Beaches that may suit you to a T

June 19, 2005|Globe Correspondent

The lure of the beach is irresistible when summer arrives, and New Englanders can consider themselves lucky that they don't have far to go to get to the ocean. (Consider the plight of landlocked European cities, which import sand and dump it along rivers; or Midwesterners who have to drive days to glimpse the sea.)

New England sun seekers are lucky in another way, too: They don't necessarily need a car -- or even a friend with a car -- to reach the beach. A variety of options, including train, ferry, bus, and rapid transit, can get you there.

Some transportation choices are strictly seasonal. For example, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, or RIPTA, adds a beach bus to South County June 25-Aug. 8. The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority's bus service, the Breeze, runs a summer shuttle service from North Truro to Provincetown with stops at Herring Cove and Race Point beaches in the National Seashore. The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce also publishes Smart Guide (www.smartguide.com) for carless travel ideas to and around the Cape.

Here are a variety of suggestions for beaching it while leaving the car at home. Be advised that some beaches charge admission or fees for showers and other amenities. Call or visit a website for fares and schedules that may vary depending on the day.

Old Orchard Beach Route 9 (Grand Avenue)

Old Orchard Beach, Maine

This venerable shore town wins the easy-rider award because the Amtrak Downeaster train platform is a two-minute walk from the beach. The Boston-to-Portland train, which began summer service here in 2003, stops at the beach May 1-Oct. 31. Passengers disembark at the First Street platform, and from there, it's just a two-block walk to the Atlantic and the impressive 7-mile beach.

The Downeaster has changed how the beach is used.

''We see more day-trippers and lots of grandparents with the grandkids in tow," said James E. Harmon, executive director of the Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce, in a telephone interview. ''I see some of the same faces getting off the train two or three times a week."

The beach has attracted sunbathers and swimmers since 1837 when E.C. Staples began accepting summer boarders at his farm up the hill. He later built a boardinghouse that was restored five years ago and operates as the Old Orchard Beach Inn, one of scores of accommodations in town.

Today, children plunge into the water (which tends to be chilly until August), spend their allowances at the video and game arcades, scream on the Palace Playland amusement rides, twirl on the carousel, and keep the food purveyors in business.