Fun for Everyone
Crandon Park Beach
Key Biscayne, Florida
Right offshore, a vast sandbar makes for endless wading, and on the beach you'll also find a baseball diamond, volleyball courts, and a nature center with trails through the adjacent mangroves. T+L Tip Rent a private beach cabana on the park's south end (305/361-5421; $20 per day). Check-In The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne (455 Grand Bay Dr.; 305/365-4500; doubles from $269) has sandcastle competitions, sailing lessons, and seashell hunts.
Popham Beach State Park
Maine
Midcoast Maine isn't all rocky coves, as this 1½-mile stretch of fine sand in Phippsburg proves. T+L Tip At low tide, a land bridge links the beach to Fox Island, a favorite for tide-pool hunting. Check-In Ten of the 137 rooms at Sebasco Harbor Resort (Rte. 217, Sebasco Estates; 212/225-3819; sebasco.com; doubles from $209) are in a 1940 lighthouse.
Kiawah Island
South Carolina
South of Charleston, starfish and conch shells dot Kiawah Island's expansive 10-mile crescent. T+L Tip For privacy, head to the two easternmost miles of the beach. Check-In From its PGA-worthy golf courses to tie-dyeing sessions at the kids' camp, the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island (1 Sanctuary Beach Dr.; 877/683-1234; kiawahresort.com; doubles from $495) has everyone covered.
Whitefish Dunes State Park
Door County, Wisconsin
Afive-minute drive through a forest of birch and beech trees brings you to a wide strip of white sand and dunes fringed with high grass on turquoise Lake Michigan. T+L Tip At the Big Red Tent pavilion, naturalists answer questions about native flora and fauna. Check-In Relax on a hammock at Blacksmith Inn (8152 Hwy. 57, Baileys Harbor; 800/769-8619; blacksmithinn.com; doubles from $205).
