My husband & my kids (15 & 18) are visiting midcoast Maine area in August & would like to have a day at a nice beach on the way there--we're thinking Connecticut or Massachusetts--& we'd probably stay the night after a day at the beach ( at a cheaper hotel/motel) before continuing to Maine. Any suggestions?

Connecticut beaches are on Long Island Sound (no surf) and not that exciting. Rhode Island has good ocean beaches and is on your route. I'd suggest looking at Watch Hill (fairly expensive) Narraganset (probably the best range in prices) and perhaps Newport (expensive and slightly out of your way. There are also a number of inexpensive motels along Route 1 in RI which would give you access to some of the other state beaches.

I like the Massachusetts north shore beaches, although the water can be very cold. The sand is great, and there can be a bit of surf. Crane's Beach in Ipswich is my personal favorite. I've never been to Plum Island, which is near Newburyport, but I think that one is lovely too.

Is it a midweek day? Parking is much easier if you are not going on a weekend.

You might look into the Madison Beach Hotel. Madison, CT

Crane's Beach is a good suggestion. Actually, that entire general Cape Ann area north of Boston has a lot of nice beaches. Singing Beach in Manchester, MA, is another.
Sorry, Far-Diavolo, but Rhode Island is not on the best route to Maine. In fact, it's considerably out of the way, while the beaches on Boston's north shore only require a slight digression off the best route.

Well, I don't know where they are coming from, but if they are planning to drive via CT it isn't very far out of the way. I also thought that might want to swim, and that the warmer waters south of the Cape would suit them better than the North Shore, but that they might want to avoid the traffic on the Cape.

I'd suggest Crain's Beach as well, and just outside Boston off Rt 1 is Revere and the beach there is long and wide, and the added bonus of Kelly's Roast Beef, a local "legend". The lobster and clam rolls are SO GOOD and roast beef sandwiches are huge. The kids will LOVE this spot. Kelly's is on the beach and a take away, and always crowded, but worth the stop right there, lol.

Have a great time.

I agree with the recommendations for Crane Beach. Beautiful beach, good amenities (rest rooms, showers, food, etc.), lots of parking. But check the greenhead status, the season generally runs mid July to beginning of August (you should be ok unless you're traveling the first week of August). The flies can make the beach a less than stellar experience although we have braved it from time to time armed with insect repellent. This is true for all North Shore beaches.

See http://www.thetrustees.org/places-to...the-crane.html

If you go to Crane, don't miss a visit to Woodman's, a must after the beach.

See http://www.woodmans.com/

Nothing beats a summer day at Crane Beach followed by a trip to Woodman's for clams, lobster, onion rings . . .

And, the towns of Essex and Ipswich are lovely to visit.

R @ edgartown, ma
http://www.freewebs.com/katamadelight

Beaches north of Boston are miserably cold for anyone who was not raised there. Not as cold as Maine, but cold.

Crane's beach is gorgeous if you are not there when greenheads are taking bites out of your flesh.

Probably the best beach in Massachusetts in terms of water temperature, sand, and waves, is Horseneck Beach in Westport but I don't have a clue where you could stay.

I don't want to get into an argument, Fra_Diavolo, but Rhode Island is way, way, way out of the way from the best route, if you are driving up to Maine from either south or west of southern New England, which apparently is where the OP is from.

I'm not understanding HowardR's opinion about RI beaches since I see nowhere information regarding the travel path of the OP

oooops, that said, I love East Beach in RI for beautiful not overly crowded natural atmosphere, and although I wouldn't love it, the kids might really dig the honkytonk atmosphere of Hampton Beach, NH for a day of strolling the beach and boardwalk and people watching.

Howard --

The OP did not ask for a direct route. If she had, I would have given her different advice. In fact, she said she would like to stop along the coast of either Connecticut or MA to break their journey for a day and night. If one follows the coast of CT, one eventually arrives in RI, which has better beaches than CT, and warmer water than most of MA. Hence my outrageous suggestion that she consider one of the RI beaches.

I'm sorry if this upsets your notion of a proper route to Maine, but I would appreciate it if you would take it on faith that I am intimately familiar with CT, RI, MA and Maine and know the fastest way to get from point to point, should that be my aim.

FYI everyone, Here's the Natl Oceanographic Data Ctr (NODC) North Atlantic Coastal Water Temperature Table

I was curious about the differences in water temperature.

See http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/natl.html