I vacationed at the historic Venetian Court in Capitola-By-The-Sea (California) as a child, and my husband and I continued the tradition with our kids.

I have strong childhood memories of swings on the beach (no doubt now an insurance liability that could not be fathomed), of begging my dad for nickels and dimes to play "skee ball" in the bars that flanked the Esplanade. Running loose, barefoot, back-and-forth from the beach to the arcade - I feel sad that most kids never know the experience to roam free and play at whim.