The Good Life.

Byline: Ginanne Brownell (Brian Byrnes Joseph Contreras Michelle Jana Chan)

Travel: Northern Charm

By Ginanne Brownell

If you can't stand the heat or the crowds of Greece, Italy or Spain, consider heading "up north" to the beach this year. Tourism to Canada, northern Europe and America's "northern woods" states has been steadily on the rise. "We have stunning outdoor beauty coupled with cool places to stay and eat," says George Zimmermann, vice president of Travel Michigan. Hotel occupancy in the state is up 3 percent over last year.

Surrounded by the inland seas of the Great Lakes, northern Michigan is a paradise for boaters, swimmers and fishermen--a golden arc of dunes and resort towns stretching north along the Lake Michigan shore. There's even a burgeoning wine region around Leelenau, where Madonna's dad owns Ciccone Vineyards (cicconevineyards.com ) in Suttons Bay. Gourmands should check out nearby Tapawingo in the tiny hamlet of Ellsworth (tapawingo.net ) for sumptuous dining with a Midwestern twist. The luxurious resort of Bay Harbor ($175; bayharbor.com ) has a golf course built along 8 kilometers of Lake Michigan and even houses an equestrian center.

On majestic Prince Edward Island, visitors can bike from tip to tip, while kayakers can paddle along the coast, stopping at a new inn each evening. The Stanhope Beach Resort reopened this year, and guest rooms have gorgeous views of Covehead Bay ($219 Canadian; stanhopebeachresort.com ).

To really get away from it all, head to the Baltic Sea's western Estonian archipelago, where charming fishing villages and old lighthouses dot the hundreds of islands. Stay on Muhu Island--full of wild orchids, juniper forests and old Russian forts. Padaste Manor is a boutique hotel with a spa offering seawater Jacuzzi soaks and pumpkin-seed body wraps ([euro]75; padaste.ee ). Its Seahouse Restaurant serves choice dishes like ostrich salad and smoked-eel tortellini with a wild-fennel broth.