Did you know that Hampton Beach is one of the cleanest beaches in the United States? Yeah, neither did I before now, despite the amount of time I spend there in the summers.

Every summer, in between the school years of middle school and high school, and now once again the summer before my freshman year of college, my friends and I will often spend quite a few days lounging in the sun on the sands of our favorite beaches, munching on fried dough and beach pizza, and jumping around in the waves of the freezing waters of the Atlantic.

There are quite a few beaches near my home, but here are my favorite three:

Hampton Beach

Hampton, NH

Over-run by highschoolers, families, and tourists alike, this beach is the most popular and crowded one in the area.  However, I end up here more frequently than other beaches not only because it is the closest to my home, but also because of the high school scene.  Friends I tag along with are usually headed here, and I’m almost guaranteed to see someone I know whenever I come in the summer.

But in my opinion, the best part about Hampton is not the overcrowded sands, but rather the boardwalk and the long street of shops lining the beach.  Here you can find a million different restaurants and shops selling everything from Cool Story, Bro t-shirts,  to sundresses and exotic clothing, to jewelry and souvenirs, to tattoos and bags, and even a psychic reading.  At night, bands come here to play often, and there are fireworks, and it’s all around just an exciting place. Compared to other beaches, Hampton can be a little more expensive though, mainly due to the popularity, with parking costing up to $20.  But besides that it’s a pretty cool place.

Salisbury Beach

Salisbury, MA

Unlike Hampton, Salisbury is less crowded, dirtier, and less frequented by me.  There’s something about this beach that puts it above some others and on this list, though.  Maybe it’s the huge waves, maybe it’s lack of crowds, maybe it’s that one, main flashy street leading to the beach.  Whatever it is, I enjoy coming here the few times that I manage to.

York Beach

York, ME

York has a special place in my heart.  When I was very young, my family rented a condo up here in Maine a couple different summers, and I have a few, precious memories of watching movies here with my older sister before bedtime, hiding under the stairs, boogie boarding (or body-boarding) the waves,  riding through the haunted house at the amusement park, trips to the zoo, the smell of the ocean in the air, the walks through the beautiful town and beach, and of course going to Goldenrod’s.  This restaurant is not just any restaurant though.  Not only does it have deliciously sweet homemade ice cream, but it also has the best taffy in the Northeast.  No one can compare to the taffy here, which you can watch being made through the windows.  My personal favorite flavor is strawberry.  York, as well as the rest of the coast of Maine, also has that beautiful rocky coastline, as well as sights like the Nubble Lighthouse.  It all seemed so much more magical when I was a little girl, as most things do, but I still love coming here to this cute town now and I will always enjoy eating the delicious taffy.