Southern Rhode Island is definitely one of New England's top beach vacation destinations. It boasts 100 miles of dazzling coastline, more than a dozen public beaches, expansive ocean views, and some of New England's best surfing. Yes — die-hard surfers ride Rhode Island's waves year-round. Some of the best swells accompany storms in the spring and fall, when water temperatures are, oh, a bit on the chilly side.

Your kids will love riding summer's gentler waves; you'll find bodyboards for rent at the region's beaches if you haven't brought your own. But if you're traveling to one of the eleven South County towns — Charlestown, Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, West Greenwich, or Westerly — there are a bevy of non-beach attractions and enticements. After all, it may rain. Or you might all feel a bit waterlogged after a day or two of splashing in the salt water.

Though this seaside playland lies just ninety minutes from Boston and three and one-half hours from New York, you're bound to feel a world away if this is the place you choose to stay. There is just enough excitement in South County to keep kids entertained. While the little ones catch a wave or grasp for a brass ring on an antique carousel, grownups can catch a few rays and grasp those precious moments of relaxation they crave.