Hampton Beach State Park

The sand castle competition, volleyball tournaments, and a few other events (do not fall for the ultimate tourist trap- the flea market/imitation seafood festival that seems to sucker naive tourists every yr the weekend after Labor Day) make it more worth while than some other New England beach infested with trashiness, air-headed tweens blaring dopey pop music, and phony gangsta-wannabe dorks. But it stops there.

The boardwalk? Fried dough, greasy pizza....you get the idea- same overpriced, crap food you can find at any run-down venue across the old U.S of A. NH beaches are so underrated beyond this dump, of course- it is possible to pull off free parking and no traffic delays if you know the abundant local access roads- I'm not naming the beaches as I don't want to ruin a good thing! Walkable distances too in terms of restrooms and adequate eateries. Clean water, clean sand, rocky/not rocky (options abound) minus the riffraff. I'm simply stunned any family actually spends big bucks and utilizes precious vacation days to stay at in the vicinity of Hampton Beach when far better options for people of all ages exist in close proximity.

So here's what to expect from Hampton Beach. First of all, it's a decent trip from most places in Massachusetts- this summer, when you want a real beach, do yourself a favor and take a day trip up here. The boardwalk is full to the brim with really trashy people, which you can see as an annoyance or a source of a lot of amusement- I recommend the latter. Parking is really expensive, and the convenience store ATMs charge exorbitant fees, so bring cash with you when you come up. But the beach is worth it- this is the only beach I've ever been to in New England that actually has waves. If you love the ocean and the experience of going to a real beach with a boardwalk (like Atlantic City in its heyday- I grew up going to the Jersey Shore), definitely make a trip (or two or several) up here during the summer. Make a day of it- get ice cream, play mini-golf, and just enjoy a leisurely, fun day at the beach. If you look past all of the people, it's a gorgeous place.

WOW! I have been coming here since I was a teenager (it's where I got my "gym class" sunburns) and of course there has been changes over years. some good some bad.

But the clean up and remodel of the boardwalk and hatchshell area over the last couple of years is amazing.