George Washington went out of his way in 1789 to visit Marblehead, the birthplace of the American Navy, and one of the most beautiful harbors on the East Coast. Nowadays home to over 1,600 boats from May through October, Marblehead is called "the Yachting Capital of America."
 
Summer's a magnificent time to visit. Watch world class sailing races and learn to sail and ocean kayak. Deveraux Beach offers sand and gentle, although frigid surf (for Roanokers accustomed to the warm waters of Myrtle Beach), and the Summer Jazz Festival simply heightens your sense of being at a really swell place. Actually, the cold water temperature is an excellent invigorator and will impart briskness to your step that lasts all day.
 
Consider yourself forewarned, however-do not expect to drop in unannounced at the local Days Inn or Motel 6. There are no motels in Marblehead, so planning ahead is the key. Contact the Chamber of Commerce and enquire about the availability of rooms in lovely inns and bed & breakfast establishments. Prices vary considerably. 
 
I stayed at a small B&B during the early fall. Enjoying a mild morning, I sipped a cup of Bigelow tea in a charming garden overlooking a tidal marsh and the blue Atlantic in the distance. Seagulls provided nautical sounds and swooping flight. Breakfast extended the pleasurable morning with fresh fruit served in crystal bowls; yogurt, warm pastry, sausage and hot coffee were served on blue and gold china. Best of all was amiable conversation with Philip and Irene of Northumberland, England, and our hostess Audrey. All of us travel junkies, we exchanged stories and professed vows to "go there" and "try that." Philip and Irene had visited the Blue Ridge Parkway a few years earlier and had spent the night in Roanoke!
 
Another simple pleasure is walking. Marblehead, founded in 1629 as a commercial fishing port, boasts a historic district with over 200 homes built before the Revolutionary War and over 800 homes built before 1830. Two 18th century mansions are museums open-to-the-public, but note that the 1768 Jeremiah Lee Mansion is open only June 1-Oct. 15. 
 
The Chandler Hovey Park on Marblehead Neck gives you a chance to see closeup the iron Victorian lighthouse and experience a high-tide surf crashing against the rocky shore. Sit on a bench and look out over the boats in Marblehead harbor. If the day is windy and moist, so much the better to enjoy a hot bowl of clam chowder afterward at a seafood restaurant in Marblehead or a cup of hot coffee and a rare roast beef sandwich at locally popular Mino's.
 
peaking of excellent edibles, nothing beats New England candies. Stowaway Sweets on Atlantic Avenue prepares elegant chocolates on the premises and ships them to happy recipients all over the country. Don't leave without a selection for yourself. The Chamber of Commerce reports over 100 boutiques, shops, galleries, and antique stores. 
 
Air travel to Marblehead from Roanoke can take the better part of a day. An 8:50 a.m. Northwest air link flight to Detroit put me on an early afternoon flight to Boston. A cab ride from Logan Airport to Boston's North Station was timed perfectly for the Newburyport commuter train to Swampscott (no stop in Marblehead). The ticket's a bargain at $3. The cab fare was much more expensive, but I could have taken a bus to Marblehead or a subway to North Station. 
 
My B&B hostess picked me up at the Swampscott train station and pointed out places of interest on the way to Marblehead. Transportation home was by car with my husband and son, which took three and a half days. No, not just driving! We spent an afternoon in Salem, the "Witch City," a day in Newport, R. I., and a morning at Mystic Seaport, Conn. 
 
But back to the original destination -- only 17 miles north of Boston, Marblehead is a jewel among New England coastal treasures. It has a name that makes small children laugh (especially the name Marblehead Neck). You, however, will smile with true affection for this bit of Yankee coastline. 
 
For further information: Write to Marblehead Chamber of Commerce, 62 Pleasant St, P.O. Box 76, Marblehead, Mass. 01945; Tel: 781-631-2868; Fax: 781-639-8582; e-mail: info@marbleheadchamber.org, or visit www.visitmarblehead.com or call the Information Booth (May 30-Oct. 31) at 781-639-8582. 

Freelance writer Gail Tansill Lambert lives in Roanoke.