Help us find a vacation spot (Eastern US)

[emmagk]

Siesta Key, FL. We go every year with my IL and rent a condo right on the beach. It's beautiful, the beach is fantastic for young kids because the sand doesn't get hot and the sea is warm and mostly calm.

[akafred]

Amelia Island, FL. We went there last summer and it was just amazing. It is on the Atlantic side and the northernmost island in FL. It was reasonably priced and the island is big enough to have stores and things on it.

[pinkie]

We love OBX but that may be too close to what you have done.

cape cod or Maine (we loved Portland), but that's a hike for those in NC.

I know people love Hilton Head but we have never been.

Williamsburg Va/Bush Gardens, I think Virginia Beach is a reasonable drive

Washington DC (may be too hot in the summer)

[akafred]

Oh, I guess we should also ask what kinds of things do you guys do on vacation? Do you literally spend every day at the beach and pool, or do you rent Sea Doos or do adventurous things like parasailing or love to do other entertainment things like water parks and go karts and stuff like that? Because Amelia Island is fairly quiet. The beaches are amazing, the little downtown is great for shopping and dining, there are a couple of points of interest like a lighthouse and an old civil war fort, but it's not full of raucous family "fun" like somewhere like Myrtle. It's quieter, more laid back, definitely beachy but not wild.

[rach]

Little further down in NC- we love Sunset Beach. It's an island and quiet. 45 minute drive in either direction to get to Wilmington or Myrtle Beach if you want more activity one day. Plus, Calabash has some of the best seafood ever.

[fancynewbeesly]

I second Long Beach Island, NJ.

It is my favorite place in the world--we live close to it, so may be biased.

There is light house, boats, crabbing, etc.

We enroll Reese in a science/art day camp there--it runs from 9am to 12. She LOVES it. My brother and I both went there as well. Growing up I spend every summer in LBI. My parents own a house there. We love it because it is about a 40 minute drive from where we live so DH commutes a lot of times. And Reese and I just beach it.

[fancynewbeesly]

Also in LBI, there is numerous famous local restaurants--the whole island is 35 minute drive from one tip to the other. On side is definitely more commercial--there are numerous restaurants, amusement park, water park, mini golf, diners, sea food places, stores/shopping. On the other side it is definitely more quiet with nature trails, the light house, boating, craft markets.

[pinkie]

Jan 28, 2017 11:28:49 GMT -5 petrichor said:

Jan 28, 2017 11:18:01 GMT -5 pinkie said:

We love OBX but that may be too close to what you have done.

cape cod or Maine (we loved Portland), but that's a hike for those in NC.

I know people love Hilton Head but we have never been.

Williamsburg Va/Bush Gardens, I think Virginia Beach is a reasonable drive

Washington DC (may be too hot in the summer)

Definitely looking at OBX. Really NC or close to it may end up being the best for my mom as she's one of the NC folks.

She can drive further for the right destination.

Ideally looking for a place where those who want to can just chill at the house and it's nice if there is a little something for those of us who want a little excursion (aquarium, fort, lighthouse, gokarts are the type of things we've done in the past).

We have stayed at the towns on Hatteras Island and last year for the first time we stayed further north in Corolla. We love these areas as it's more quiet. We have gone for 10 years so if you have any questions or want realtor feedback just pm me

We have rented huge houses with private pools and we love the ability chill at the house.

[cinnamonsmiles]

We are really big fans of Charleston and Folly Beach for trips. Not sure what time of year you were planning on going, but there are some very nice AirBNB places around there as well that cater to entire families (we just booked a vacation ourselves). Although Charleston definitely has a hip-city vibe, the surrounding area is much more relaxing/low key. And, the drive wouldn't be too far from the family in NC.

[rvasc]

Jan 28, 2017 12:19:05 GMT -5 cinnamonsmiles said:

We are really big fans of Charleston and Folly Beach for trips. Not sure what time of year you were planning on going, but there are some very nice AirBNB places around there as well that cater to entire families (we just booked a vacation ourselves). Although Charleston definitely has a hip-city vibe, the surrounding area is much more relaxing/low key. And, the drive wouldn't be too far from the family in NC.

I grew up spending summers at folly beach. I love it. I also like isle of palms. With both, you're close enough to Charleston to do some great eating/shopping/touring too.

[mothafuckinteatime]

If you want a little different Tybee Island in Savannah is a great vacation spot. The island and beaches are great with all the typical beachy activities, and you're just a few minutes from savannah if you want a change of scenery. Plus downtown savannah has an open container law allowing you to get to-go drinks and go wandering around the city.

[beebe918]

Jan 28, 2017 12:57:40 GMT -5 @uncaripswife said:

Rehoboth Delaware

I live in rehoboth and can give you location recs if you decide to look into it. You can definitely find a good house for 4K but it might be a couple blocks from the beach.

[Deleted]

We love the Outer Banks. My Parent's house is in Salvo which is a lot quieter than up north (Nags Head, Kitty Hawk etc.) but still plenty to do. I also love the villages of Buxton and Hatteras down there on the island.

The Jersey shore is lovely of course too! LBI is one of my faves. Cape May is gorgeous. There is a ton of stuff to do in Mantoloking. Our go to beach is Island Beach State Park near Seaside. You pay by the car load instead of per person like the other beaches in NJ. Oh and Wildwood is great too and the beach is free!

[akafred]

You could also look into the Smoky Mountains. Not beachy at all, but there are some awesome cabins there with lots of bedrooms, pools, pool tables, hot tubs, etc, and TONS of stuff to do in the area. Just in case you're wanting something a little different or can't find a house of the right size where you want.

[sctiger]

Jan 28, 2017 11:10:37 GMT -5 akafred said:

Amelia Island, FL. We went there last summer and it was just amazing. It is on the Atlantic side and the northernmost island in FL. It was reasonably priced and the island is big enough to have stores and things on it.

I love Amelia Island. It's amazing. Plus Jacksonville and St. Augustine are close for shopping.

I also like Hilton Head and Isle of Palms.

[hotcoconuts82]

Hilton head is my happy place. It's perfection.

[peachesncream]

We have been going to Kiawah Island for years and my parents now live there. It is not my favorite place as it is a little slow/boring for my liking but there is good variety of activities (kayaking, river cruises, fishing) and it has the best beaches I have ever seen. Plus you are close enough to Charleston where there is plenty to do. It would be perfect for the beach loungers in your family.

[smilesp]

My Dad has a place in Emerald Isle, NC so I've been going there every summer for close to 20 years. It is very family-oriented. The beach isn't crowded. There is an aquarium, go karts, putt putt, good restaurants and some neat little towns close by.

[namastebiotches]

I fell in love with southwest FL in the winter of 2015.
We did a complete beach hopping relaxation vacation from the Fort Myers area to Bonita Springs/Naples area down to Marco Island. Loved it all.
The waters are super calm & absolutely gorgeous.

[akafred]

Jan 28, 2017 16:12:13 GMT -5 petrichor said:

Jan 28, 2017 15:27:33 GMT -5 smilesp said:

My Dad has a place in Emerald Isle, NC so I've been going there every summer for close to 20 years. It is very family-oriented. The beach isn't crowded. There is an aquarium, go karts, putt putt, good restaurants and some neat little towns close by.

We do love Emerald Isle. That's actually where we went every summer until 3 years ago.

I just checked and the house we always stayed at is available. I think H wants to go there.

That is good news!

[Cherhorowitz]

I love Sea Island in GA but I don't know if that's in the budget.

In terms of Jersey shore, Cape May is great but I'm partial to Ocean City if you're bringing kids. It's constantly awarded all kinds of best family vacation spot kinds of awards, clean beaches, cute downtown shopping and an awesome boardwalk with rides for kids.

[chickie]

I love St. George Island on the gulf coast of Florida. It was pretty quiet, but still had a grocery store and a few shops on the island. It's close to Appalacacola which has a cute downtown area with restaurants.

[RajahMD]

Check out Sandbridge VA. It's basically VA Beach without the tourists and commercialization. Really pretty. A friend of mine's family rented a beach house there when she graduated from college. Right on the beach. That house didn't have a pool, but there were ones that did.

[RajahMD]

Here's a website I found for Sandbridge. I did a random search for a week in July. Looks like they have plenty to choose from in your price range.

www.sandbridge.com/rental/results/SANDB176924/1/43/12

[Deleted]

That house is adorable. We had the best time on the sound side beach this past September. The kids could actually enjoy the water because it's calm and shallow.

[RajahMD]

Jan 28, 2017 22:04:52 GMT -5 petrichor said:

Jan 28, 2017 19:11:21 GMT -5 RajahMD said:

Here's a website I found for Sandbridge. I did a random search for a week in July. Looks like they have plenty to choose from in your price range.

www.sandbridge.com/rental/results/SANDB176924/1/43/12

 Those prices jump to $10,000+ during the peak summer months! 

But I'll check out some other sites in the area.

Thanks!

Damn. I hadn't noticed that. Sorry!

[erbear]

Seconding Tybee Island! We've only ever been there in the off seasons, but if I had to pick a beach to visit, it would be there. Savannah is a fantastic place to visit, too!

[seadragon2013]

For a slightly different beach experience, I'd recommend Chincoteague Island and Assateague National Seashore in Virginia. The national seashore park has awesome beaches and fun outdoor activities. Chincoteague Island is a cute small town with an interesting history/culture and plenty of good restaurants and activities like mini golf. NASA's Wallops Island center is 10 minutes away - they have a nice visitor's center and if you are lucky, you could see a rocket launch.

[layloo08]

Ocracoke Island, NC.
If you're die hard beach people it is WONDERFUL.

Also, I got married at Emerald Isle

[tallblonde]

I don't think it's been mentioned,but Wrightsville Beach in NC is lovely. It's basically in Wilmington, so can go downtown and have easy access to a town and other stuff if rainy. I prefer the sand and beaches over OBX, the water is bluer and the sand is softer.