We're wrapping up the July/August issue here at Coastal HQ, so I've been surrounded by summertime cheer inside while the stubborn gray skies linger outside. Here are some pretty things I'm keeping around in an effort to hang onto that sunny feeling!

Graphic Terry Chaise Cushion Covers; potterybarn.com. Rock Lobster Intarsia Cardigan; betseyjohnson.com. Wood Outdoor Umbrella + Stand; westelm.com. Our Most Buzz-worth Margarita (featured in the June 2009 issue, on newsstands now!). Enjoy Your Meal Silverware Napkins; plumparty.com. Wire Basket; crateandbarrel.com. Grid Pattern Dinner Plate; target.com.

Working at Coastal Living certainly has it perks, the most exciting of which (for me anyway) is travel to beautiful seaside locations. I was fortunate enough to be on location in Malibu for the photo shoot that appears on our June cover. Better still, I was able to squeeze in my first ever surf lesson with a friend early one morning before boarding my return flight home. 

images courtesy of Lisa Romerein

*If you've seen the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, you'll appreciate just how awkward this dry land "practice" is - far more awkward than the real thing, which is surprisingly natural, once you get the hang of it. Check out a clip from the movie here.

Our Editor Lindsay Bierman recently snapped these images of some great coastal items at The Monogram Shop. This iconic East Hampton retailer offers all sorts of personalized items from beach towels to Lucite trays. You can bring a little bit of the Hamptons into your home by shopping on their Web site. Here's some of Lindsay's favorite finds:

Solid Color Beach Towels $60

Striped Beach Towels $80

Executive Editor Sara Anderson was in Monterey this past weekend for the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Cooking for Solutions celebration, sponsored in part by Coastal Living. While there she e-mailed me about an exhibit that adults and kids are going wild over—The Secret Lives of Seahorses. While there you can view more than 15 different species of these fascinating sea creatures and learn how you can save them.

See some of Sara's snapshots below.

 

Our editors think we've all earned a great vacation this summer. Will you go away or take a use the new a 'stay-cation' instead? We've teamed up with CNN Money to find out how the economy is affecting your vacation plans this summer.

Tell us how the current economic crunch has affected your travel outlook by taking this poll.

Photo by scazon via flickr

Maybe they're not quite as cuddly as panda bears, but sea turtles are hot. People have begun to recognize their beauty, importance, and threatened status.

You can travel to the far ends of the earth to see these magnificent reptiles, but it’s not necessary.

Florida’s Atlantic coast is the second best place in the world to see loggerhead sea turtles nesting. The first is the Gulf of Oman, according to the newspaper website TCPalm.com.

Florida has a thriving population and the state park system offers regular night tours. If the group’s lucky, it can witness a female turtle digging a nest and laying scores of eggs, and then heading back to sea. Rangers say the chance of witnessing a nesting is about 80 percent.

Tomorrow, May 15, at 8 a.m. Eastern Time, Sebastian Inlet State Park will begin taking reservations for June night tours at 772-388-2750. (On June 15, the park will begin booking July tours). These four-hour excursions last from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., and can be incredibly exciting. The park’s on the Atlantic coast near Melbourne, about 90 miles southeast of Orlando.

You won’t be able to buy any mouse ears, but, even better, you may get a glimpse of something truly magical. Our recent story about helping baby Ridley sea turtles return to the sea led many readers to book a volunteer vacation at a very special Mexican resort.

Have you ever seen a sea turtle nest? Share your experience in the comments below.

When it comes to getting a deal on furniture, sometimes I act impulsively. I did just that this past week when I purchased a china cabinet for next-to-nothing from one of my husband's colleagues. It's pretty hideous, but the potential...oh the potential. It's the perfect June project. I've been surfing around for inspiration, and here's what I'm thinking.

Photo: CreepinJen/junkmarketstyle.com

I found this on junkmarketstyle.com. I love the idea of replacing the traditional back with beaded board. Using a dark hue on the exterior and a lighter color inside really highlights what's inside as well.

 Photo by Henry Gonzalez

Once again, it’s possible to tour one of the most intriguing lighthouses on the Chesapeake. The Thomas Point Shoal Light is one of the rare offshore working lighthouses open to visitors. It was the last of the region’s lighthouses to be automated -- a lightkeeper continued to work the beacon until 1986. And it wasn't a cushy job.

The light is located in the middle of the bay – a good 30-minute ride from the Maryland shore. The ride can be bumpy and then visitors need to transfer to the lighthouse dock, and climb a steep ladder leading through a small hatch. (For more, check out this Washington Post story about visiting the light, and its history).

Tours are managed by the Annapolis Maritime Museum, and run $70. They sell out quickly and are only available on eight dates, although there are three trips a day, on Sundays between June and August. Contact the museum to book a tour at 410-295-0104.

If that only whets your lighthouse appetite, consider the two-day historic lighthouse tour offered by Chesapeake Lights. It passes by 12 lighthouses, with guests overnighting on shore. It’s not a luxury trip, but it's sure to light up the face of any lighthouse nut.

Quick question: What’s the oldest European settlement in the United States?

Forget about Jamestown, Santa Fe, or even St. Augustine.I was amazed to learn that it’s Pensacola. The Florida panhandle city was first settled in 1559 by Spanish explorers. (Read the fascinating details in this Smithsonian magazine article). This year Pensacola’s celebrating its 450th birthday – and its first party guests: Spain’s King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, shown above.

The royal pair visited in February, and now you can follow in their footsteps using a new map and brochure.  (Pick one up at the visitors information center on Gregory Street.)

During their 18-hour stopover, the couple visited the city’s white beaches, saw artifacts from Spanish shipwrecks, and even spent the night at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front in what now can always be called a royal suite.

Other stops on the Royal Tour of Pensacola include the historic Galvez monument at Fort George park, the city’s new park Plaza de Luna, the Pensacola Historic Village and (to add a modern touch) the National Naval Aviation Museum.

No word if the royal couple got any real beach time, but it's awfully hard to resist the sugar sand of the  Florida panhandle.