New Yorkers who are carless or leery of rising gas prices can escape the city heat and head to the Northern Jersey Shore via NY/NJ Transit. Until September 1, 2008, purchase round trip ride and beach passes for travel from Penn Station, New York to select Shore sights. Sit back and relax, but make sure to transfer at the Long Branch train station. In less than two hours, you will be exploring a Victorian town, soaking up the sun, shopping along the famed Asbury Park boardwalk and of course, reveling in the New Jersey music scene.

Couples looking for a mid-week romantic summer getaway can leave the urban jungle behind by heading to the seaside town of Beach Haven at the south end of Long Beach Island. Here you'll find a quaint 1886 Queen Anne style Victorian B&B, pristine wetland with kayak launches, sandy beaches, bike paths, public tennis courts and fine dining.