Long Branch was once a thriving summer resort of sprawling farms and open vistas, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with U.S. presidents and film stars.

WSJ: Battle of the Beach

Obama's run as first lady has not come without stumbles -- her summer vacation at a ritzy resort in Spain in the middle of a recession was a public relations disaster -- like many of her predecessors she has been able to win accolades without suffering from any of the baggage of being commander in chief.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The huts have been described by property agent Martin Lewthwaite as ideal for a family who wanted to sit on the beach and enjoy a summer's day in the picturesque resort.

BBC: Abersoch beach hut

It is opening up a resort city where temperatures reach 40C in summer, and will be as warm as 10-15C by the sea when the Olympics take place from February 7-23 next year -- with organizers already stockpiling snow due to sporadic falls, Black says.

CNN: February 8, 2013 -- Updated 1159 GMT (1959 HKT)

Many a modern holiday resort, such as Martha's Vineyard in Cape Cod, sprang out of a Methodist summer camp created to offer spiritual rather than physical comfort.

ECONOMIST: Lexington

On any other warm summer day, the white sandy beaches here around Jieh - a resort town about 15 miles south of Beirut - would be packed with sun worshippers.

NPR: Oil Slick Threatens Lebanese Coast

Hold onto those summer days a little longer with this week's Escape to Fox Ridge Resort and Kahuna Laguna Indoor Water Park in North Conway, New Hampshire.

BBC: Daily deal: Two nights in the White Mountains

Obama also went to Spain in the summer of 2010 on a personal trip with friends and daughter Sasha, but her stay at a luxury resort on the Costa del Sol wasn't well-received back home, raising questions about the cost and wisdom of taking such a trip during tough economic times.

NPR: What Will Michelle Obama Do With 4 More Years?