As school ends, the weather gets warmer, and the urge to get away from our home town grows. A getaway to the beach is just what everyone needs.

1. Bethany Beach, Delaware 

Bethany resides south of Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. The cozy beach town offers a wide variety of activities for families to enjoy. Some fan favorites include the boardwalk and Captain Jack’s Pirate Golf. Unlike other boardwalks, Bethany does not offer any amusement style rides or carnival games. Instead, there are many small shops and boutiques, restaurants, eateries, and food stands. Many enjoy shopping at Water Lili, Alice & Laila, Rlynne’s Boutique, All About the Beach, and many more. For a sweet or savory craving, visitors have to try Sunshine Crepes or Sandy Pony Donuts. Visitor-loved restaurants include Off the Hook, Bluecoast Seafood Grill, Bethany Boathouse, or DiFebo’s Restaurant. For $9.50 per person, $1 off kids 3 to 6 years old, and children under 3 playing free with a paying adult, Captain Jack’s Pirate Golf is the perfect afternoon activity after a long day at the beach. The course offers 18 holes of pirate themed miniature golf. Lodging in Bethany varies depending on the location and amount of people that will be staying. The hotels are roughly $150 at a 2 or 3 star hotel for 1 night accompanying 2 guests. However, another route is renting a house. For around $325 visitors can find themselves an apartment, condo, or maybe even a single family house for approximately 4 people give or take. 

2. Cape May, New Jersey

Roughly 7 miles southwest of Wildwood lies the thrill filled Cape May. Famous for its boardwalk, Cape May makes for an excellent stay.  The boardwalk is nearly 2 miles long, lined with restaurants of anything imaginable, small stores, and boutiques. Many enjoy dining at Blue Pig Tavern, Ebbitt Room, George’s Room, and more. RSK Doughnuts, Tacos Al Carbon, and Bake’n Bacon make for splendid small cravings. The Washington Street Mall contains many eateries and shops right in the heart of Cape May. Across The Way, Beach Bums, Beachlove Cape May, and Cotton Company all make for a great little shopping trip. What makes this New Jersey beach town so special though? The answer would be the Late Victorian style houses. For $20 per adult and $15 per child, Cape May MAC offers a tour of one of the Victorian style houses. The houses are located on many streets, some including Perry St., Jackson St., Decatur, and Ocean St. For about $200 per night visitors can find themselves in a 3 star hotel for two. On the other hand, a condo for two people and a walking distance from the beach is estimated to be $300. 

3. Ocean City, Maryland 

Located in Worcester County, Maryland, OC Maryland is unmissable. The beach town is most famous for its captivating boardwalk, delicious salt-water taffy, and being known as the White Marlin Capital of the World. On the boardwalk visitors may find themselves lingering near Cafe Mirage, Sunset Grille, or Longboard Café. Must try specialties for seafood lovers include steamed crab, crab cakes, crab imperial, rockfish, and more. Other boardwalk staples include Fisher’s Popcorn, Fractured Prune Donuts, and of course Dolle’s Candyland. The salt water taffy at Dolle’s is definitely worth a try, however if taffy isn’t too appealing they also have caramel popcorn, fudge, caramels, and a large selection of chocolates. Not only is this beach a fun little town, it hosts the annual White Marlin Open, which is a tournament that attracts anglers from all over the world. Visitors may find themselves watching the tournament for another source of entertainment in early August. As for lodging in Ocean City, a beachfront hotel comes to about $195 per night for a two person stay. For a condo rental on the beach, the cost rounds to $200 per night for two people.