Finding the perfect stretch of sand is an annual quest for many families
A holiday on an ocean beach is one of the most persistent dreams of summer and the coast of the eastern United States from Maine to Massachusetts is lined with beaches. It’s true that the water on the New England coast is, uh, bracing. But the sun, the sand and the scent of the sea make the coast a paradise for children and can even awaken the child in their parents.
Montrealers can drive to the beaches of southern Maine in about five hours. And they’ve been doing that for decades.
- Old Orchard Beach: For many Quebecers, this is the only beach in Maine.
Many Quebecers went through their adolescent rites of passage on the sands of Old Orchard, listening to the screams and music from the amusement park and inhaling that aromatic mixture of salt air and frying onions.
And the place hasn’t really changed. Oh, millions have been spent sprucing it up and prettifying the waterfront. There are new lamps and flower bowls and a new aquarium on the old wooden pier. But Old Orchard is still full of noisy, faintly tacky magic.
- Wells Beach: This, too, is an amusement-oriented beach. A bit quieter than Old Orchard, perhaps, but there’s a boardwalk beside the silky sand and the surf’s so good there’s an annual competition here.
If you tire of wrestling with the chilly waves, there are lots of diversions – a casino, for example – and lots of places that sell delicacies like fried clams and steamed lobsters. The Wells Auto Museum has 70 vintage cars and you can get a ride in a Model T.
- Ogunquit Beach: What a gorgeous beach! The waves thunder in on fine-grained sand that’s raked and cleared every evening.
Even the most crowded area near Beach St. can seem wild and free in your mind. No wonder they call this gem Ogunquit, a name that means ”beautiful place by the sea.”
Ogunquit’s good for kids, too. It has a long tidewater river separated from the ocean by a line of sand dunes. The water there is placid and shallow and warms up quickly in the sun.
Ogunquit includes the community of Perkins Cove, a former fishing village that has been transformed into an artists’ colony with shingled shops and galleries. A colorful wooden drawbridge overlooks a cozy harbor lined with glittering yachts.
From here you can hike the Marginal Way, a kilometer-long footpath that hugs the shoreline cliffs and offers splendid views.
For information on Maine beaches, write to the Southern Maine Coast, Box Q, Samford, Me. 04073 or phone (800) 639-2442.
New Hampshire’s tiny coast is a mere 19-mile strip, but it has several beautiful beaches. Some of therm have strong and exciting surf. Others seem to be designed for children, with their wide strips of sand and gentle drop-offs.
n Hampton Beach: This is New Hampshire’s liveliest strip of sand, 2 miles of combed fine grains baking in the sunshine with a flashy boardwalk across Ocean Blvd. That boardwalk is a constant lure with its sticky carnival food, trinket shops and goofy things like tattoo vendors (never) and palm-readers (maybe).
Some of the world’s best saltwater taffy is made in a candy store in the shadow of the Casino.
The Casino isn’t a gambling casino. Instead it’s where 2,500 rock fans gather nightly to hear baby-boomer bands and bands known only to people under 25.
For freebie shows, try the bandshell on the beach, which offers two concerts a night, anything from country and western to swing.
- North Beach: This is right next to Hampton Beach; just north of the elbow of rocks called Great Boar’s Head. The sand disappears at high tide and a high seawall protects the road from the sea. But the beach is lovely at low tide, with a strip of hard-packed sand and demure waves.
- North Hampton Beach: This is a small, pretty stretch of sand that serves as an interval between pockets of seaside cottages. Perfect for families, North Hampton Beach offers gentle waves, restrooms, lifeguards and snack shops across the street.
- Wallis Sands: This tiny gem of a beach is next. Picture a place framed on one side by a jetty of rocks and on the other side by a towering but climbable cliff. You must arrive at low tide when the beach expands to 250 yards of golden sand. There are restrooms, lifeguards and a snack bar.
- Odiorne Point State Park: You have to go through the park to reach the beach, which is just north of Frost Point. But what a park, with so many goodies to explore – World War II bunkers built to protect Portsmouth Harbour, nature trails, two ponds, tidal pools, a garden and a wildlife exhibit at the visitors’ centre.
For information, write to the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, Box 239, Portsmouth, N.H. 03802-0239, or phone (603) 436-1118.
Cape Cod’s coastline is rich in history. The Pilgrims stopped here in the early 17th century on their way to Plymouth – or Plimoth, as they spelled it – and the old whaling and fishing towns are full of historic homes and 8th-century buildings.
Whalewatching, clam-digging, nature trails and cycling paths are all available in the area.
But the beaches are the big draw, and Cape Cod offers some of the finest sandy havens north of the Carolinas – from sleepy strands on the protected bay side of the cape to surf-hammered sands on the Atlantic side.
For more information: Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, Junction Route 6 & 132, Hyannis Mass. 01302; phone (508) 362- 3225.
There’s something for everyone, from the carnival charm of Old Orchard Beach to the surf-hammered expanses of the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Trivia
The distance between Kittery at the southern end of the Maine coast and Lubec at the northern end is only about 230 miles as the crow flies. But if you were to take a boat around every inch of coastline, you’d travel about 3,500 miles of bays, coves, islands, peninsulas and isthmuses.
