When my husband and I travel, we often go for a run or a bike ride so we can explore more of our destination without getting in a car or bus.

I found recently that a lot of people have this idea. Or they just can't leave the running shoes and exercise clothes at home.

At the beach, running, biking and swimming allow you to see the uncrowded areas, like the parks. Many local groups and shops are happy to provide maps. We like to sign up for races while we're at the beach, so we can meet like-minded people and, maybe get a little inspiration to go farther.

I wrote a story about merging beach-going with exercising. There's a link with some suggested workouts and races on the Maryland-Delaware shore and places to get more information. The landscape is beautiful and the ground is nice and flat.

Baltimore Sun photo/Kim Hairston