Summer is here and if you're like most people, a family vacation is probably in the works. If your time off does not add up to 'enough' this summer, taking a road trip in your own back yard is a good way to get away while staying close. Canada has many wonderful things to offer. From mountains to prairies to history and food, you can find it all by taking a drive in any direction. One of the many wonderful things Canada boasts is its beaches. California is not the only place that has sand worth lying on. Canada is full of beautiful beaches with sandy waters and long shorelines.

With just over 8,500 residents, the town itself is called Qualicum Beach and it can be found in the south-central coast of Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia. The beach is definitely a seaside destination for many Canadians with its quaint village atmosphere and mild climate, it's a great place to visit. The location and sandy beaches have made this spot popular with locals and tourists alike. It offers beautiful views of the Lasqueti Islands as well as Texada and the Straight of Georgia. The Coast Mountain Range can also be spotted in the distance.

Five minutes drive from the town of Slave Lake in north-central Alberta will take you to Devonshire Beach. The beach can be found within the Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park. All 7 kms are of lake shore are lined with white sand and clear waters that are popular for swimming, wind surfing and sand castle building.

Inside Grand Beach Provincial Park lies the town of Grand Beach itself. Eighty kms north of Winnipeg you will find it on the eastern shores of Lake Winnipeg. Grand Beach offers tourists a boardwalk for afternoon strolls, 3 kms of white sand backed by an 8-meter tall sand dune. Consisting of two beaches, the West Beach is the more popular and active beach while the East Beach is quieter and more popular with families.

West of Owen Sound, Ontario you will find Lake Huron on which Sauble Beach lies. Offering 11 kms of sand created by sandbar deposits, the water remains warm and shallow. Reader's Digest voted it the best beach in Canada. Nova Scotia also has a lot to offer with its Northumberland Shore. The mile-long sands of Melmerby Beach is a fantastic saltwater destination.

Traveling to Prince Edward Island is definitely spectacular but stopping to enjoy Brackley Beach makes the journey even more memorable. With its pristine sand and tall dunes, it's a hard one to pass up. Taking a beach vacation at home this year is a great option for those with little time or money. A family vacation does not have to cost a fortune or be skipped altogether.