I passed through Charleston, South Carolina on a road trip at twelve years old and could already tell it was something different. The architecture, the pace, the feeling of a city that knew exactly what it was. Here’s what it became — and what’s still worth finding.
Rye Beach New Hampshire sits between Hampton Beach and Portsmouth on America’s shortest ocean coastline — eighteen miles that include some of the best beach on the entire New England coast, a legendary lobster shack on Route 1A, and the specific quiet that only the right beach town delivers.
Solomons Island Maryland sits where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay — a waterman’s village built on a former WWII naval base, with the Calvert Marine Museum, steamed crabs on the water, and the kind of Chesapeake character most visitors never find.
Annapolis Maryland — crabcakes on the water, the Naval Academy, sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, and waterskiing from a friend’s cove house outside the city. The complete insider guide to the DC area’s favorite escape.
Santa Barbara California feels like Europe — mountains behind you, ocean in front, Spanish colonial architecture everywhere. Here’s what 25 years of returning taught me about where to stay, what to skip, and why Carpinteria is the secret.
Hilton Head Island South Carolina— 12 miles of white sand beach, dolphins in the harbor, world class golf, 60 miles of bike paths, and the Lowcountry beauty that 50 years of development couldn’t improve upon.
The Hamptons New York from someone who knew it before the production arrived — Westhampton Beach, Southampton, how to get there without the traffic, and why the beaches are still worth it.