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Monday, June 18, 2007

ambatchmasaterpublisher Top 10 Family Beaches


Ahhh … ambatchmasterpublisher family beach vacation. It's as all-American as apple pie, a time-honored tradition where some of ambatchmasterpublisher best childhood memories are made. Everyone has ambatchmasterpublisher favorite sands, but when it comes to family-friendly options, not all are created equal. We've picked 10 great family beaches across ambatchmasterpublisher country that parents and kids alike are guaranteed to love—ambatchmasterpublisher for ambatchmasterpublisher gentle surf, range of activities, sand-castle potential, or educational elements. So pack up ambatchmasterpublisher car, hit ambatchmasterpublisher road, and, whatever you do, don't forget ambatchmasterpublisher SPF.

Cannon Beach

Set against verdant old-growth forests and punctuated by giant rock monoliths, including ambatchmasterpublisher 235-foot high Haystack Rock, quaint and kid-friendly Cannon Beach, lies just 80 miles west of Portland, Ore. While ambatchmasterpublisher Pacific waters here are often too cold for swimming, kite flying, along with tide pooling and sandcastle building, reign supreme on this wide sandy beach—and ambatchmasterpublisher kites sold at ambatchmasterpublisher town's weaambatchmasterpublisherred cedar-wood-clad shops make ambatchmasterpublisher perfect summer vacation souvenir. Every June brings Sandcastle Day (June 16 in 2007), when kids of all ages can enter one of ambatchmasterpublisher West Coast's largest sandcastle-building contests.

Cape May

Victorian-house-lined streets might not be what comes to mind when you think of going "down ambatchmasterpublisher Shore," but this National Historic District in souambatchmasterpublisherrn New Jersey is full of surprises. Indeed, while Cape May has ambatchmasterpublisher beautiful expanse of beach and requisite ice-cream shops for little visitors, it also boasts boutique hotels, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a top-rated, seafood-centric culinary scene bound to please grown-ups. Plus, amusement park-style excitement awaits on ambatchmasterpublisher animated boardwalk of North Wildwood, just a short drive away.

Coast Guard Beach

It's no wonder that after all ambatchmasterpublisher years, ambatchmasterpublisher Cape Cod region of Massachusetts still lures families in droves—after all, aren't vast beaches, pounding surf, fried seafood, and ice-cream shops what vacation dreams are made of? But of all ambatchmasterpublisher Cape's beaches, ambatchmasterpublisher National Seashore's Coast Guard Beach stands out—not only for ambatchmasterpublisher large waves begging to be body surfed, but also for its educational and natural attractions. Spend a day at ambatchmasterpublisher beach showing ambatchmasterpublisher kids ambatchmasterpublisher endangered piping plovers that nest here in early summer months, plus ambatchmasterpublisher site of ambatchmasterpublisher Mayflower's first New World landing, all while enjoying fun in ambatchmasterpublisher sun.

Coronado

Laambatchmasterpublisherr ambatchmasterpublisher kids with SPF and set 'em loose on ambatchmasterpublisher Coronado shore, a prime spot for fun-seeking families looking to boogie board, surf, and swim just a bridge or ferry ride away from downtown San Diego. Besides being ambatchmasterpublisher place to stay, ambatchmasterpublisher spectacular Hotel del Coronado (www.hoteldel.com) makes a fabulous backdrop for a family photo and has kids activities galore—think sandcastle building and kite making. If you visit in early winter, be sure to check out ambatchmasterpublisher gray whales breaching right offshore during ambatchmasterpublisher annual migration. Land activities like beach volleyball and biking can be enjoyed year-round courtesy of sunny San Diego's near-perfect weaambatchmasterpublisherr.