Anniversary Getaway in August Where Too?
 

My wife and I have an anniversary August 24'th and will be taking 10 days or so to get away. Its a hard time to find a spot to go to with all of the tourists and sweltering heat so I need some recommendations. We live in Michigan, she is a sea food lover and some of the best times we have had have been on coastal cities enjoying fresh shrimp, oysters etc, so want to head somewhere by the coast that offords some fresh seafood. Would prefer temps in the 80's we live with very high humidity in Michigan all the time but obviously dont have many 90 degree and up days but we can deal with some heat. We love scouring little stores antique shops etc, love little coastal bars. and like to be able to walk a good portion of the trip and be able to experience those things. Would like to be moderately priced / somewhere around $150/200 per day with lodging. Any suggestions?

I will suggest a loop that can be completed in 10 days with 2 - 2 night stops.
Fly to Portland Oregon (PDX). Rent a car and drive to Cannon Beach. Stay there two nights. See Haystack Rock up close at low tide.
Next night Newport. See the docks and the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Next Stop Coos Bay/Charleston. In Charleston you can see fish coming off the boat and be eating the fish in less than an hour.
Next stop - Bandon. Great dunes and a world class golf course if you like that kind of thing. The lodging is very high class at Bandon Dunes.
Next stop Crescent City California. See the Coast Redwoods.
From Crescent City drive on US 199-I-5-Rt. 61 to get to the south entrance of Crater Lake NP. See Crater Lake and spend a night in the lodge if you can get a reservation. Otherwise just head for Bend for the night.
From Bend, head north to Madras and then US 26 toward Mt. Hood. Spend a night at Timberline if you can. Otherwise head down Rt. 35 to Hood River.
Between Hood River and Portland see the waterfalls including Multnomah on the way bacfk to the PDX airport.
Depending on how late your flight comes in, you may want to spend a night in downtown Portland at the beginning or end of the trip.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod.

tomfuller, that sounds a little too hectic for us, looking more for kind of all inclusive city or town that we dont need to travel a whole lot. thanks for suggestions though

Just pare down Tom's suggestion to 2 locations. Leave out going into CA.

I would agree with Oregon but I think Cape Cod or north might be easier to reach/do. I assume swimming IN the ocean is not a big priority for you.

To go with Michelle's plan - Portland, Bandon and Crater Lake if you have the time. Stop for lunch in Cannon Beach on the way to Bandon. I'm told that Haystack Rock is the most photographed object in Oregon.

Seattle and the Washington/Oregon Coast . . . or the Northern California/Southern Oregon Coast/Redwoods . . . or San Francisco and the mid-Californoa Coast (Monterey/Big Sur)

swimming not a priority, more sight seeing eating drinking and walking beaches

For great weather and a lot to do in a limited area head for Maine. The problem is that reservations are often made far in advance and I'm not sure what there is in your price range then. You might have to look at renting a studio for a week.

Portland, ME. Rent a car and explore as much or as little as you like. Great weather, terrific seafood, scenery, local (as opposed to chain or mall) shopping, moderately priced lodging and food.

I loved Cape Cod, but it will be crowded and expensive at that time.

You are describing Cape Cod.
If you want to do more, you could combine with a drive up the Maine coast too. Gorgeous, cooler weather, lots of shops and seafood. It's where I'd go in August.

Portland was on our tentative list. The cape would be nice, but might be a bit expensive for us. I appreciate everyones thoughts. I also had on our list coastal regions of North Carolina but expect it would be very crowded

" I also had on our list coastal regions of North Carolina but expect it would be very crowded"

Not so much crowded but hot and humid - which you said you didn't want.

My recommendations...

1. Vancouver BC and the BC Sunshine Coast. All the best there is in urban North America, then a scenic ferry ride to the picturesque and VERY laid-back Sunshine Coast (little known to outsiders) with its nice little towns, hidden beaches and valleys, and plentiful local produce and seafood. In August you'll see they don't call it the Sunshine coast for nothing. Before the ferry to the Sunshine Coast, drive the Sea to Sky Highway up to Whistler - stunning scenery and many summer activities (cheap accommodation too, as it's built more for the skiing crowds than summer).

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2. Seattle, Whidbey Island and the Olympic Peninsula. Same story, but all in the US if passports are an issue. Whidbey has it all - gorgeous little waterfront villages, warm weather in August, beaches for strolling, easy day trips to places on the Olympic Peninsula like Victorian Port Townsend, Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. You could spend a couple of nights on the San Juan Islands, or spend a couple of nights in Port Angeles and visit Victoria BC as a day trip.

Accommodation in cruise-happy Seattle and Vancouver will be above your budget unless you (rightly) use AirBnB or the like, but away from the cities proper (e.g. on Whidbey or the Sunshine Coast) it should be doable.

If you decide on Portland, ME, I can recommend restaurants! And bars, and donut shops...

Nantucket is very special and fits your criteria except it may be a little over budget. It's worth the extra money!