A Tale of Two East Coast Boardwalks

Pedaling along the boardwalk to the rhythmic whoosh of the breaking waves, first on a tricycle and then on a bike, is among my favorite childhood memories. And boardwalks still make me happy. They add fun to the classic American idyll of sun, sand and sea. Two of my favorite East Coast boardwalks unfurl in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Miami Beach, Florida. Both delight with ocean breezes, salt spray, good food and great people-watching, but each of these seaside paths charms with its own unique character.

Virginia Beach's boardwalk -- actually a concrete path -- gains fame for its prettily landscaped, 28-foot-wide 3-mile span and for its many concerts, festivals and other events. Bicyclists roll along separate lanes from walkers, and sea-themed sculptures brighten the boards. The 34-foot Neptune statue at 31st Street, a Virginia Beach landmark, marks Neptune Festival Park, one of three boardwalk stages hosting free outdoor performances. Hear rock, country, contemporary, tribute bands and other music. On Atlantic Avenue, parallel to the boardwalk, mimes, magicians and jugglers perform, drawing shoppers to the souvenir and sundry shops lining the street and to many nearby eateries.

A new level of boardwalk area entertainment is scheduled to debut May 4, when The Dome, a 70,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor entertainment venue, debuts with a Three Dog Night concert. The Dome is one component of the mixed-used Atlantic Park project backed by Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams and others. When the Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon, another Atlantic Park anchor, opens this summer, learners to experts can carve 1- to 6-foot-high waves.

Virginia Beach's fun includes family-friendly movies on the beach and festivals that showcase skateboarding stunts, monster trucks and Latin culture as well as my favorite, the International Sandsculpting Championship, part of the hoopla of the fall Neptune Festival.

Although relatively few restaurants are on the boardwalk, I've enjoyed ocean views and seafood at Catch 31 Fish House & Bar, attached to the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, and at Mahi's oceanfront sushi bar, part of the DoubleTree Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront South.

Another not-to-miss boardwalk, the Miami Beach Boardwalk, stretches for 7 miles from South Pointe Park in South Beach north to the border of Surfside. Dune grass and bushes separate people from the ocean, but you can hear the waves and spot the water at the beach entrances. I stroll or bike parts of the paved pathway each time I visit Miami Beach, stopping in the neighborhoods to catch the local flavors and flair. It's a great way to explore the city with the bonus of no car traffic.

South Pointe Park's 17 acres of greenery feel worlds away from the bustle of South Beach. Rows of palm trees shade concrete benches along the 20-foot-wide paved promenade, and rocks edge the water. On one walk we spotted a manatee near the shore, her young swimming above her back. In the park, locals do yoga and play catch with their dogs on the grass.

Tobias Rehberger's "obstinate lighthouse," a witty sculpture of unevenly stacked cubes, rises on the lawn, an homage to the lighthouses that guard ports. Appropriately, across the bay is PortMiami, Miami's cruise ship base. One day we saw Royal Caribbean's mega-ship Icon of the Seas, a behemoth that dwarfed the harbor. For a steak with a spectacular skyline and water view, consider Smith & Wollensky, one of the few restaurants in the park.

By mid-beach, roughly 24th to 60th streets, the scene changes to high-rise condo buildings and such luxury hotels as Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, Faena and the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Stroll by on weekends and hear the bass boom of bands playing at day pool parties. The energy is lively but not wild.

Continue your boardwalk trek to family-friendly North Beach, which stretches from 63rd to 87th streets. Affectionately called "NoBe," in counterpoint to South Beach's sobriquet SoBe, North Beach's rhythm comes not from the hip clubs packed by sightseers but from locals. The boardwalk path runs behind the Miami Beach Bandshell, a concert venue, and gets you near the North Beach Oceanside Park Beach, a stretch of uncrowded sand backed by trees. It's worth biking the local streets to see the many hotels and low-rise homes that feature design elements of Miami Modernism.

Since many residents hail from Argentina, Peru, Cuba and other Latin and South American countries, the Latin fare is tasty. We like Moises Bakery for empanadas and Sazon Cubano's chicken with sweet plantain stuffing is a guilty pleasure of mine. Feeling stuffed and tired after your long bike ride or walk? Reward yourself with a spa treatment at the neighborhood's Carillon Miami Wellness Resort.

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WHEN YOU GO

Virginia Beach: visitvirginiabeach.com

Greater Miami and the beaches: miamiandbeaches.com

Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority: miamibeachvca.com

The Dome: livenation.com/venue/KovZ917ARDx/the-dome-events

Wavegarden Cove: wavegarden.com

Catch 31: catch31.com

Mahi's: mahisvb.com

Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront: hilton.com/en/hotels/orfvhhf-hilton-virginia-beach-oceanfront

DoubleTree Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront South: hilton.com/en/hotels/orfvidt-doubletree-virginia-beach-oceanfront-south

Smith & Wollensky: smithandwollensky.com/locations/miami-beach

Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, nobuhotels.com/miami-beach

Fontainebleau Miami Beach: fontainebleau.com

Faena: www.faena.com

Miami Beach Bandshell: miamibeachbandshell.com

North Beach Oceanside Park Beach: miamiandbeaches.com/l/beaches/north-beach-oceanside-park-beach/2968

Moises Bakery: moisesbakery.com

Sazon Cubano: elsazoncubano.com

Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, carillonhotel.com

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Candyce H. Stapen is a writer at www.greatfamilyvacations.com. Follow her on Instagram @candycestapen @familyitrips, Twitter @familyitrips (Candyce H. Stapen), www.facebook.com/FamilyiTrips. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.