BEST FOR FLORA AND FAUNA
The water on the bay side of Cape Cod is warmer than the ocean side and has less surf, making it a favorite destination for the under-7 set. Paine's Creek Beach in Brewster is one of those gems that seems to have been built for the pail-and-shovel crowd, who lounge in the tidal pools or scramble to find fiddler and horseshoe crabs. Plan to be there at high tide, or you may have to walk a mile out to sea from the parking lot to find any water.

The 20-minute ferry ride from Lincolnview, Maine, to nearby Islesboro is always packed with bikers in the summer, eager to ride the island's roads. First head south, past the Dark Harbor "summer cottage" estates and to Pendleton Point. Then venture north to the island's so-called Narrows. At low tide, rest and watch the harbor seals lounging on the ledges there, recuperating from their own exertions.