Recently released travel industry statistics compiled by TIA and AAA indicate that the majority of this year's summer vacations will be to beach destinations, with many of them being close to home. With this in mind, we've traveled to destinations from Massachusetts to Hawaii, talked with readers and parent groups, reviewed scores of travel guides, and even reviewed the findings of "Dr. Beach" himself (Stephen Leatherman, Director of the University of Maryland's Laboratory for Coastal Research), to come up with a list of family favorites for the beach destinations in the U.S.
We were looking for places with great sandy beaches, beautiful vistas, kid-friendly accommodations and restaurants, and scores of opportunities for summertime fun. Our hard work and research paid off -- we've found some really great beach escapes for you and your family to enjoy this summer. Many have come highly recommended from families just like yours. In each spot, you'll find profiles of our favorite family-friendly resorts, making it easy to secure your place in the sun.
Take a look at our selections for 2004, and then share with us some of the other great places you've found. We want to know about your family's favorite stretch of sand or summer beach town.
