Nantucket — the only place in America that has the same name for the island, the county and the town — does have a well-deserved reputation for being preppy. “It is the only place you can wear pink pants and get away with it,”says one local....

 We’ve started off on a morning walk on our second day in Provincetown and about a mile from town.  We come across an inn at the top of a hill so striking we have to stop for a look.  Land’s End Inn (www.landsend.com) is not only spectacular with amazing ocean views but kid friendly too with a pile of kids’ games.

 Had this been the 18^th Century, we would have been hunting whales from Provincetown, MA, especially after the whales’ oil and bone....

 Finally, a Caribbean beach that's everything a Caribbean beach should be - quaint, with hammocks strung from palm trees, crystal-clear water perfect for snorkeling, white sand, a first-rate beach bar and enough water toys to keep the kids happy (banana boat ride anybody?).

 Yum! We’re at American Seasons (www.americanseasons.com)run by husband and wife team Michael LaScola and Orela Murphy-LaScola, who juggle the restaurant with being parents to their toddler.

There is a lot of history we learn on this small island. In fact, the entire island is a historic district designated as a National Historic Landmark and has more buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places than anywhere in Massachusetts, including Boston. 

 It’s that perfect beach day… blue skies, warm but not too hot. Colored umbrellas dot the Nantucket beach. Kids play on boogie boards while smaller ones build sand forts until… the two pups discover each other.

 As vacation season gets into high gear — with officials yet to figure out how to stem the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in the worst oil spill in U.S history — families who planned to head to the Gulf Coast are worried too about clean beach waters — as are those who count on their business.

 We moms all know the dirty little secret of family vacations. No, I'm not talking about the piles of laundry when we get home, though that's certainly no fun. I'm talking about how moms whisper on the beach, around the pool and on line at theme parks that family vacations are really no vacations at all for them, especially when young kids are part of the equation...

No, I'm not talking about the piles of laundry when we get home, though that's certainly no fun. I'm talking about how moms whisper on the beach, around the pool and on line at theme parks that family vacations are really no vacations at all for them, especially when young kids are part of the equation.

 You need a vacation now more than ever, and you shouldn't feel the least bit guilty. In fact, you've got lots of company, according to a new family-travel poll for which I partnered with Travelocity.com.