So where will you go to cool off this summer? To the 1950s-vintage "Doo-Wop" motels of Wildwood or the quiet, wide beaches of Stone Harbor, N.J.? To the far away, windswept dunes of Hatteras Island or to circus-y Myrtle Beach, with its 1,980 golf holes?

Bethany Beach is one of several Atlantic shore destinations that are popular with Pittsburghers Related coverage Much of the 'Burgh squeezes into Jersey Shore Reader Forum: Tell us your favorite shore stories

Whatever the choice, when summer weather comes, an untold number of Pittsburghers point their cars east, where sand, surf and salt water taffy beckon.

Not to the beach, mind you, but to "The Shore" -- or rather, three shores along the Atlantic Ocean, plus a fourth destination two days away.

Pittsburghers are so passionate about their annual pilgrimages that they proudly display oval stickers on their cars from their favorite retreats -- SH, OBX, BB, CM, OCM -- leaving others around town to puzzle over what they mean.

First and foremost, there's the Jersey Shore. Western Pennsylvanians mostly congregate at its southernmost reaches, in towns of wildly differing character: Wildwood, Avalon and Stone Harbor, although historic Cape May is also popular.

The Delmarva Peninsula is known by some as Washington, D.C. and Baltimore's summer playground, but Pittsburghers have staked a claim there too, starting at Delaware's quaint little town of Lewes and winding down through quiet, family-oriented Bethany Beach, busier Rehoboth and across the state line to Maryland's raucous Ocean City before ending at Virginia Beach and Chincoteague.

The Outer Banks was once isolated, but more and more Pittsburghers are making the 10-hour drive to Corrolla, Sanderling and Duck -- which weren't much of anything 30 years ago -- or to the historic driftwood-gray shingled cottages of Nags Head. Then there are the tiny towns along Hatteras Island's vast National Sea Shore, where the Gulf Stream, lying just offshore, produces billowing thunderheads that Winslow Homer immortalized in his paintings.

And finally, there's Myrtle Beach, the blue-collar family's paradise which bills itself the Golf Capital of the World but also has plenty of amusement parks, theme bars, all-you-can-eat restaurants and dance clubs -- not to mention a prime spot on the Grand Strand, a 60-mile stretch of South Carolina coast. It takes two days to get there, but Pittsburghers loyalists make the trip annually.

Scientists have warned that climate change may in fact submerge these fragile barrier islands, perhaps before the end of this century. And meteorologists are warning that the Atlantic Coast is overdue for a major hurricane -- maybe this year. But we'll go back anyway, collecting memories like so many seashells.

One of the best reasons to return, of course, it to make sure that nothing's changed since last year. But we also crave what's new, so here's a list, town by town, of attractions both fresh and familiar.

THE JERSEY SHORE

WILDWOOD, N.J.

Wildwood -- or "The Wildwoods," if you include points north and west -- is perhaps best-known for its collection of 1950's era motels. There's even a "Doo Wop Preservation League" devoted to preserving them, although this year the hotels were listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's most endangered list. Despite a somewhat tacky reputation, the community has the widest beaches on New Jersey's 127-mile coastline --- nearly 600 yards at its very widest -- and one of the most attractive water parks anywhere, at Morey's Piers. This year, the piers will be smoke-free. And formerly depressed neighborhoods are becoming million dollar condo magnets.

Perhaps the glitziest event for kids, and new this year, on Saturday, June 17, Morey's Piers hosts the first annual "School's Out!" Radio Disney Music Festival featuring Raven Symone and other Radio Disney artists. Order tickets online at www.moreyspiers.com or call 1-866-MOREYS1 to purchase tickets.

For information on more local events, log on to www.wildwoodsnj.com/calendar.cfm or call 800-WW-BY-SEAfor events like the 83rd annual National Marbles Tournament (June 19-22), and, in North Wildwood, the New Jersey State Barbecue Championship (July 14-16). Phone: 609-729-4000 or www.gwcoc.com.

STONE HARBOR, N.J.

Along with its neighbor Avalon, it's a quiet family beach town, long popular with Pittsburghers. The two towns share Seven Mile Beach, which is wide and sandy and teeming with wildlife, and a certain understated albeit affluent ambience. In Stone Harbor, night life is very, very quiet. If you want a boardwalk, go to Avalon, which has a little one. There are no amusement piers. But quaint shops line the town's 96th Street, there is some fine dining (Yvette's Cafe, Backyard Restaurant) along with pizza shops, and there is live music at Fred's Tavern which has (news flash!) put up a new cafe area for dining this summer.

Just outside of town, there's a new performing arts center, but don't expect any Radio Disney characters to show up there -- instead, there are events like the annual arts and crafts show in August and Family Night in the Firehouse Parking Lot, beginning on June 26 and continuing weekly through the summer, featuring little-kid-friendly puppeteers and magicians -- without any merchandise tie-ins that we know of.

CAPE MAY, N.J.

Cape May aficionados never went there for the beaches, which were eroded and rocky, though the historic community boasts the only beaches where you can look at the sunrise (over the Atlantic Ocean) and sunset (over the Delaware Bay). Instead, the town's amazing collection of 600-plus beautifully preserved Victorian houses were the prime draw, along with the city's lively dining scene.

But this year, after a $9 million beach replenishment, Cape May was cited by Conde Nast Traveler magazine as one of the top 10 beach destinations, citing the unbeatable combination of its newly wide, sandy stretch of shoreline along with the picturesque Victoriana of its houses and hotels.

Other new attractions: The "Big Trip" Cruise up the Delaware Bay, showing a variety of lighthouses, most only visible from the water. Scheduled dates for seven-hour trip: Sunday, June 11, 2006 and Saturday, Sep. 9, 2006. Phone: 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278

The "Back to the Fifties" exhibit runs through Sept. 3. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts, it focuses on popular culture of the 1950s, including family lifestyle, cars, music and architectural design, using artifacts from Wildwood's Doo Wop Preservation League and private collections. At the Carriage House Gallery at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May. Phone: 609-884-5404.

There's also a new summer museum camp at the historic Emlen Physick estate. Kids can have fun and learn as they explore the museum and their environment, playing games, learning crafts and participating in group activities. For more information or to enroll your children, call Mary Stewart at 609-884-5404, ext. 1131.

AVALON, N.J.

There's not much new under the sun in Avalon or Stone Harbor, and longtime devotees of these quiet, family oriented shore towns like it that way. But it could be said that Avalon is Stone Harbor's ever-so-slightly more built-up cousin, with a half-mile boardwalk. "Cooler by a mile," is its slogan, since it juts a mile out farther into the Atlantic than any other Jersey shore resort.

Downtown Avalon has just undergone a major face lift, according to Joan Hunter, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. All kinds of new construction has been under way to make the town look prettier and fresher. The town's famous beach has been replenished with 400,000 cubic yards of sand, too. And in a classic example of changing times, there's an Internet Cafe where the hardware store used to be. Phone 609-967-3936 or log onto www.avalonbeach.com

DELMARVA

LEWES

Lewes still looks like a charming little fishing village, 375 years after its founding. Townsfolk will be celebrating that anniversary in typical low-key, historically minded fashion with art exhibits and a performance by the Delaware Symphony Orchestra Aug. 6.

The town is a repository of Victorian architecture, a smaller version of its neighbor across the Delaware Bay, Cape May (there's a ferry that commutes from Lewes to Cape May that's worth a ride just by itself). Families with small children flock to the gentle surf of the bay, while ocean lovers can visit Cape Henlopen, a federally protected beach that's full of wildlife and, if anything, is growing larger rather than eroding. Admission is $8. Phone: 302-645-8983

There are little antique shops, bookstores and cafes, and some more substantial restaurants, too, notably Fish On in the Villages at Five Points Town Center (Phone: 302-645-9790) Jerry's Seafood (Phone: 302-645-6611) and the Lighthouse Restaurant. Phone: 302-645-6271. There is a bar, Gilligan's, but it veers more toward wine and sun-dried-tomato Bruschetta than beer and cheese fries.

REHOBOTH

This beach area has always been known as Washington, D.C. and Baltimore's summer outpost, but a few Pittsburghers, lured by its salty, breezy charm and abundance of interesting stores and restaurants, return year after year. There are dark clouds on the ocean horizon, however: The beaches and the streets are increasingly crowded, and, as everywhere else on the East Coast, small shingle cottages are being replaced by pricey condos.

However, if sophistication is your thing, Rehoboth may be for you. There's plenty of nightlife, and a hip gay scene. There are plenty of hotels here, from the Atlantic Sands and the Boardwalk Plaza to newer entries like The Bellmoor Inn (Phone: 800-425-2355), with attractive rooms, suites, a day spa, two outdoor pools and a garden courtyard.

This year, vacationers will find that two blocks of Rehoboth Avenue leading to the boardwalk have been spruced up with new landscaping and pavement, and a new bandstand for evening concerts.

New or newly renovated places to eat include the Aqua Grill (Phone: 302-226-9001); Claws Crab House, (Phone: 302-226-1729); Confucius (Phone: 302-227-3848), for upscale Chinese cuisine and Summer House (Phone: 302-227-3895), for "upscale casual" food.

DEWEY BEACH

Long considered party central for the frat-house crowd, Dewey Beach is undergoing some changes as developers convert commercial property into high-end rental properties and hotels. So it's maybe a little quieter than it has been in the past, but there's still plenty of nightlife and craziness, from the "Taco Toss" in Ruddertowne to the calypso party at the Rusty Rudder.

What's new? Eclectic music clubs like the Bottle and Cork will be luring big names like Dwight Yoakum, Marty Stuart and Vanilla Ice (in June) and others through the summer.

But drinking has always been the main sport here, at places like Midnight There and other bars too numerous to mention. Nurse your hangover at the Sunrise Restaurant or at Gary's Dewey Beach Cafe Grill.

There are some "healthy" activities here too: there's skimboarding (the oldest competition in the country) and kiteboarding, and Dewey Beach is one of the few beaches in Delaware that allows pets, so bring Fido and a frisbee along.

BETHANY BEACH -- FENWICK ISLAND

They market themselves as "The Quiet Resorts," and, compared to their neighbors, they most definitely are. Families return to these beach towns again and again, lured by the lack of wet T-shirt contests and rowdy bars.

But Fenwick Island, in particular, is feeling the development pressure of nearby Ocean City, just over the state line in Maryland, and so the little beach shacks and trailer parks are being replaced by McMansions and expensive rental properties.

What Bethany lacks in nightlife, it has in a thriving little art scene -- the Bethany Watercolor Society, for starters -- and eating well here is a big preoccupation, too. For home cooks, there's a new "Super G" Giant supermarket that promises to stock everything

There are also some notable new restaurants this year. The bluecoast seafood grill in North Bethany 302-539-7111; this reincarnation of the redfin restaurant was voted Delaware's "Best Restaurant Rebirth." Chalkboard Tavern & Grille is a new seafood restaurant at MarketPlace at Sea Colony. Phone: 302-539-7482. And at Fenwick, there's a new bar, Scotty's Bayside Tavern.

Want to go out for ice cream? Try The Hula Hut on Fenwick Island, which claims to have the "world's best ice cream" from Woodside Farm Creamery. Phone: 703-819-3285,

For more information, stop by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce's newly expanded and renovated Visitors Center on Route 1 at the north end of Fenwick Island.

OCEAN CITY, Md.

With its high-rises, amusement parks, tee-shirt shops and pricey restaurants, Ocean City has something for everyone, from Joe-Six-Pack to frat-brats to families with young kids to sophisticates looking for fine dining.

It's a year-round destination, in fact. Residents patrol the boardwalk even in winter. But in summer, the place explodes -- with 200,000 people expected on some weekends.

There's a new ride on Ocean City's pier and a new park Downtown on the bay side, Sunset Park at the foot of South Division Street, with an entertainment stage that will accommodate small to mid-sized entertainment while the audience enjoys the sunsets.

A new 12-story Hilton hotel featuring all suites -- an attraction for families not wanting to pay for separate rooms -- also has opened. The Hilton Suites Oceanfront will also feature indoor and outdoor pools and a restaurant. Phone: 1-800-215-2167

Steak lovers willing to pay the price should check out either Sakura Steak House in West Ocean City or the new Ruth's Chris Steak House in the Glenn Riddle Club House.

VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA BEACH

	Gary C. Knapp, Associated Press A Kemps Ridley sea turtle makes its way past crowds at Cape Charles, near Virginia Beach. Click photo for larger image.

Boosters say there's lots of new stuff happening in this venerable old resort town, which attracts year-round retirees and family vacationers alike. There's a hotel building boom here -- the new Hilton Virginia Beach Ocean Front has opened already -- and the massive new $202.5 million Virginia Beach Convention Center, which will be expanded to half a million square feet, comes in January.

A new commercial development project, The Town Center of Virginia Beach, is creating a new "downtown," with a plans for a Westin hotel and restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang's. The entire 33rd Street area has been redesigned, with a new park and a stage for music. There are also new higher end retail boutiques. And the beaches are still wide and sandy, despite Hurricane Isobel's visit two years ago, thanks to a replenishment project in the late 1990s.

For families, there are new surf one-day or weeklong camps available for children, including Ocean Rentals, which is sponsoring an all-girls surf camp. Phone: 800-695-4212.

CHINCOTEAGUE

Scott Neville, Associated Press The wild ponies of Chincoteague, Va., are always a tourist favorite. Click photo for larger image.

"There's nothing new here," said the lady from the Chamber of Commerce, and she meant it as a positive. Chincoteague and Assateague Island, home of the famous wild ponies made famous in Marguerite Henry's 1947 book, "Misty of Chincoteague," has changed barely at all over the years -- in part because developers have been hampered by a lack of a sewer system on the island and because the beaches are federally protected, reached only by a drive through the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

For now, though, pace of life remains slow. There's still a weekly bingo game at the American Legion on Main Street, the Island Roxy Theatre still shows movies, and the town's back alleys and side streets are perfect for bicycle riding. There are some good restaurants amid the tacky T-shirt shops and ice cream parlors in town. AJ's on the Creek (Phone: 757-336-5888) is one, with a screened-in porch and offers local fried oysters and flounder.

Stop by the Herbert H. Bateman visitors center for maps, tour schedules and wildlife information or climb the 142-foot Assateague Lighthouse. If your child is less than 100 pounds, he or she can ride one of Misty's descendants at the Chincoteague Pony Centre (Phone: 757-336-2776).

OUTER BANKS, N.C.

This slender 125-mile wing of sand just off North Carolina is known for its mostly sand-in-your-toes, laid-back atmosphere, having so far avoided the commercialism and high-rises of Ocean City, Md., Virginia Beach and Myrtle Beach (in a recent ad campaign, Ocean City called the Outer Banks "boring").

At the northernmost end, Duck and Corolla are upscale, family-oriented communities, while in the middle, Nags Head, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills are livelier and more crowded, more attractive to teens and college students. To the south, Hatteras Island is mostly national seashore, but dotted with a few small beach towns and some famous fishing and windsurfing spots.

This season, for good or bad, "upscale" is the buzz word. The new five-story Hilton Garden Inn has remade Kitty Hawk's low-slung skyline, although zoning rules still prohibit buildings taller than 60 feet. Phone: 252-261-1290. There's more for the Chardonnay and sun-dried tomatoes set: upscale supermarket chain Harris Teeter is opening two stores, in Nags Head and Corolla.

Hatteras island boasts a new restaurant, Ocean Bistro, in Avon, which sounds decidedly lively if not exactly "upscale" -- there's a Karoake night, anyway. Phone: 252-995-4991. In Manteo, on Roanoke Island, however, Striper's Bar and Grill promises "the most innovative food on the Outer Banks," Foodies, take note. Phone: 252-473-3222.

Did we say upscale? Let's back off that a bit. The Outer Banks is supposed to be for low-key relaxation. To that end, Chip's Wine and Beer market, opening in Kill Devil Hills, promises "snob-free" wine expertise plus "build-your-own 6-packs." Phone: 252-449-8229 Plus, Barefoot Bernies Bar and Grill is opening in Kitty Hawk. 'Nuff said. Phone: 252-261-1008

In other developments, beginning June 1, The Outer Banks History Center and N.C. State University's Life and Language Project are cosponsoring a new exhibit on the role African Americans played in the development of coastal North Carolina. Phone: (252) 473-2655.

Up north again, past Corrolla, The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education at Currituck Heritage Park will officially open its doors to the public on June 12th with an exhibition that includes historic boats, decoys, an innovative marsh diorama, and a history of waterfowling and conservation in northeastern North Carolina. Phone: 252-453-0221.

A new exhibition will be on display this season at the Whalehead Preservation Trust, which is dedicated to the expansion of knowledge of the Whalehead Club and its original owners -- aristocrats who visited there in the 1920s and '30s to hunt, swim, horse back ride and enjoy other leisurely pursuits. Phone: 252-453-9040 or log onto www.whaleheadclub.org.

MYRTLE BEACH

	Charles Slate, The Sun News via AP Visitors play in the surf at Myrtle Beach. Click photo for larger image.

First things first: if you're a fan of the 58-year old Myrtle Beach Pavilion, this summer will be your last chance to enjoy the much beloved amusement park. The money-losing landmark is being torn down to make way for -- what else? -- more condominiums.

Oh dear.

That said, much of what people love about Myrtle Beach is still there, including the many, many golf courses. This year, to no one's surprise, Golf Digest rated it the nation's number one golf community.

This resort town -- no, make that resort city -- is known for its bars, tattoo parlors and seafood shacks and has been sometimes condescendingly referred to as "the Redneck Riviera." But Myrtle Beach has become more upscale in places, with new four-star hotels and restaurants -- including the Marriott Resort on 22 acres. Handicapped access has also improved somewhat -- with 45 of 149 beach points now accessible by wheelchairs, although the city remains under the threat of a lawsuit by activists for the disabled.

There are plenty of family-oriented activities too. There's a low-tech Family Fest on June 4th in North Myrtle Beach featuring face painting, sandcastle building and watermelon eating contests. A slightly more dazzling but still family-targeted entertainment can be found at Le GRANDE CIRQUE, featuring a huge cast of over 50 world class acrobats, jugglers, and performers from China, Russia, Monte Carlo, and Europe. Phone: 843-448-0588.

For spectacular, mostly country flavored entertainment, Myrtle Beach has it all over other beach towns. There's Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show with special effects and "amazing" stunts (Phone: 800-433-4401), to the Carolina Opry (Phone:800-843-6779). There's also the Alabama Theater which will feature the Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers, George Jones and many other top artists this year. Phone: 800-342-2262.