Best U.S. Beach Towns This Summer For The Ultimate Shore Vacation

Head to the best U.S. beach towns this summer for the ultimate shore vacation.

- Kelly Magyarics

Pack the sunscreen, flip-flops and cover-ups: The warmth of the rays you’ll find at these summery locales is matched only by their hospitality and a welcoming vibe that beckons you to their sun-drenched shores. Whether you crave a zillion diversions, outdoor pursuits or memorable dining — or need nothing more than a lounge chair and good book — you’ll find it in these U.S. coastal spots offering a shore thing.

Three miles of prime oceanfront opening up to the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Rudee Inlet gives Virginia Beach, Virginia, the distinction in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “longest pleasure beach in the world.” Most of the hotels, resorts and high-rise condos in this family-friendly, Mid-Atlantic beach town boast incredible views of the surf and sand and sit alongside a paved boardwalk perfect for taking a jaunt with a tandem or family bike.

Though set back from the beach, the historic Cavalier Hotel, dating back to 1927, features a storied history and counts Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland as former guests. It recently underwent a massive renovation and now sports a luxury beach club and Tarnished Truth — the only distillery housed in a U.S. hotel.

Sure, the city sports the expected T-shirt shops, ice cream parlors and amusement piers, but somehow here they come across as charming rather than ticky-tacky. You’ll find other surprises here, too, like a brown spirit and burger spot called Whiskey Kitchen and elevated sips at craft cocktail den Civil Libation. Every August the city hosts the East Coast Surfing Championships, the second-longest-running surfing contest in the world, now evolved into a week-long sports and entertainment festival.