"Clear your mind and picture the perfect beach. There's probably a bustling boardwalk -- with the requisite Ferris wheel and hot dog stand -- while the signs of an endless summer are everywhere: flip-flops and sun burns, half-finished sand castles and a kaleidoscope of umbrellas. The air is fresh and salty, and the overall vibe can only be described as "chill."
The US is downright lousy with beaches just like this one. From Hawaii to the Atlantic seaboard, with four distinct coasts (we see you, Great Lakes), there's no better country in the world for scratching out your patch of sunny sand. The towns that grow up around these blissed-out beaches -- from the Mid-Atlantic to New Jersey, the West Coast to Michigan -- are world-class destinations unto themselves. Narrowing down the "best" is no easy feat; we considered everything from the quality of the beaches and year-round attractions to the local character, food scene, and charm factor."
