We're blessed to have so many stellar beaches around Boston: You and the kids can have your your toes in the sand and the sun shining on your faces in under an hour. But while beach days with the family can be blissful, they are also a lot of work. Once you've packed lunch, towels, toys, and the umbrella, navigated seaside traffic, parked, and then hauled your kids and gear to your spot in the sand, who wants to think about cooking dinner? Fortunately, not far from some of Massachusetts' best beaches are classic, casual seafood restaurants to cap off your day trip. The North Shore in particular has a high concentration of clam shacks, lobster lodges, and seafood shanties with everything from clam strips to grilled cheese, ensuring even the pickiest of beach bums will find something they like on the menu.

So sit in your beach chair a few minutes longer, watch the sun dip a little lower on the horizon, and let someone else do the cooking.

The tall ships are coming! From June 17 to 22, the city's inner harbor will be filled with more than 50 historic vessels from around the world for the first time since 2000. Sail Boston will be an impressive sight that will wow kids (and teach them a thing or two about our city's rich maritime history), but you'll want to do some planning before setting a course for the waterfront next week. Here's the scoop on how to enjoy the show with little landlubbers in tow.