Need beach location for summer family reunion.
 

So, the family has decided we should head to the beach this summer for a family reunion. East or West Coast. We will want to rent a house. In the past, we have done a similar trip to the Outer Banks but the group does not want to fly and then do a long drive. So, it has to be a location close to a major airport. As a family, we are fairly spread out globally so wherever we go, someone will need to fly. Hawaii and Mexico are out this trip.

Any thoughts?

Lots of options near Charleston.
Lots of options near Jacksonville.
Tons of options near any airport in Florida. Orlando is an hour from either coast.

How about Santa Barbara? It has an airport and you can also get there from LAX on a Pacific Surfliner train.
Among other attractions, they have a nice zoo and the mission on the hill is worth visiting.
My first thought was South Padre Island but it's too far from a large airport.

Cape Ann is only about 30 miles from Logan.
Port Aransas is about 40 miles from Corpus Christi Airport.
Laguna Beach is about 17 miles from SNA-John Wayne; 35 from Long Beach; 50 from LAX.

San Diego Area: Coronado, Pacific Beach, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carlsbad or Encinitas. Coronado and PB are both less than 10 minutes drive from the airport. Add another 10 minutes for each beach to the north. All have houses to rent in the summer. Later summer will be better than early June....Both the air and water can be a little chilly in June.

You could fly to Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard.
Fly to Norfolk and go to Virginia Beach.
Fly to Portland, ME and hit any of the beaches in southern ME.

Cape Cod is an easy trip from Boston either by car or ferry.

Cape Cod is a great idea!

On the West Coast I thought of Santa Barbara right away, because the airport is so close to town and there are nice beaches there. And about 30 minutes south of the SB airport is a little town called Carpinteria that has some great rentals on or near the beach.

Some west coast associated questions...

When? Google "June gloom" for California.

Urban okay or more rural? You could look at somewhere in the LA/Orange County/San Diego areas, but that would make it pretty urban. No problem on the airport front, however.

Is swimming in the water mandatory or optional? Much of the Pacific is very scenic but the water is pretty cold, even in the summer. Monterey Peninsula?

Close-by excursions important? Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Pismo Beach for wineries.

How about an island? Look at Vashon Island, fifteen minutes by ferry from Seattle, years off the clock.

San Diego has a long coast with tons of beautiful beaches. The water temps have been in the mid 70's most of the summer and thru the fall. Actually Sept/Oct were our hotest months so far with unusually warm ocean waters. Check lcuy's post.

Rent a house that accommodates how many people? That may cut your choices of rentals down about 95%.

Cape Cod is also easily reached from the airport in Providence, RI. You might also consider the beach towns along RI's southern shore, Narragansett, Quonochontaug, Weekapaug, Watch Hill, and several others.

Well, shoot, I'll suggest Litchfield by the Sea. There are gorgeous houses ON the beach for rent that can take prodigious numbers of people. Fly into Myrtle Beach.
We rented an ocean front house in Ocean Isle Beach, NC that was terrific also. I think it is 6 bed rooms/baths. Great dining area. Gazebo on the beach. It was about $3500/week. You could fly into MB.