Earlier this summer, I wrote an article for USA Today about New England’s five most romantic beaches.  For this space, I’ve decided to run a series of articles on how those romantic spots can also work for families. The truth of the matter is that being a romantic destination doesn’t preclude a place from being family-friendly, too. It’s just a matter of knowing where exactly to go. Ogunquit, Maine has lovely kid-friendly beaches as well as other fun outdoor spots and activities. Here are my family’s five favorites.

Beaches
With seven miles of beaches, three of which are gorgeous white sand—so rare up north—there’s a beach for everyone! The main beach is easily accessed from town, but families with young kids especially like the river side, where the water is calm.

Perkins Cove
This little fishing harbor/artist enclave is packed with shops, galleries and restaurants. Kids will love walking over the small pedestrian drawbridge and watching fisherman bring in their catch. There are plenty of places to stop for ice cream or lobster rolls.

Marginal Way
The 1.5-mile Marginal Way is a delightful paved, public shoreline footpath connecting Perkins Cove to Ogunquit Beach and offers amazing shoreline views. Families should print Town of Ogunquit’s fun Kids’ Guide to the Marginal Way.

Trolley Rides
For just $2 ($1.50 for kids), you can enjoy the open air trolley which stops at every major site and near many of the resorts and hotels. It’s a great way to get an overview of the area and avoid dealing with the traffic that comes with the summer crowds.

Cycling
Another fun way to explore and get around is by bike, which is how the police and it seems like half the town get around instead of using cars. Pick up a guide at the welcome center or your hotel (or get one online) for suggestions of bike routes. If you didn’t bring bikes, there are places to rent them.

If You Go
There are plenty of family-friendly places to stay in and around Ogunquit, but the Meadowmere Resort stands out. Located just a few minutes from town, you can walk or catch the trolley (there’s a stop located behind the resort). It’s a green way to go and it saves you the money on parking. There are two pools (indoor and outside), a game room, and free kid-friendly movies offered daily in its on-site theater (Freaky Friday and Frozen were playing when we stayed there.) After all, you can only be in the sun so much; it’s nice to have some down time in the shade.

Check out my top five for Block Island here, as well as what to do on Martha's Vineyard.