For generations, Americans have gone to the edge of the sea to catch the ocean breezes and play in the waves. In earlier times, when expectations were more modest, people were content to stay in pleasant seaside cottages such as this. Can't you imagine a family staying here for a week of relief from summer heat, the air alive with the shouts of children playing while Mom relaxes in a lawn chair with a long, light novel?

I like the simple look of this cottage, which I photographed in Mendocino, California. The fanciful siding, aqua-painted trim, and weathered picket fence are details that perfectly fit the seaside setting. Today people are obsessed with spending money ostentatiously, and such a tiny cottage would be seen as pathetic. But I beg to differ; if I could afford a getaway, it would look just like this.

For those of you old enough to remember the movies of 30+ years ago, the wonderful film "Summer of '42" took place in this tiny, well-preserved village.

Lee Rentz