There was a time when I had lived in Boston for almost 20 years, but I - and almost everyone I knew - never drove the 80 miles or so to Rhode Island's South County and the meandering ocean shoreline there. Now, through my husband, a longtime Ocean Stater, I've become a convert to Rhode Island's magnificent beaches. And while it took some convincing for my friend to go, now she's one, too.

The state's stretch of Atlantic coastline offers the best surfing in the Northeast, some of its warmest waters, and includes interesting oddities such as a manatee that swam up from Florida two summers ago. The beaches are clean, well-maintained, and almost always provide that precious commodity on a steamy summer day: parking.

It's not unusual to find the same family in the same spot at the same beach for decades. Once Rhode Islanders find a beach they like - and often it is one of the meticulously groomed state beaches - they rarely go to another. One social scientist says this is classic Rhode Island: Residents adopt certain places as their community, from grange halls to sandy beaches.

"Their sense of identity isn't rooted in anything artificially drawn. Other things tie them," says Kate Dunnigan, professor of history and social sciences at the Community College of Rhode Island. "We have this sort of proprietorship about things that other people don't."

As a result, each beach has its own quirky personality and history, and some also have hard-to-pronounce names. Thomas Edison set up a machine at Quonochontaug Beach in Charlestown around 1880 to mine iron ore. At Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, dime-size tropical fish carried north on the Gulf Stream are routinely attracted to bright orange buoys.

State beaches are your best bet in South County. It costs out-of-staters $14 a day to park on weekends ($12 during the week), but there are often less expensive lots if you don't mind walking a bit. A $60 season pass gives you unlimited access to beaches all summer.

Private or town beaches charge widely varying amounts to park. While Narragansett Town Beach has great surf, it comes with an annoying and unusual $5 admission for adults in addition to paying for parking. Traffic can be tough getting to a main highway from any beach, but if you time it right, there are few snags.

One warning: Those plastic bags they give you at beach entrance booths? Put your garbage in them. Rhode Island is a carry-in-carry-out state.

East Beach

Those in the know come early - or after 4 p.m., when parking is free - to get one of the coveted 120 parking spaces. From there, many walk a half-mile or more to have a piece of undisturbed ocean. Yet the peace can belie the ocean's fierceness: There is a steep drop-off, and waves can pound the strongest swimmer.

"It's like you aren't even in Rhode Island - or New England," says Steve Wright, superintendent of the state's Division of Parks and Recreation.

If you somehow tire of East Beach, take a walk across the small parking lot to Ninigret Pond. Most days it will be filled with windsurfers, and there is a nature trail nearby.

Ninigret Conservation Area, off East Beach Road, Charlestown. 401-322-0450.

Scarborough North and South State Beaches

Scarborough Beach has two lives. On sunny days, teenage girls in makeup and bikinis blanket the beach. They rarely go in the water, some admit, because they are trying to impress the throngs of teenage boys nearby.

By 6 p.m., the pierced-belly-button crowd tends to move to the seawall at Narragansett Town Beach, where a lively young summer scene is guaranteed every night of the week. Replacing them are forty-, fifty-, and sixtysomethings laying out picnics on blankets and lounging to the sound of lapping waves as night falls.

Be warned: Unhealthy bacteria from stormwater drains can pollute Scarborough's swimming water. State officials alert the public when this happens and say they are working hard to keep the beach as clean as possible.

If you are thinking about bringing your dog, resist the urge. Beach officials have stepped up enforcement of the April-to-September dog ban on state beaches - even at night.

870 and 970 Ocean Rd., Narragansett. North: 401-789-2324. South: 401-782-1319.