tumbling turquoise waves that swell to 25 feet, pineapple plantations, and dozens of hip little eateries, shops, and studios. Surf N Sea, one of the island's oldest surf shops, has rentals and lessons, plus scuba diving. The Haleiwa Arts Festival takes place in mid-July and exhibits sculptures, watercolors, photos, and jewelry by local artists.
Place To Stay: Keiki Beach's bungalows have kitchens, grills, and cable, but the real amenities are the hammocks, tropical cocktails, and gorgeous sunsets.