Beach Getaways: Summer Fun in the Sun

Summer is here, and for many families that means it’s beach time. A beach vacation can mean different things to different people. For one staff member, it meant heading up to Wisconsin or Minnesota as a child each summer to spend a week in a cabin on a lakefront beach surrounded by other families from the Midwest. As an adult, it’s all about finding a remote, exotic island to chill out in a hammock to watch stunning sunsets and feast on freshly caught fish. Cape Cod beaches, with warm sand yet chilly water and cool evenings, could be your ideal beach getaway. Then there are all those traditional sandy destinations: from Florida to California, the Caribbean and Mexico to Hawaii, each with its own appeal.

Rather than try to come up with a list of the best or most popular beaches, we’ve decided to share our favorite beaches, especially those that are good for families. Here are our picks, as recommended by TravelMuse staffers and regular contributors.

Cape Cod 

Indian Neck Beach

There’s nothing quite like Cape Cod in the summertime. Ice cream, sandy beaches and all the fresh seafood you can eat make it the perfect American vacation spot.

Situated on the Lower Cape, Indian Neck Beach is ideal for families. Dogs are also welcome at Indian Neck. A bayside beach, its waters are warmer than you’ll find on the ocean side of Cape Cod. While there is no lifeguard, this also allows families to bring as many water toys and floaties—forbidden at National Seashore Oceanside beaches—as they can carry.

• A trip to the beach wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of splashing in the water.
• Karen A. Hatch

Come at low tide to walk the sand flats and discover hermit crabs, clams and guppies galore. Come at high tide and swim in the gentle waves for hours of waterlogged fun. Just remember to wear your water shoes—Wellfleet is famous for its clams, the shells of which can be dangerous to feet big and small.

Indian Neck does have port-a-potties for bathroom breaks, and parking is plentiful and located close to the shore. The beach is owned and maintained by the town of Wellfleet, and a parking sticker is required from the third weekend in June through Labor Day. Stickers can be purchased at the beach sticker booth at the Wellfleet Town Pier.

North Carolina

Bald Head Island

Bald Head Island, located on southern tip of North Carolina, isn’t technically an island as it’s connected to the mainland with the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. It does, however, boast 14 miles of white sandy beaches, with calm surf along the southern beaches. Visitors can go out on the beach at the Shoals Club, one of the local resorts, and rent chairs and umbrellas (saves you from carrying lots of stuff when you're also trying to hold babies or kids). The beach is so large that you never feel crowded, including over the July 4 holiday. You can also walk back to the club and enjoy the pool, restaurants and bathrooms. That's a huge benefit with kids. Many house rentals for the island include temporary membership to the Shoals, but always check first.

• Children exploring the beach on Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
• Kevin Fliess

Outer Banks

The beaches on these barrier islands are shallow, sandy and calm, for the most part, so they’re great for kids. A series of popular and famous beach towns dot the Outer Banks east of the continental coast: Cape Hatteras, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and more. The town of Duck can be popular, but our writer has yet to see a big crowd in nearby Corolla, where there’s enough surf for a 5-year-old to use a board and ride the waves in, while still being calm enough so a 3-year-old can sit in the water at the shoreline comfortably. The area has plenty of historic sites as well, dating as far back as Sir Walter Raleigh’s settlement attempts in 1585.

South Carolina

Pawleys Island, Litchfield Beach

Located south of Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island offers miles and miles of wide, clean beach. Beach houses and condo rentals in private resort communities are popular. One such place that is great for families is Litchfield by the Sea: several swimming pools, an onsite water park, Starbucks café, health club and spa.

Hilton Head Island (four public beaches)

Walk or bike to a nearby beach and swim next to dolphins, go crabbing on the sandy shores, ride a kayak into the waters to spot alligators and herons in the estuary, and more dolphins further out. Loggerhead sea turtles are a protected species on the island, with educational turtle walks along the beaches offered during the summer. Hilton Head Island’s 12 miles of sandy beaches have shallow, calm waters, so they’re especially good for families. There are several hotels and resorts on the island. A staff member stayed at the Sea Pines Resort, which is great for anyone who appreciates golf (three courses, including the renown Harbour Town Golf Links) and tennis (23 courts)—there are kids programs for each.