The excitement of warm weather is best experienced by escaping the District to sandier locales. Summer so often means beach and, as an East Coast city, DC residents have more than their fair share of options. Each beach has its own unique personality.

Bethany is pretty, quaint, and wholesome. Fenwick Island contains the border between Maryland and Delaware. The Fenwick Island State Park and the Fenwick Island Lighthouse help make this town picturesque. The serenity offered by a stay at Lewes Beach is matched only by its lovely selection of local, farm-to-table restaurant options.

Dewey Beach has that kind of laid-back, come-what-may attitude everyone desires from their beach trip. Ocean City, MD has pretty bay views that combine with prime restaurant selection and entertaining tourist attractions to make this a great destination. Nightlife is amazing here and Seacrets, a Jamaican-themed club literally on the beach, is an experience unto itself. If you’ve never been, you should visit OC solely for the plethora of themed mini-golf locations (the indoor marine is a personal favorite that will give you a break from that mid-Atlantic humidity). Rehoboth pairs a fantastic boardwalk with the best outlet shopping to be found in a seaside town. Don’t forget to pop into Rehoboth’s Ice Cream Store – they boast flavor names like Better Than Sex and Minty Python.

A fantastic vacation will be had at any of these beach towns and you’ll certainly have some good stories to tell your friends (plus beautiful ocean sunsets to post to your story on SnapChat).