Hi mamas,
Let me just start off by saying I am a big Carolina's fan. We normally vacation in Myrtle Beach for 10 days This year, tight finances are requiring a shorter 7-day stay :-( so I am looking for somewhere with a shorter drive. I had a horrible experience at a NJ beach (wasn't Cape May, some place further north I think - Seager or something like that). A few years ago I spent a few days in Dewey beach and there just wasn't enough there for entertainment for my daugher (7 this year).
I am looking for a place that is family friendly, with enough activities for us to do in the evenings but not the craziness of boardwalk. We love to eat local (I refuse to eat at some chain I can go to in my hometown). I want a beach with a lifeguard, and a room with a small kitchen/kitchenette - we like to eat breakfast and lunch in the room. I am thinking somewhere in DE, VA or MD?
ETA: I really do have my heart set on an ocean beach this year, but will definitely keep the lake locations in find for the future.
Any and all recommendations appreciated.
TIA
We like Bethany Beach.
Look at Sea Colony.
There are condos, homes, town homes, etc.
it would be cheaper to stay in SC West, but we like oceanfront.
Must it be an ocean beach? I was always a beach girl - but we went to the Adirondacks one year at the last minute when my huband had spinal surgery and we were unsure if we'd be able to vacation. When his reocvery was speedy we booked a small housekeeping unit a couple of weeks ahead of time on Lake George. We now go back almost every year. The beach is wonderful, there's mountains and woods and cliffs to jump off, etc. Another summer we went to the Thousand Islands area of upstate NY -Alexandria Bay - on the St. Lawrence Seaway between the US and Canada. Gorgeous! fishing, boating, beaching, islands, castles, and more than a thousand islands.
As for MD, DE or VA - there's always Virginia Beach, OCean City, MD or Rehoboth Beach, DE. The last two are on the DelMarVa peninsula which is lovely. Virginia Beach is not too far from Williamsburg which can be a day trip. Portsmouth, VA has a great children's museum too.
Have fun whatever you do!
You could try Ocean City and Asseteague Island...two totally different experiences all within 20 miles of each other. We stay at Chincoteague and have a great time but we don't worry about entertaining our girls...they are happy with going on hikes, going to the beach, visiting little shops, playing games, feeding ducks and gulls, etc. We rent a house so we aren't cramped or cooped up.
I second Chincoteague / Assateague ... We go a couple of times every year.
DE, try Rehoboth. It's also an easy trip to Ocean City or one of the places where the wild horses live: http://www.assateagueisland.com/chincoteague/chincoteague... I find OC MD to be a little crazier than Rehoboth, but it's not a bad beach per se.
If you want a lake beach, try Deep Creek Lake. There's a public beach there and stuff for the kids. Lake Anna in VA is not as built up and we didn't enjoy it as much. You could also try Smith Mountain Lake in VA.
If you're not dead set on the ocean, I would second Lake George. Awesome place for vacation!
If you want to be away from the boardwalk craziness, you could stay on the north end of Ocean City MD, near Fenwick Island. It is all condos up there (around 130th to 140th streets).
We've always had great experiences renting houses in ocean city, New Jersey. My parents have rented houses there for 4 decades.
