Cape Cod (from Boston)

Ninety minutes from Boston (without traffic — so, three hours with), this hook-shaped peninsula has been New England's summer escape since the Kennedys made it famous. The Cape Cod National Seashore protects 40 miles of pristine beach. Provincetown at the tip has the best people-watching on the East Coast. Wellfleet oysters are a religion. The Chatham Bars Inn has views that justify its prices. Just avoid the Sagamore Bridge on Friday afternoons unless you enjoy sitting in your car for two hours.