When you look at all the water, all the shorelines, all the islands and all the destinations the United States has to offer, it's clear that there are countless opportunities for cruising. There are probably as many different cruises to be enjoyed as there are boaters to enjoy those cruises. Yet, we tend to congregate around the classics: Miami to Bimini, Long Beach to Catalina Island, and the Intracoastal Waterway all the way around Florida. It's time to broaden our horizons. This year, let's make a resolution to go somewhere new (at least new to us) and see something we haven't seen before. To help, here are eight great cruises. All can be done in a day. Some are better known than others, but they're all guaranteed to satisfy.

MIDWEST
Chicago to Milwaukee
This could be called the ultimate baseball weekend. Catch the Cubbies or the Sox in the Windy City on a Friday night, then motor up to Beer Town to see the Brewers on Saturday night. If you hurry, you can make it back to Chicago in time for a Sunday night game. Or, you can relax and enjoy an easy cruise along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Either way, this is one of the rites of summer in the Midwest, and we're convinced it should be one of our annual rituals, too.

Where to Dock:
Chicago makes it easy to reserve a slip by allowing you to make reservations at nine harbors at one website: www.chicagoharbors.info. Mooring starts at 75 cents per foot with a 25-foot minimum, and electric hookups start at $5 per day for boats 40 feet and under. (If it's available, book a slip at Burnham Harbor, which is walking distance from downtown and the magnificent Shedd Aquarium.)

Milwaukee's McKinley Marina (http://www.milwaukeecounty.org/BoatingampMcKinleyMa9139.htm) is operated by the Milwaukee County Parks, and like Chicago's Burnham Harbor, it offers great access to downtown. Transient rates are available for $30 plus $2.50 per foot for each foot over 25 feet.

1000 Islands
Go ahead and make your best salad dressing joke. The locals have heard them all, but if you're nice, they're liable to chuckle politely nonetheless, especially if you're on the Canadian side of the river. The 1000 Islands pepper the St. Lawrence River as it runs between New York and Ontario, making its way to Lake Ontario, and they're consistently one of the top boating destinations in this part of the world. If you go, be sure to make a stop at Hill Island to take in the view from the 1000 Islands Skydeck (www.1000islandsskydeck.com). And don't forget to bring your passport so you won't have any hassles going back and forth between the United States and Canada, because when you're among the 1000 Islands, crossing the border is as easy as crossing from one shoreline to the other.

Where to Dock:
There are probably 1,000 places to dock in the 1000 Islands, but French Creek Marina (www.frenchcreekmarina.com) in Clayton, N.Y., is one of the best. It's accessible and it offers a campground as well as docks, so if friends come along, they can sleep on board or in tents. Docking rates start at $25 per day, and campsites are the same price; both offer full electrical hookups

EAST COAST
Savannah to Hilton Head
This is a pretty short cruise, but since there's so much to do at either end, it's a cruise that can last for weeks if you want. There's no shortage of watersports and fishing to keep you occupied, but the real reason to make this cruise is to indulge yourself by playing more seaside golf than any rational person can imagine. From the 54 spectacular holes at the Sea Island Resort (www.seaisland.com/golf/resort- golf.html; once ranked as Best Golf Resort in North America by Golf Digest) - where the first course was built in 1929 and where Bobby Jones played - to the legendary candy cane lighthouse at Hilton Head's Harbour Town Golf Links (www.seapines .com/Recreation/Golf/Courses/HarbourTownGolfLinks.asp), this is paradise for boaters and duffers alike.

Where to Dock:
In Savannah, check out Hogan's Marina (www.hogansmarina.com) at Wilmington Island. Overnight rates are $1.25 per foot for BoatUS members; non-members pay $1.50 per foot. Or try Sail Harbor Marina (www.sailharbormarina.com), where rates start as low as 95 cents per foot for an overnight stay, and a 50-amp electrical hookup is only $4 per night.

Hilton Head's Harbour Town (www.harbourtown.com) is less expensive than you would expect, with overnight dockage only $2 per foot for boats up to 49 feet in length. A 50-amp hookup is $12 per cord per day. And it puts you within a strong pitching wedge of all the golf you can handle.

Boston to Nantucket
This is one of the classic cruises of all time and one that practically every sailor feels he or she must do at least once. As you make your way through the Boston Harbor and out to Nantucket, where the whaling ships once sailed, you connect with hundreds of years of American boaters and boating. The scenery is beautiful, despite the challenging waters. If you plan it right, you can be in Boston for what's arguably the most powerful Independence Day celebration in the county, watching fireworks light the sky over the harbor where the American Revolution began. Whenever you go, let your inner tourist run free, and eat all the clam chowder you can hold - but leave room for a lobster roll purchased at a rundown shack. It'll be the best you've ever had.

Where to Dock:
Boston Waterboat Marina (www.bostonwaterboatmarina.com) can accommodate boats from 30 feet to 150 feet, right downtown on Boston Harbor. Docking for boats 45 feet and under is $3.25 per foot per day, and 50-amp electricity is $20 per cord. It's not cheap, but it's got location like you won't believe.

Nantucket Boat Basin (www.nantucketboatbasin.com) books up early and for good reason. The marina is truly full service, meaning the staff can accommodate your boat, help you find accommodations on the island, and even recommend fine restaurants.

GULF COAST
Aransas Pass National Wildlife Refuge
There's exactly one wild flock of whooping cranes on this planet, and you can see them at Texas' Aransas Pass National Wildlife Refuge. The cranes stand nearly 5 feet tall, have a 7-foot wingspan, and spend their winters (mid-October through March) on the Texas Gulf Coast, just north of Corpus Christi. Needless to say, one of the best ways to see the whoopers is to take a cruise along the Intracoastal Waterway as it runs along the Refuge, an easy jaunt from Corpus Christi (even easier from nearby Rockport-Fulton). This part of Texas has ridiculously mild winters (plan on wearing shorts every day), making a Christmastime visit to see the whoopers even more appealing.

Where to Dock:
The closest docks are in Rockport, just a few miles south of the Refuge. Rockport Harbor (www.acnd.org/rockport.html) is in the heart of Rockport, so you can hang with the commercial anglers and shrimpers, and maybe pick up a few pointers on scoring redfish while you're in the area. Boats 60 feet and less pay $30 per day for docking.

For a longer, more enjoyable cruise, dock at the Corpus Christi Marina (locals call it the "T-Head" www.corpuschristimarina.com/pr/marina.cfm). This gives you the opportunity to cruise past the Naval Air Station, where the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Lexington is located, and it gives you the choice of cruising up the ICW to the Refuge or out into the Gulf of Mexico for a little blue-water action. Overnight docking is $27 or 90 cents per foot, whichever is greater.

New Orleans to Blind River
There are a number of reasons to return to New Orleans. It's one of the greatest cities of the world. It's the home of some of the best music and food you'll ever hear or taste. It has history and culture to spare. And last but not least, going there shows solidarity and support. If that's not reason enough, how about snaking your way through the bayous and cuts of Cajun country? Heading north from New Orleans, you can cross the huge but shallow Lake Pontchartrain, the smaller Lake Maurepas, and venture along the Amite and Petite Amite Rivers, the Diversion Canal, and, of course, the Blind River. It's easy to get lost in the bayous and cuts, so be sure and get good charts, and by all means, reward yourself with a stop at the Blind River Bar, where you'll likely find a crawfish boil and live band in progress anytime of the day or night. A word to the wise - if a group of sweet little old ladies tries to finagle you into a friendly dice game "for a quarter or two, " prepare to lose your shirt. You can't tell 'em no, and you definitely won't win, even if you manage to understand the arcane and ever-changing rules after you've filled up on boudin and festive beverages.

Where to Dock:
The New Orleans Municipal Yacht Harbor (504/288-1431) is on Lake Pontchartrain, in New Orleans' West End. Call ahead for rates and reservations. It's not quite walking distance from the tourist areas like the French Quarter, but cabs in the area are plentiful.

WEST COAST
San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico
Making the run to Ensenada has been a rite of passage for "SoCal" surfers and boaters (and everyone else) forever, and it's still one of the most enjoyable cruises the West Coast has to offer. You set out from San Diego and head south, making sure to stay well clear of the cruise ships that also make this trek. If you push it, you can make Ensenada in a half-day, but why hurry? The lobster and fish tacos will be fresh, hot and waiting for you, no matter how late you finally pull into port. Winter seas can be rough, but if you can find a couple of relatively calm days, make the cruise during whale-watching season (January through March). If the winter is too wicked, bring your blue-water gear, and see if you can catch your own mahi-mahi to fill the tacos when you reach Ensenada. And remember to bring your passport, just to make sure you have a smooth clearing of customs both in Mexico and the United States.

Where to Dock:
The San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina (www.marriott.com/property/propertypage/sandt) is about as good as it gets. It's not cheap, but let's be honest - we all deserve a little luxury now and again. Book a slip and a room; it doesn't matter if your room faces the city or the ocean because you'll enjoy it either way. Walk the Gaslight District and have breakfast at Croce's, then set sail for Ensenada, Mexico.

There's no sense in going to Mexico and not enjoying it, right? Book a slip at the Hotel Coral & Marina (www.hotelcoral.com), and you're right in the heart of everything fun. Short-term docking runs $1.25 per foot per day, regardless of boat size. And go ahead and get a room at the Coral while you're there. You'll be glad you did.

Seattle to Victoria, British Columbia
There's so much great cruising in the Puget Sound area or Seattle that you could easily find eight right there. One, though, stands head and shoulders above the rest - the long-distance run to Victoria, British Columbia. No other cruise gives you such an array of sights and sounds, from Seattle's famous Pike Market to the spectacular gardens of Victoria, from the Experience Music Project's rock 'n' roll to the huffs and splashes of orca breeching yards from your boat. A swing past the San Juan Islands adds time to the trip but is highly recommended, since that's where you'r e most likely to see orca. You can extend the trip further by spending a night at San Juan. One thing you must do, however, is eat a meal - better yet, spend a night or two - at the Sooke Harbour House (www.sookeharbourhouse.com), one of the best restaurants in Canada, and one of the most romantic spots in North America. And don't forget your passport.

Where to Dock:
Seattle's Bell Harbor Marina (www.portseattle.org/seaport/marinas/bellharbor/) is right downtown within a short walk of the Pike Place Market, and it offers guest docking even by the hour. Overnight rates start at $1 per foot midweek in the offseason and peak at $1.75 per foot on holidays.

The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (www.victoriaharbour.org) operates four facilities in Victoria: Ogden Point, Fisherman's Wharf, Government Street/Ship Point and Wharf Street to Johnson Street. Rates are 52 cents per foot in the winter and $1.25 per foot in the summer (Canadian dollars).

In Sooke, check out the Sunny Shores Resort & Marina Ltd (www.sunnyshoresresort.com). The Sooke Harbour House staff will help you arrange a ride over, as long as you give them advance notice.