Shore to Please

It's the sensuality of summer that draws us to the beach. The way your skin smells when it's warm. The sensation of your feet scuffing over sand. The flap and whine of kites. It's the shrill of children and the clamor of wheels on the boardwalk, the spider's web of salt on your shoulders and the crayon-box blur of bathing suits on blankets.

It's the endless, indefinite, alluring horizon, blue on blue, gray on green, gleam without name.

At night it's the tilt-a-whirl of neon signs, the swirl of grill smoke and the burnt-sugar tang of caramel; the sickly sweet spill of beer, the vinegar shiver of barbecue and the hot homey rush of pizza dough. It's how clams and oysters taste the way pier pylons smell. It's low-cut jeans and loud music, tattoos and T-shirts. It's what sees us through the pale eternity of winter. It's in your nature. Abandon yourself to it.

Restaurants Worth Their Salt: When it comes to eating, we are often creatures of habit. Oh, we like the hot new spot, the trendy ingredient, the expensive sauce; but we also go back to the beach with a craving for Thrasher's fries or Phillips's crab imperial

All-Natural Fun: The entire mid-Atlantic coastline is rich in wildfowl and wildlife, outdoor activities and simple, cicada-free quiet -- a very real treasure in itself.

Kidding Around: The fascination of the beach for small children may seem inexhaustible at the beginning, but it can quickly become exhausting, especially for parents. Here are some kid-centric attractions within quick reach.

Beyond the Sea: Eventually almost everyone is going to feel the need to take a shower, get rid of that coconut-macaroon tanning lotion smell and do something different.

Let's Get Physical: The resorts are fully hydro-powered, and rollered and bladed and handicapped. Yes, and baited, too.

Where the Buys Are: Shopping and sunbathing didn't seem like much of a match a generation or so ago, but the plastic fantastic culture has taken hold, and these days credit cards get as much of a beach workout as bodyboards.

For Party People of All Ages: Nightlife styles along the coast vary more than you might expect and give as much tone to the particular town as the buildings do.

A Q & A: Inquiring Minds Want to Know

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