Family Beach Vacations US

Family Beach Vacations U.S. Idea #6: Carmel-by-the-Sea is a beach resort area that is very family-friendly and pet-friendly. Carmel Beach is a nice vacation beach with white sand along sloping bluffs lined with cypress trees. The quaint village of Carmel is a well known artist colony with tree-lined streets and a Mediterranean air. The area is rather low-key but the shops, galleries and beautiful landscapes attract visitors from around the world. Nearby is the renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row and Big Sur. A popular drive with spectacular views is along Route 1 south of Carmel. It takes you along the coast with five-thousand foot mountains on one side and a steep drop-off to the Atlantic Ocean on the other side.

Family Beach Vacations U.S. Idea #6: Contributed by Alys Beach resident Mike Ragsdale.

Alys Beach, Florida is truly one of the most beautiful new towns in the world, located along what The New York Times said “may be the best beach in the continental U.S.”

The town’s extraordinary architectural vision drew inspirations from both Bermuda and the family courtyard homes of Antigua, Guatemala. In fact, Forbes recently named Alys Beach America’s “Top Spot for Design-Savvy Home Buyers.” When complete, the town will be home to over 600 villas, courtyard homes and family compound retreats, as well as numerous restaurants, parks, pools and shops.

Alys Beach is the first Fortified community in the U.S., as designated by the Institute for Business & Home Safety, and all homes here are also built to the Green Home Designation Standard of the Florida Green Building Coalition.

“Scenic 30A” is a 20-mile scenic stretch tucked quietly between Destin and Panama City, Florida, speckled with upscale beach villages and resorts, rare coastal dune lakes, funky beach bars, world-class restaurants, 25,000 acres of protected habitats, and the world's most spectacular white-sand beaches.