New Jersey: A Shore Thing

News flash: There is more to the Jersey shore than Bruce Springsteen’s Asbury Park. Easygoing Stone Harbor, for starters, where families flock for wide beaches and a small-town vibe. Worth a visit: the Wetlands Institute, with exhibits on coastal ecosystems and their value to the environment. Then jump-start your senses on the six dizzying roller coasters and 13-plus waterslides in "doo-wop" Wildwood, a 1950s-era resort town known for its classic boardwalk, neon-lit Morey’s Piers amusement complex, and art deco architecture. Wind down in quaint Cape May, which boasts a historic district of 600 restored Victorian structures. And don’t miss sharing a sunset at Sunset Beach. "On a beautiful evening, there is nothing like it," says longtime visitor Rosemarie Bush. "It’s just magnificent."

•LOGISTICS: The Jersey Cape lies between Atlantic City and northern Delaware. Lodging: Columbia House, Cape May. Elegant Queen Anne mansion with spacious suites, from $150; www.thecolumbiahouse.com. Dining: Washington Inn. Historic Cape May plantation home, serving innovative surf and turf dishes; www.washingtoninn.com. Best link: www.thejerseycape.com.

Massachusetts: The Forgotten Coast: No-Frills Cape Ann

"If Cape Ann, a cluster of four small coastal towns on the northern shore of Massachusetts, begrudges the spotlight that shines on nearby Cape Cod, you’d never know it," says writer Ken Haedrich. Though the spotlight shined briefly on the old fishing town of Gloucester, the setting for the book A Perfect Storm, its core offerings—fishing trips, whale-watching excursions, and fresh-seafood restaurants like convivial Captain Carlo’s—haven’t changed. Tonier Rockport, to the north, dishes up arts and crafts galleries, antiques shops, and classic seascapes.

•LOGISTICS: Cape Ann is an hour’s drive northeast of Boston. Lodging: Yankee Clipper Inn. Classic New England accommodations in two oceanfront lodges in Rockport, from $129; www.yankeeclipperinn.com. Dining: Lobsta Land Restaurant, Gloucester. Chowders, seafood and meat dishes, salads; www.lobstalandrestaurant.com. Best link: www.capeannvacations.com.

Pennsylvania: Peaceful Land of the Plain People

Going local around Lancaster and Lebanon means going Amish: These contiguous counties in southern Pennsylvania tout one of the world’s largest Amish populations. Begin with a tour of the countryside in an Amish-style buggy, offered by a number of Amish drivers. Then visit area markets, such as New Holland’s hometown farmers market, for fresh local produce, pies, quilts, and crafts. Pop by the Amish Farm and House for a glimpse into the lifestyle of the "Plain People," including a one-room schoolhouse. Stop in Lancaster’s Quilt and Textile Museum to view a prime collection of Amish quilts. Attend a local "mud sale," an outdoor auction market at which furniture, livestock, even buggies are sold. Then tuck into simple Amish fare at Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant.

•LOGISTICS: Lancaster and Lebanon Counties lie 70 miles west of Philadelphia. Lodging: Smucker’s Farm Guest House. Amish-country farm run the traditional way; stay includes farm chores; from $79; www.padutchcountry.com/member_pages/Smucker_s_Farm_Guest_House.asp. Dining: Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant. Family-style communal meals (candied sweet potatoes, homemade sausage, pumpkin rolls) in an Amish farm house; www.stoltzfusmeats.com. Best link: www.padutchcountry.com.

Washington, D.C.: D.C.’s Treasure Houses

Ask Washingtonians where to see homegrown modern art, and they’ll say the Corcoran, the Phillips, and the Kreeger—naming just three of the notable small museums that grace the capital. Start at the Corcoran, one of the oldest private art museums in the U.S., founded in 1869 by William W. Corcoran "for the purpose," he said, "of encouraging American genius." American art abounds, along with works by Picasso and other international greats. The jewel-like Phillips Collection of contemporary art, housed in founder Duncan Phillips' mansion, showcases works by American masters like Georgia O'Keeffe—and headliner Impressionist art such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party." End up at the Philip Johnson-designed Kreeger Museum to view the personal collection of David and Carmen Kreeger, including works by Frank Stella and Alexander Calder. "Washington's collector-patrons wanted to remind the capital that life (certainly political life) is short, but art endures," says D.C. art collector Jean Cohen, editor of Where Washington magazine.

•LOGISTICS: The museums lie in D.C.'s Northwest quadrant. Lodging: Mansion on O Street. One-of-a-kind inn/museum with artifacts-filled rooms, from $350; www.omansion.com. Dining: 1789 Restaurant. American cuisine in a Federalist residence decorated with antiques, period artworks; www.1789restaurant.com. Best link: www.washington.org.