Steve Millburg Quotations

More than any other, this boardwalk brings back that exhilarating teenage sense of summer-vacation freedom and possibility. Throbbing with energy day and night, fueled by Thrasher's fries soaked in vinegar (a true delicacy), the 'walk' features cool reversible benches that flip back and forth, depending on whether you want to gaze at the Atlantic Ocean or the passing parade along the boardwalk itself.

The aptly named Long Beach Peninsula, 28 miles of sand, stretches like a beckoning finger along the Pacific Ocean at Washington's southwest corner. You won't find games or taffy stands on the Long Beach Boardwalk, just interpretive displays about the dunes, water and wildlife. But this low-key planked pathway parallels the beach, where kite fliers congregate year-round; the Washington State International Kite Festival is Aug. 15-21.

A boardwalk in spirit if not in composition it's concrete this path runs 3 miles past beachfront hotels, restaurants, stores, museums, bike-rental shops and street performers. Three stages present free summer entertainment, and two small museums belly up to the boardwalk: the Atlantic Waterfowl Heritage Museum (decoys) and The Old Coast Guard Station with nifty 'tower cam' ocean views.

I love this boardwalk, even if it is one of the 'board-less' varieties. Actually, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk refers to both the seaside amusement park and the concrete path that runs through it. Here, find everything from a classic wooden roller coaster, a 1911 carousel, arcade and video games and an extra-wide beach with volleyball nets to free concerts, great surfing and windsurfing and a half-mile-long pier lined with seafood restaurants. Coastal nirvana.

The Kemah Boardwalk draws 4 million visitors a year to this once-sleepy town on Galveston Bay near Houston. In addition to showcasing overpriced, tourist-oriented restaurants, the boardwalk also includes amusement rides, shops, an unpredictably programmed water-jet fountain (a definite kid favorite), and a surprisingly nice boutique hotel called the Boardwalk Inn.