22 Lovely Small Beach Towns of USA; Hidden Gem Haunts of Hampton Roads, VA
Listicles for Travel Ideas
22 Lovely Small Beach Towns of USA
Considering just the perfect smaller beachtown to visit this year?
Here’s your go-to listicle.
Upper East Coast Love…
Cape Elizabeth, Maine - (pictured above) Go lighthouse hopping!
Cape May, New Jersey - the so-called oldest American resort with a diversity of architectural points of interest
Rockville Centre, New York - Long Island lovely to stop for ice cream and scenery
Fab Florida Coastline
Anna Maria Island, Florida - Where to go to see dolphins a plenty in FL!
Sanibel Island, Florida - GOREGEOUS! Best beach spot for shelling!
VA Towns that Make a Splash (I’ll get to know these especially this year)
Chincoteague, Virginia - Yes, ponies ride along the coastline! Cuuuute!! (pictured)
Yorktown, Virginia - Soon will be getting a port stop with Princess Cruise Line!
Southern Charm & the Sea
Tybee Island, Georgia - Homey, family-friendly just off romantic Savannah
Ocean Springs , Mississippi - lesser known Gulf of Mexico find with Mardi Gras events
Orange Beach, Alabama - Pretty white quartz sand and blue-green waters!
Nags Island (Outer Banks), North Carolina - Experience the real non-Netflix version of Outer Banks. Very rugged, natural elegance to the place.
Isle of Palms, South Carolina - Long shore and excellent for golf, tennis, fishing and wading
Port Aransas, Texas - Wide beach shore big on parasailing, birding, dolphins and deep-sea fishing
Mid America Standouts
Saugatuck, Michigan - A ski-and-sand beach, very local charm feel
Clinch Park Beach (Traverse City) Michigan - Enjoy Beach & Bears at Sleeping Bear Dunes mountain area
Park Point Beach (Duluth) - Feel Minnesota summertime fun for volleyball and BBQ
West Coast Best on Shore
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California - STUNNING! Golf luxe spot (pictured)
Avalon, Catalina Island, California - Off the beaten path, down-to-earth southern Cali. Do the submarine or official moto town tour
Sunset Beach, California - My ol’ fave to visit for plain sand and lesser crowds.
Bandon, Oregon - Let’s go Bandon! Birkenstock walk on the beach, golf and cycle mecca on the southern coast
Port Townsend, Washington - Splashes with waves and an interesting combination of Native American and Victorian influence
Hanapepe, Hawaii - Can’t-miss part of Kauai with lots of local art featured, fun to pronounce its name, which means “crushed bay”!
Hidden Gem Haunts of Hampton Roads
Here are 5 spots I’ve identified thus far:
Huntington Park & Beach- Newport News. Okay, this is not the beach for swimming. More enjoyable in the summer for gathering and river views
Noland Trail- Newport News. A medium level of walking/hiking difficulty. Close to Mariner’s Museum. Lover lake views.
Ghent (Norfolk)- Attractive, affluent and touristic part of Norfolk.
Pungo (Virginia Beach)- a farming community within Virginia Beach. Relish the rural beyond the waves.
Poquoson (town)- if you like some seaside away from the crowds. Promise not to talk about it too much- else you’ll ruin the town.
Describing Carmel-by-the-Sea is understating it, dramatically - its proof that God was busy the day he/she created the oceans!