Because who doesn’t love a top ten list…  This is our list of favorite places that we have visited on the East Coast.

1.  Annapolis, MD – It should be no surprise  to those that know us that this city tops our list.  It’s a great town for boating, has great happy hours and you can either be in the social tourist areas or go to some of the more low key places in Eastport.  Plus watching all the boats, big and small, around the harbor is very entertaining, and the Wednesday night races are great fun to see.

State capitol building.

2.  Newport, RI – This is another town rich with boating history and just history in general!  The rugged shoreline is exceptionally pretty and the old mansions from the Gilded Age are quite a sight to see.  Sitting in the harbor you are apt to see the old America’s Cup boats racing around as well as the biggest yachts we saw in the US.  We also happened to be there for the Newport Folk Festival which was an unexpected bonus!

One of the gilded age mansions.

3.  Boston, MA – While the moorings here leave a little to be desired (very rolly) you can’t beat the location for access to the city.  We spent our time here doing the Freedom Walk, eating awesome Italian food (holy cannoli!) and frequenting the Irish pubs.  The vibe of Boston is a great mix of old and new and if you’re on foot it’s a blast (those in cars didn’t look like they were having as much fun. 🙂

The bell that Paul Revere rang…One if by land, two if by sea!

4.  Beaufort, NC – Beaufort is a nice mix of southern charm and modern ideas.   We have enjoyed chatting with many a local at Stanley’s favorite bar, the Backstreet Pub.  Although we did find out that most of the “locals” are transplants from other areas.  It seems people come to Beaufort and then don’t bother leaving.   There are charming neighborhoods and a cute downtown area right on the water.

Horse on the island across from downtown Beaufort.

5. Portland, ME – Not to be confused with the Portland in Oregon, the Portland in Maine is a pretty, highly walkable town with great folks, the Mainers.  It’s a foodie town with good restaurants on every corner.

Lighthouse

6.  Nantuckett, MA – This is a great place to have fun for a few days.  I’m not sure I’d want to spend extended periods of time here but we enjoyed our visit.  The town is beautiful and the island’s history is interesting and there is always something going on in the many shops and restaurants.

Grey shingle house in Nantuckett.

7.  Mt Desert Island, ME –  This is a gorgeous place with lots of access to hiking and kayaking.  The LL Bean free shuttles are an awesome way to get around and make everything you want on the island accessible.  Bar Harbor is a great town with a lot going on and we met many nice people around town.

From the top of Penobscot Mtn.

8.  Port Jefferson, NY –  This is a quiet, quaint town with a nice protected harbor with water warm (and clean) enough to swim in!  We spent two weeks here visiting with family and enjoyed our time walking around and visiting the nearby beaches on the Long Island sound.

Ryana at sunset in Port Jeff.

9.  Gloucester, MA –  Gloucester is a working town with a lot of history and the fish stick factory!  The air smells like fried goodness (only sometimes!) and the town ranges from an industrial feel to an artists colony down the way.

Some delicious local lobster.

10.  St Augustine, FL – This was our first stop in the US after being out of the country for 6 months and boy were we excited.  As the nations oldest city there is a lot of history here and combined with that is a fun walking downtown tourist area.

Backyard in St Augustine.