BEST KAYAKING
Old Garden Beach in Rockport is a hidden scrap of sand that allows the perfect entry for a kayak, especially for beginners. There's a ramp and clear water, and if you go at low tide and hug the rocky shoreline, you might see a carpet of starfish below. Paddle out less than a mile to the Massachusetts Audubon Society-owned Straitsmouth Island, where great black-backed gulls roost, and then, back at the beach, cool off with a swim. Parking is for residents only, though, so look for spots on the street. More experienced paddlers should head for Reid State Park in Georgetown, Maine, on the shores of Sheepscot Bay. At Mile Beach, the sand gives way to a boulder-strewn coastline where the Atlantic pounds the rocks, spewing foam high into the air. You'll likely be joined by seals and the ubiquitous lobstermen, zipping from buoy to buoy to pull up their catch. Lot parking is available.