New England Seaside Suggestions?
NEWPORT, RI. Nice beaches nearby, a fabulous, historic, incredibly charming downtown with great restaurants, a bar scene 20 somethings would like and good shopping ( if that's your thing) . You can tour the mansions if you wish. Also consider spending the night or visiting here too https://www.roseisland.org/. It's magical. If a stay at rose island lighthouse interests you, I'm happy to go into more detail and provide more advice.
You can visit during the jazz festival , or the Newport Music Festival , when they have incredible classical music performed in the mansions http://www.newportmusic.org/.
If you are looking for a really nice ( expensive ) place to stay, stay here http://www.castlehillinn.com/, or at least stop by for a drink or dinner at sunset.
And if you are looking for a reasonable place stay here http://www.innsofnewport.com/i...
I believe there are some nice beaches within a 5 to 15 minute drive from downtown Newport, but although I've been to Newport perhaps7 or 8 times ( three times to stay overnight at Rose Island Light House) I've never been swimming at the beach there. I have seen several beaches there and they look beautiful, but the water in New England is just too cold for me. Newport is one of my all time favorite places.
Ogunquit, Maine. Warm cove means very decent swimming most of the summer. Comedy shows, regional theater, restaurants, bars, etc. Worth a look, imo.
Your kids would love the youth culture of Portland, Maine. You can swim at Higgins Beach and enjoy beautiful Winslow Homer landscapes, his historic cottage, at Cape Elizabeth, and resorts there, o Scarborough, Maine.
Seconds for Ogunuquit, RI (maybe Watch Hill and definitely Block). I'm intrigued by the coastal area of New Hampshire and hope to get to New Castle this summer.
An alternative to New England with ocean potential is Annapolis and some cycling around the Eastern Shore, which I'm doing this weekend. Easton, St. Michaels and Cambridge are good destinations, and you can head out through Berlin to Ocean City, Md. and Assateague State Park.
Shelter Harbor Inn is a great casual spot to stay for the weekend (great restaurant, cute tiny bar, accommodations a bit rustic). ON the main old highway & not on the water, but they have a nice garden and a shuttle to a nearby RI private beach - plus a nice hot tub on the roof with great star watching. Super central location near Watch Hill, Stonington Ct... & Mystic is 20 minutes away. Newport is also about 40 minutes. We took the kids up for a long weekend and did it all - including Newport one day for tour of The Breakers, a sailing trip, kiting, dinner at Castle Hill. Another day was at the RI hotel beach; and another day in Mystic & dinner in Stonington. Toured Watch Hill our last morning before we drove out of town. We all had a blast. SHI is run by a retired family from Short Hills - very old school crunchy New England and not pretentious. Important note: Most RI beaches are private except for the state run beaches and parks - so make sure wherever you go you can have a tag to get on.
My wife and I used to go up once a year to Newport Castle Hill for the weekend (before kids) - it is flawless, romantic & pricey... we still never miss going there for a drink or a bite once a year - kids love the lawn and stunning views. For Newport - Second Beach is the best of the public beaches (it is in nearby Middletown and surprisingly warm large horseshoe cove). Newport's best chowder is at the Black Pearl and the area around there is fun for shopping, but touristy. Newport's old historic district is impressive and away from the crowds. Have fun! the area does not disappoint. (FYI, we rent a cottage in Chatham, MA every year and love it - but it sounds like you have been there and done that).
No beaches but I recommend Portsmouth, NH. You mention that your group is "3 early twenty-somethings" bunch of bars and good food there. Plus some good outdoor festivals usually at Prescott Park.
An then you can drive up to Ogunquit for the beach and swim on the cove side. less than an hour.
Family and I went up there last summer, great time. My older daughter had a great time crabbing with some of the local kids on the cove side.
I'm a huge proponent of Maine. Ogunquit is lovely, but though I enjoyed the experience, swimming there (even over Labor Day weekend, towards the end of summer) was the coldest water I've ever been in.
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Looking for suggestions for places we haven't been for a long summer weekend on the Ocean, for five days or so. Not Maine, the Cape, the Islands or Gloucester. Anybody know a great place in Rhode Island? Somewhere else I haven't mentioned? For me and my three early twenty-somethings. Thank you!