Hampton Beach, New Hampshire

Address:Hampton, New Hampshire

Hampton Beach in New Hampshire is the kind of East Coast shore that summer vacation memories are made of. Located within a comfortable driving distance from Boston, Portsmouth, NH and Portland, ME, thousands of sun-and-sand lovers return every year to Hampton Beach, their old-faithful beach haven. And how do they spend their Hampton Beach days? Strolling the famous Hampton Beach pier (snacking on onion rings and sugary fried dough), tossing a Frisbee on the flat, hard sands of low tide, and then hanging around for one of the free nightly concerts held at the Seashell amphitheater all summer long. Children ride the gentle waves on boogie boards and then dash into one of the arcades on Hampton Beach for a game of ski ball, miniature golf, or slot car racing. Fortunetellers, caricature artists, saltwater taffy stands, headline acts at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, and weekly fireworks over the great Atlantic, the list of organized amusements is as long as the coast. Hampton Beach has exactly the right mix of kitsch, old-fashioned seashore fun to keep the entire family engaged and entertained.

Hampton Beach's chilly water (sixty degrees Fahrenheit on a warm day) doesn't keep anyone on the sands. Well-trained lifeguards keep watch while adults and young children swim, dipping in and out of the gentle waves, and a good-sized local surfing community rides the crests while the sunbathing crowd cranes their necks to judge their skills. If you prefer to stay warm and dry, stroll or skate the mile-long boardwalk, or hang out at the Hampton Beach Smith and Gilmore Pier watching the anglers sink their bait. Whale watching and deep sea fishing excursions often launch from the pier, but if you would rather head out on a sightseeing or lighthouse cruise, local charter companies can set you up for the tour of your choice. To see Hampton Beach from the vantage point of the gulls, try a biplane or helicopter ride along the New Hampshire coast. Rides often leave the grass airfield just outside the town of Hampton Beach. Extend your vacation until the weekend after Labor Day and you will catch the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, the pride of Hampton Beach, drawing nearly 150,000 seafood lovers to Hampton Beach's sunny coastline.

The sun, the sand, and the gentle surf make Hampton Beach an East Coast top-pick, but the sheer range of seashore diversions puts this New Hampshire beach over the top.