Portland, ME
Located on a peninsula that juts out into Casco Bay, Portland has the best of Maine’s forest-covered mountains and its gorgeous rugged coast. If it’s trolleys you love, take a short drive to Kennebunkport’s Seashore Trolley Museum opens in a new tab to see over 250 transit vehicles from all over North America. Visiting Maine for succulent lobster and stately lighthouses? Try going on a food tour opens in a new tab (by foot or by trolley; choose tours centered around sampling foods, the farmer’s market or even chocolate!) or take a lighthouse cruise opens in a new tab around Casco Bay’s harbor and inner islands for views of lighthouses, forts, lobster boats and seals. Portland is also part of a business corridor between New York and Atlantic Canada; you can see the history behind this economic hub by taking a walking tour along the Old Port opens in a new tab.
Local Whole Foods Market: Portland opens in a new tab
Santa Cruz, CA
A beautiful city by the beach opens in a new tab! Just off of California’s legendary Highway 1 (known for running along the stunning coastline), Santa Cruz has plenty of activities that showcase the scenery. Find opportunities for shopping, dining and fun on the Santa Cruz Wharf opens in a new tab or find amusement park thrills on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk opens in a new tab, which used to be known as “The Coney Island of the West.” Visit Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary opens in a new tab, a federally protected marine area known as “The Serengeti of the Sea” for its diverse marine ecosystems. You’ll stand a good chance of spotting seals, sea otters and more opens in a new tab!
Local Whole Foods Market: Santa Cruz opens in a new tab
Monterey, CA
Another gorgeous California city, Monterey also offers great opportunities for sealife-spotting! Inspiring conservation of the oceans, the Monterey Bay Aquarium opens in a new tab features open ocean exhibits, adventures and even performances. (And did you know that we partner with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch opens in a new tab for some of our seafood sustainability ratings opens in a new tab?) You can also learn to surf opens in a new tab on Carmel Beach, shop on the historic waterfront of Cannery Row opens in a new tab, kayak opens in a new tab amidst frolicking sea lions, or stop by Point Pinos Lighthouse opens in a new tab in nearby Pacific Grove to see the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast.
Local Whole Foods Market: Monterey opens in a new tab
Houston, TX
Parts of Texas are often referred to as the Third Coast, the heart of which is Houston (and nearby Galveston). For a taste of space and beyond, visit Space Center Houston opens in a new tab for behind-the-scenes tours of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Find island fun at Moody Gardens opens in a new tab, a destination where you can explore pyramids of knowledge (there’s a Rainforest Pyramid opens in a new tab, a Discovery Pyramid opens in a new tab and an Aquarium Pyramid opens in a new tab) or take a dinner cruise on a replica of an 1800’s style Paddlewheeler opens in a new tab in Offats Bayou. Feel like getting out of the heat and finding beauty in the indoors? Try visiting some museums in Houston’s Museum District opens in a new tab like The Menil Collection opens in a new tab, a privately assembled collection that includes tribal, Byzantine and 20th century art (including the Cy Twombly Gallery opens in a new tab and Rothko Chapel opens in a new tab).
Local Whole Foods Markets: Montrose opens in a new tab, Bellaire opens in a new tab, Kirby opens in a new tab, Woodway opens in a new tab, Wilcrest opens in a new tabWhat are your favorite cities by the coast? Let us know so we can get our summer breeze on!
