What's Happening at the Vacation Hot Spots?

OCEAN CITY, New Jersey - soon to go high tech. The beaches of the future will offer high-tech services such as visitors wearing wristbands that automatically debit their bank accounts or credit cards to pay for beach access, food and parking. Garbage cans will e-mail cleanup crews when they're ready to be emptied. No more sneaking in to the beach as Beach checkers could scan the sands with handheld devices and instantly know who didn't pay. Ocean City, located in southern New Jersey, plans to deliver a variety of public services and Internet access using radio-frequency identification chips and Wi-Fi wireless technology. The $3 million project is expected to be finished by next summer. Nationwide, nearly 20 coastal municipalities have wireless Internet systems, mostly in California and Florida, according to the Web site MuniWireless.com. But few, if any, boast the kind of features Ocean City is planning. 08/14/07

Seaside, Oregon - Lewis and Clark Comes Alive with Event on North Oregon Coast. On August 17 - 19, Seaside, the Fort Clatsop National Memorial and the Seaside History Museum celebrate Seaside's contribution to the history of Lewis & Clark with the "Saltmakers Return". On these dates, head to Avenue U (at the southern end of town) and you'll find signs declaring "You Are Now Entering 1806". Like that historic mission, this re-enactment will last two full days, around the clock. August 17 . 19, 5 p.m. on Friday to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The event takes place on the beach at Avenue U. (503) 738-7065. 08/13/07

North Carolina tops the list of states with the cleanest beaches in America. The North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources samples the water quality at every beach in the country on a regular basis between April and October. The amount of bacteria found in the water is then measured against a set standard. None of the beaches in Pender County had higher than normal bacteria levels. Brunswick county beaches scored well. 08/09/07

San Diego, California - The beaches of San Diego County have been invaded by an unusual type of jellyfish. Black Sea Nettle jellyfish are rarely seen on the California coastline. But they started showing up over the past few weeks with tentacles that can reach 30 feet. An estimated 200 people are being stung each day. Warm water temperatures may be to blame for the return of this rare find. The last time Black Sea Nettles were seen in San Diego was 2005. 08/08/07