Amazing Shorelines and Peninsulas
By David Lukas
Posted May 1, 2008, at 1 p.m.
The meeting of water and land is particularly dramatic and visually stunning at these amazing shorelines and peninsulas. With a mix of charming small towns and friendly people, you're guaranteed to leave with lifelong memories. Here are a few places where you can take a drive along the water and see what you discover.
Pictured rocks on shore of Lake Superior.
© Jim Wark. Lonely Planet Images.
Ocean City, Md.: The Nation's Nearest Beach
The popular boardwalk along Maryland's Ocean City beach is the place to head for people-watching, or shopping in quaint stores and restaurants. However, visitors seeking a respite from the crowds will find themselves drawn to the 30-mile stretch of wild beach at Assateague National Seashore in hopes of spotting the wild ponies that have made this seashore famous. Maryland is also home to Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary and one of the finest places in the country to sample fresh blue crabs, oysters and striped bass. It's also probably the best place in the country to see an osprey. Try canoeing among the estuary's salt marshes and countless inlets for a taste of the region's abundant wildlife.
Upper Michigan: Sculpted Shorelines and Endless Forests
For a taste of the vast north country try the sparsely populated shorelines of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan in upper Michigan. Many visitors head for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a region of giant sand dunes, and the multicolored, fantastically sculpted sandstone cliffs that line long stretches of lakeshore. Other popular destinations include Mackinac Island, where cars have been outlawed since 1897, and the Soo Locks, where giant freighter ships pass to and from Lake Superior. Visitors with a deep sense of adventure can take one of the ferries to the island park of Isle Royale, famous for its wilderness trails and well-studied populations of moose and wolves.
View of Otter Cliffs at sunrise. Acadia National Park.
© Eddie Brady. Lonely Planet Images.
Maine: The Best Hidden Shoreline
With more coastal shoreline (3,478 miles) than California, the much smaller state of Maine is a boater's paradise. In fact, many of the state's islands and hidden coves can only be reached by boat or kayak, and a visit that combines boating and viewing the fall colors is one of the greatest natural adventures in America. All along this marvelously convoluted shoreline are a remarkable number of picture-perfect villages like Rockport. Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island is a popular destination for a range of activities including hiking, cycling, kayaking, cross-country skiing, or simply reveling in the region's rich history.
Drift logs and sea stacks, Ruby Beach. Olympic National Park.
© Nicholas Pavloff. Lonely Planet Images.
Olympic Peninsula: The Northwest's Outermost Coast
Dense temperate rain forests backed by the imposing spine of the 1-million acre Olympic National Park make the Olympic Peninsula one of America's foremost landscapes. Visitors can wander from the dazzlingly preserved historic Victorian seaport of Port Townsend to the newly renovated trail at Cape Flattery, the northwesternmost point in the continental United States. Along the outer coast, Olympic National Park protects 73 miles of the wildest coastline in the "Lower 48" states. A winter storm on the Washington coast is a sight to behold with tremendous winds and thunderous surf, providing just enough excitement to take your breath away and make you eager to retreat for a cup of hot tea in a local café. For a change of pace take a ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, B.C., or from Port Townsend to one of the many island communities in Puget Sound.
Bio: David Lukas is a professional naturalist who lives just outside Yosemite National Park. He leads nature tours and writes about the plants and animals of places ranging from Borneo and Tanzania to Nova Scotia.
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