Looking for a one week vacation this summer and I'm looking for ideas that offer both beach and a cute small town with shops/restaurants and ideally we can walk to both. It's okay if we move once in the middle of the week to a nearby area, as most small towns are probably only worth 3-4 days for us.

I was focused on Cape Cod (4 nights at Chatham Bar Inn and 3 nights on Martha's Vineyard) but I'm having a hard time convincing myself of the cost, especially because the hotel reviews are not what they should be for the price (tell me if I'm missing something!).

We did two weeks along the coast of California last year and really liked Carmel and Laguna Beach so are looking for similar concepts where we could easily go to the beach and still walk to dinner. I'm avoiding Florida (on the off chance Zika makes it there, we are trying to get pregnant). Southern Maine seems a little too quiet?? Lake Placid/Mirror Lake seemed appealing, but that looks like a 5 day trip to me, not a full week.

We have a well-traveled 2 year old but don't need to cater the whole trip to him. Flying from Atlanta, budget is $500-$800/night (the high end is for a great property). We prefer a resort/property with amenities over a house rental. Thanks in advance for ideas!

Cannon Beach OR would fit. But I'd possibly look at other places on the cape? It has been a few years but we stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast for about 400 a night in Provincetown and that would be well below your budget. I love the OR coast, but I'd pick the Cape over it if I lived closer.

I don't know about resorts though, as that's not something I go for. What amenities are musts? That might help you get some better feed back.

Ever tried The Sanctuary Resort on Kiawah Island? It's been several years since we were there, but we really enjoyed our stay on the island. P lus daytrips to Charleston etc were fun.

Bacara in Santa Barbara is also terrific. I know you've done Ca, but it's an option.

Cape May, New Jersey, or Rehoboth Beach, DE would meet your criteria.

You might look at Alyce's Dunscroft by the Sea in Harwichport MA (Cape Cod)-Turn right to beach-Turn left to village.

Also the Commodore Inn (Motel) in West Harwich MA. Pool on property and beach 1 minute away.. You'll have to drive short distances to town and restaurants etc.

For a small town on the beach, Bandon Oregon has a lot going for it. https://www.bandon.com/
Bandon Dunes has 4 world class golf courses.

Chatham is wonderdul and dirs your image of a cute town. There are many places to stay besides The Chatham Bars Inn.

Of course, the West Coast has no shortage of sandy attractions. In Santa Cruz, CA , the Giant Dipper roller coaster at the Beach Boardwalk amusement park keeps visitors screaming for more cheap thrills. Check into the Casablanca Inn, where most rooms have ocean views, and order some fresh seafood at the restaurant, which also overlooks the mighty Pacific.

The northern coast of New Jersey has a number of such beach towns. The nicest is Spring Lake. The most unique is Ocean Grove. Take a look at them.

You could split time between Watch Hill, RI and Block Island, RI.

Before suggesting Pacific Northwest locations (of which there are a number) the big question is, do you want to go into the water at the beach? The North Pacific is a LOT colder than the Atlantic, so going to the beach in, say, Oregon, is not the same as going to the beach in San Diego.

If you want something a bit warmer where you can swim without a wet suit, try Ewa Beach on Oahu. http://www.to-hawaii.com/oahu/cities/ewabeach.php
The surfers that I've seen in Oregon were wearing suits.

Southern Maine is certainly not quiet. Towns like Ogunquit, York, and Kennebunkport are chock full of restaurants, shops, galleries and beautiful beaches. There are many towns on the Cape that would also fit your description - Chatham is perhaps the priciest, but also look at Wellfleet, Provincetown, Falmouth, etc.

For a resort in RI, check out the Ocean House Hotel in Watch Hill, it has a beach down the hill in front. You could walk to the little town with shops or drive to Stonington CT for more little shops and dining in the Burroughs or over to Mystic for more shops or a cruise of the area or visit to Mystic Seaport .

This has all been so helpful, many thanks! The Rhode Island suggestions are resonating best with me (although cannot afford the Ocean House in summer - $2600/night woo!!) so I'm researching that further.

Have looked at Bacara but Delta is not doing direct flights to Santa Barbara anymore and I hate to add a two hour drive on a flight from LAX.
Cannon Beach is on the list when we can combine it with Willamette but the potential pregnancy makes me delay that option! Sanctuary is also on the list but we can do that over a long weekend from Atlanta so I'll save for when we have less time. Regardless, lots of great ideas here; I just need more vacation time!!

Bookmarking--let us know where you go and how it turned out. This sounds like a nice trip idea.

For Rhode Island, recommend the Weekapaug Inn. Old school, but recently renovated. Not inexpensive, but private beach is just a 1 minute walk away. Plus, Newport is close enough for an afternoon's visit. The adjacent town of Westerly (near Weekapaug) isn't particularly scenic, but you could while away an afternoon browsing I suppose. The Misquamicut state park (AKA beach) is about 5 minutes by car from Weekapaug Inn, although with access to their private beach, I don't see why you'd leave the beach!

The Weekapaug Inn was renovated and is owned by the same people that did the Ocean House. Rumor has it they have also bought the old Shelter Harbor Inn and intend to renovate and reopen it as a less pricey alternative. As mentioned above, Stonington Borough (CT) is fifteen or twenty minutes away. It has many well-preserved 18th and 19th century buildings, and the usual collection of shops and restaurants. Nice Inn as well.

http://www.innatstonington.com