The paradox of summer vacation destinations, especially in New England , is that we never want them to change too much. And in places like Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket , the simple act of building a new home or opening a restaurant can sometimes feel like a downright act of war. But change is inevitable, and this summer brings plenty of it to the region. The classic pleasures remain—beach days, twilight runs to the ice cream stand, lobster rolls so fresh they practically taste like salt air—but the region feels increasingly less like a frozen postcard of old-money summer tradition and more like a creative, experience-driven coastal playground. Hotels are leaning into wellness and design, the once-sleepy Mid Cape has emerged as a vibrant dining destination, and a heritage craft workshop on Nantucket suddenly feels as compelling a reason to sail thirty miles out to sea as the windswept beaches of Madaket.…