Hey Moms - i posted awhile back for advice on a vacation to Walt Disney World. I think we've decided we're not going to do it. I'm just not sure that our family is cut out for it. My husband is pretty high strung and our kids will probably start complaining about all the walking. I think it would end up being more exhausting than exciting. I asked my 7.5 yr old the other day if he could choose to go on a vacation to Walt Disney World or a stay at the beach, which would he choose, and he immediately answered "the beach". That was easy enough for me. Soooo - since I received so much great advice about WDW - I figured I'd come back for advice on a good beach destination for the family. We prefer the East Coast over the West, but wouldn't rule out anything. Ideally, we would be able to use our Starwood points for roomnights (we earned thru one of those timeshare presentations) - most of their properties are Sheraton and Westin Resorts, so if any come to mind that you know are good family spots, please fill me in. If not, just let me know some good family spots for a good beach vacation. We never go anywhere, so we want this to be nice. We won't have tons of $$, but still plan to stay at a pretty decent spot. Thanks so much in advance for any advice or input. We will probably go during Fall Break (Oct. 2011). My boys will be 6 and 8. Thanks again!
I'd choose San Diego. There's lots to do in addition to the beach: San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park - my boys liked the miniature railroad museum, Lego Land is about 45 minutes north, the aquarium at La Jolla.
It's technically not the ocean, but I see that you're in OK - have you considered Corpus Christi? We took the kids down there, and the hotel discounts are fantastic in the off-season. Plus, there's the aquarium (a smaller one, but still a good one), and the battleship Lexington is open for touring, if your family would be interested, as well as a large Putt-Putt course, and I know for a fact that there is a huge Gattitown (which came in handy last year during hurricane season!). We previously stayed just outside of town, on North Padre Island, on the gulf, but this year, we'll be staying in town, on the bay. The beaches are good in both places, but I would suggest the bay for the off-season; the seaweed that gets washed up isn't regularly cleaned up in the off-season, but the bay side doesn't get as much stuff washed up.
How about the Outer Banks in North Carolina? A lot of my friends go there and love it. There are lots of houses/condos to rent. Many have pools and are close to the beach.
I have friends who just got back from St. Augustine, FL, and they LOVED it!
Since you are going in late October, you need to stay south... or you'll freeze!
YMMV
LBC
There are different beaches with different styles.
Some like renting a house and spending time at the beach every day and doing a cook out every night.
I like staying at a hotel (where room service makes the beds) and eating at restaurants (so I've not cooking or dealing with dishes or food shopping), and relaxing on the sand or pool side and walking up and down the boardwalk in the evenings. That's a REAL vacation for me!
Rehobath Beach, DE has a nice boardwalk, and so does Virginia Beach.
Outer Banks, NC is nice, but there is no boardwalk.
I haven't been to Myrtle Beach, SC in awhile but I'm seeing ads about them having a boardwalk now. I'll have to visit there again sometime.
Ocean City, MD has a 3 mile boardwalk and is very popular, but it's wall to wall tourists there and is a bit over the top for me. But, obviously many people LOVE it. If you are going after Labor Day, most beaches will be much less crowded, but you'll probably want to stay further south since the water gets cold quickly in the northern beaches.
We have a beach condo in Pine Knoll Shores, NC. It's not isolated like the outer banks, but a bit closer for you. It's a very nice place to go in Oct. The water might be a bit cold for swimming, though. It's not too crowded in Oct. and the prices are much lower than summer. It's a nice family place, with mini-golf, an aquarium, wild horses on local islands, golf/tennis/ocean kayaking/kite surfing/deep sea fishing/shark teeth or shell hunting, etc. The realty company that manages our condo is www.emeraldislerealty.com. Hope this helps. We live in Mississippi but love it there!!!
We live near St Augustine FL (east coast side of the state) and the beaches there are wonderful. It's also the oldest city in the country so there is a lot of historical sites, a lighthouse, horse drawn carraige rides, and an old castle. It's also about an hour from Jacksonville and Daytona, an hour and a half from Orlando, so that gives you three airports to choose from. I've never been but I also have heard good things about Clearwater FL
