Ever since I got my Kindle, I’ve been plowing through books, yet somehow I’ve been remiss this year about getting my summer reading list out in time. So, here it is! You’ve still got the rest of July and all of August to get in some of these reads on your next beach vacation. Just grab a folding chair and stick your toes in the sand… And, please don’t forget to leave your own beach-read recommendations in the comments section!

I grew up in Panama City, Florida, running wild and free on the "World's Most Beautiful Beaches." Here's what my hometown looked like when I visited last summer. I promise this wasn't photoshopped. It really is that perfect.

If you've been dreaming of a little fun in the sun, but you're nervous about the oil spill's path, we've got the perfect solution. Today, Travelocity announced its Gulf Beach Guarantee. If you travel by September 10, 2010 and stay at one of the more than 180 participating hotels, you can receive a refund for any/all unused nights if the government closes a beach within 20 miles of your resort.

Check it out! www.travelocity.com/gulfguarantee

As you can see from this interactive map, the oil spill has only impacted very specific areas at this time. (You can use your cursor to "grab" the map and move it around. Plus, you can zoom in and out.)

If you were up at 4a.m. this morning, maybe you saw me on CBS talking about vacationing in the Gulf region after the oil spill. But, I'm thinking you were probably still fast asleep. Watch my tips here and visit travelocity.com/oilspillinfo for the latest information, deals and tips on how you can help.

While L.A. residents fight the smog and sit in traffic, many do not seem to know that just 24 easy miles away lies the island resort of Catalina. In contrast to the giant city that lies across the Pacific to the east, Catalina Island has always been something of an anachronism, where golf carts outnumber cars, the clocks move on “island time,” and a herd of buffalo still roams.

Right now, there are a whole bunch of nervous tourists on Gulf Coast beaches ready to twitch away at the first sight of black oil washing onto those pristine white sands. Parents are expressing concern about having their children swim in Florida's western waters, diving and fishing charters are being called off in the Keys, birds and turtles crying tears of oil are washing up on shore in Mississippi, no one's ordering the N'awlins oysters, and many regional Gulf Coast resorts, hotels, and vacation rentals are fielding cancellation calls for as far away as August. But are the worries to tourists overblown?

Travelocity’s 2010 Memorial Day Hotel Report shows summer travelers are planning on hitting the beaches in abundance this holiday, and it’s no wonder. Snowfall and cold weather set records in New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C.  and even Miami – major feeder cities for many of the top beach destinations.  The good news is that from big-city stretches of sand to the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, the unofficial start of summer brings with it great hotel deals for travelers.

With the exception of South Florida, every one of the top ten beach destinations is showing a year-over-year decrease in Average Daily Rates (ADR) for Memorial Day, meaning travelers are actually getting a better deal this Memorial Day weekend than last -- no small thing, considering last year was the "year of the travel deal."

The last of winter’s rains are washing through the streets, but a sudden profusion of skirts and sandals says that San Francisco is ready for spring. I'm with the masses--Mother Nature needs to pick up the pace and get summery! But without the aid of a weather-controlling device, I've really only got two choices: wait out the chill, or drive south to SoCal.

It took me some time away from home to really appreciate Southern California. In fact, this has been the first year spring has really signaled an inner craving for a day on the beach. I've found myself flipping through swimwear catalogues, pricing tickets to the coast, and wondering how well those spray tans work--the whole pre-summer ritual. And every time I begin planning my escape, I start with Laguna Beach.