Water within reach, birds to watch, stripers to catch

Most people are content to while away the hours on a beach with a good book in hand and a picnic cooler at their feet. Others (like me) last about an hour before they need to do something more physical. Here are 10 of my favorite activities along the coast:

SEA KAYAK SHEEPSCOT BAY, GEORGETOWN, MAINE

North of Freeport, fingers of land dangle off coastal Route 1 to create miles of sheltered bays to paddle. One of my favorite spots is Georgetown, where I usually rent a room from Coveside Bed-and-Breakfast (www.covesidebandb.com) and have Seaspray Kayaking (www.seaspraykayaking.com) deliver an oceanworthy kayak to Coveside’s dock. Careful not to start or end near low tide (or I’ll be digging for clams in the muck), I paddle south past the lobster boats to the Five Islands Lobster Co. wharf. On the way, I spot ospreys atop their oversized nests, seals popping their heads out of the water like periscopes, and the distinctive orange beak of the American oystercatcher. Yet, it’s paddling north on Little Sheepscot River, sheltered from the surf by MacMahan Island, that I truly cherish. The boulder-strewn shoreline is draped in seaweed and topped with velvety moss, creating a soothing, shady retreat in the late afternoon hours.