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INSIGHT GUIDE EDITORS NAME TOP 10 U.S. BEACHES 2006

By Anne Garber

Summertime is the season for fun, sun, waves, and, of course, SPF 30. But how to choose the beach that is best for you? The editors of Insight Guides, the most extensive series of full-color travel guides in the world, named their favourite beaches for 2006 -- and here they are. Once one of these beaches piques some interest, you can plan a whole trip by consulting the corresponding Insight Guide, which will provide you with the full story on history, sightseeing, transportation and lodging -- plus maps.

1. Miami Beach, FL:
   Insight Compact Guides Miami -- Whether it's parties on South Beach or gazing at the beautiful Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, one thing is consistent in Southern Florida -- warm waves and tan bodies.
2. Malibu, CA :
   Insight Guides Southern California -- Surf's up at this exemplary So Cal beach. Find your inner California girl or surfer dude amid white sand beaches and laid-back lifestyles. Notorious as a celebrity hide-a-way, camp out in the sun for some celebrity spottings.
3. Pensacola Beach, Pensacola Beach, FL :
   Insight Guides Florida -- More than 600 miles from the crowds and condos of fast-paced Miami, this Gulf Coast beach combines Old South charm, Spanish heritage, and Navy Bravado. Visit the underdeveloped beaches of historic Pensacola, where sand dunes still spiral high above blue seas.
4. Maui, HI:
   Insight Compact Guides Maui, Hawaii -- There are endless options for every traveler beneath the equator! Whether it's windsurfing among professionals in Ho'okipa Beach, snorkelling in among Maui's reefs at Molokini, or just lying around the black sand beach of Hamoa Beach, Maui satisfies the traveller yearning for fun in the sun.
5. Cape Cod, MA:
   Insight Compact Guides Cape Cod -- Take a classic All-American summer vacation in Cape Cod just like America's first family, the Kennedys. Thrust 70 miles out to sea, Cape Cod offers beach goers generations of American history -- from reliving the historical journey of the Pilgrims to cruising down Ocean Drive to Veterans Beach, a past vacation spot of JFK.
6. Main Beach East Hampton, NY:
   Insight Guides New York State -- Once described by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the Great Gatsby as "that slender, riotous island," Long Island has established itself as a sanctuary for New York's rich and famous. The small fishing villages of the past still lend their New England charm, next to the summer houses of Jerry Seinfeld and Martha Stewart.
7. Baker Beach, San Francisco, CA :
   Insight Pocket Guides San Francisco -- Spend a day sunbathing among the locals, and glance through your shades at an unimpeded view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Or, walk from San Fran to San Mateo County along San Francisco's largest beach, Ocean Beach.
8. Oak Street Beach, Chicago, IL :
   Berlitz Pocket Guide Chicago -- A few blocks north of Chicago's Navy Pier lays Chitown's summer oasis of Oak Street Beach. When it's too hot for baseball games at Wrigley Field or experiencing the architecture of Oak Park, Lake Michigan's popular lakeshore beckons you to its' cool waters.
9. Cape Fear, Wilmington, NC:
   Insight Guides USA The New South -- This is the beach town to visit if you are interested in enjoying a Southern state beach vacation punctuated with ripe American history. In between sunbathing, take the opportunity to visit the Battleship USS North Carolina, a World War II warship, anchored in the Cape Fear harbor.
10. The Texas Gulf Coast:
    Insight Guides Texas -- The Texas coastline encompasses 367 miles of countless unspoiled beaches, several wildlife sanctuaries, and the historic island city of Galveston. From Corpus Christi to South Padre Island you'll find unmatched deep-sea fishing, balmy, tropical temperatures, and the finest stretch of of natural beach in America. Insight Guides are part of the Langenscheidt Publishing Group, the premier group of map, travel, and language brands.

Please visit www.langenscheidt.com for a complete catalog of over 3,000 U.S. and international street maps, road maps, atlases, travel guides, language-learning guides, and bilingual dictionaries.

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