Savannah · With kids

Twenty miles east, shallow and warm through summer with lifeguards on the main stretch and a pier to fish from. Any age; parking fills by ten.

Small touch tanks plus guided beach walks and marsh treks that turn up crabs and whelks. Ages three to nine, and cheap for what it is.

A moated brick fort with a drawbridge, cannon firings on some days and holes blown through the walls in 1862. Ages five upwards.

The old repair works, with a turntable, short steam rides on some days and a handcar. Ages two to nine; the children's museum shares the site.

Every square has shade and benches, which makes the walking manageable. Sandflies bite from May to September, and most ghost tours suit eight upwards.