Beach Vacation VA, NC, SC, GA

[Elizabeth86]

My dh and I have been wanting to take the kids on a beach vacation for a while.  Obviously covid is a concern at the moment and we won't be vacationing until things are looking better, BUT we are setting money aside for this in the future and I would like to be planning things because that's what I do.  So, let's pretend covid isn't a thing and give some ideas where I want to go.  I have spent very very little time at the beach so I don't know.  First step is to narrow it down to which state we want to visit. Should we go to Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina or Georgia?  My family is 4 kids currently under the age of 9 if that helps you any.  

[Carrie12345]

I haven’t done a lot of non-Jersey Shore beach vacations, but I have terrific memories of Chincoteague/Assateague VA. It was incredibly laid back to us 3 kids, compared to busy boardwalks, but still so much to do. And ponies!

[Pawz4me]

I'd first decide what activities you want --

Just hang out on the beach? And if so, do you need/want a mostly family oriented one? Do you need/want other things to do, and if so -- what types of activities? Amusement parks, shopping, golf, historic attractions, etc.?

In NC we like Oak Island, Wrightsville Beach, Atlantic Beach and the Outer Banks beaches. But all for different reasons. It just depends what we're after at the time.

In SC Myrtle Beach is of course the huge commercial touristy place. But I'd strongly advise staying either north (North Myrtle Beach, Cherry Grove) or south (Garden City Beach, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet) of the city of MB proper, as it's really gone downhill in the last few years.

We love Isle of Palms outside of Charleston. Beautiful beach, enough modern conveniences (restaurants) to keep us happy, and convenient to all the history in and around Charleston. Folly Beach is nice and perhaps more kid friendly?

The Jekyll Island area of Georgia is another nice and mostly quiet/relaxed area.

Really--it will help everyone make better recommendations if you let us know what you want besides nice beach. You can certainly find nice beaches in any of those states, so . . maybe narrow your area down, too?

[Innisfree]

9 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

I haven’t done a lot of non-Jersey Shore beach vacations, but I have terrific memories of Chincoteague/Assateague VA. It was incredibly laid back to us 3 kids, compared to busy boardwalks, but still so much to do. And ponies!

Another vote for Chincoteague and Assateague. Assateague is wild, pristine, seems to go on forever, yet it's easily accessible from comfortable, walkable, small-scale Chincoteague. We rented an Airbnb-type house when we visited. A boat tour highlighting ponies, eagles and local history was a big hit, as was a popular ice cream place. Of course you must read the Misty books before going for the full effect, but that's almost the best part. 

[Elizabeth86]

1 minute ago, Pawz4me said:

I'd first decide what activities you want --

Just hang out on the beach? And if so, do you need/want a mostly family oriented one? Do you need/want other things to do, and if so -- what types of activities? Amusement parks, shopping, golf, historic attractions, etc.?

In NC we like Oak Island, Wrightsville Beach, Atlantic Beach and the Outer Banks beaches. But all for different reasons. It just depends what we're after at the time.

In SC Myrtle Beach is of course the huge commercial touristy place. But I'd strongly advise staying either north (North Myrtle Beach, Cherry Grove) or south (Garden City Beach, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet) of the city of MB proper, as it's really gone downhill in the last few years.

We love Isle of Palms outside of Charleston. Beautiful beach, enough modern conveniences (restaurants) to keep us happy, and convenient to all the history in and around Charleston. Folly Beach is nice and perhaps more kid friendly?

The Jekyll Island area of Georgia is another nice and mostly quiet/relaxed area.

Really--it will help everyone make better recommendations if you let us know what you want besides nice beach. You can certainly find nice beaches in any of those states, so . . maybe narrow your area down, too?

Thanks.  So I know I want to avoid overly commercial places like Myrtle Beach.  We do want to spend just several quiet days just relaxing and enjoy the beach and each other. We would most prefer a quiet natural type scenery over busy and touristy.  We are always interested in state parks and the nature side of things.  We would like to do at least 1 historic thing.  The littlest ones couldn't handle too much history lol, but the oldest 2 boys sure would enjoy it. We won't spend time on golf or shopping.  We wouldn't mind things like aquariums and *possibly* amusement parks. Hope that helps clear up what we are looking for.

[2squared]

We have determined that the closer you stay to the beach, the better. The last couple of years we have vacationed on Sunset Beach, North Carolina and Tybee Island, Georgia. Sunset Beach was a great family beach about 30 miles north of Myrtle Beach, and Tybee is about 15 min from Savannah. Our kids aged 8-20 (at the time) loved both vacations. 

For both, we had to cross dunes to actually get to the beach, which felt like a hot, long process.  Our second stay we picked an AIrB&B that was right off the beach, so the hot, long walk was as short as possible. 

[Pawz4me]

15 minutes ago, Elizabeth86 said:

Thanks.  So I know I want to avoid overly commercial places like Myrtle Beach.  We do want to spend just several quiet days just relaxing and enjoy the beach and each other. We would most prefer a quiet natural type scenery over busy and touristy.  We are always interested in state parks and the nature side of things.  We would like to do at least 1 historic thing.  The littlest ones couldn't handle too much history lol, but the oldest 2 boys sure would enjoy it. We won't spend time on golf or shopping.  We wouldn't mind things like aquariums and *possibly* amusement parks. Hope that helps clear up what we are looking for.

Wrighstville Beach/Carolina Beach area in NC -- Some history around the area, and the NC aquarium at Fort Fisher.

Oak Island -- Very family oriented, relaxed. Not too far from Wilmington. Has a small lighthouse your boys might enjoy. Also some history around (Southport, Wilmington) and you could drive or take the ferry up to the aquarium at Fort Fisher. Your boys might all enjoy the ferry ride?

The OBX of course has tons of history, and there's another NC aquarium at Manteo. It can be more driving than many people realize, though, so you'd want to narrow down what you want to do and choose a central place to stay. With a few exceptions, though, I don't think the OBX beaches are as nice as the others I'm mentioning. The surf also tends to be rougher.

(I'm not dissing the VA beaches, I just don't know nearly as much about them as the ones in NC, SC and GA.)

[Elizabeth86]

1 minute ago, Pawz4me said:

Wrighstville Beach/Carolina Beach area in NC -- Some history around the area, and the NC aquarium at Fort Fisher.

Oak Island -- Very family oriented, relaxed. Not too far from Wilmington. Has a small lighthouse your boys might enjoy. Also some history around (Southport, Wilmington) and you could drive or take the ferry up to the aquarium at Fort Fisher. Your boys might all enjoy the ferry ride?

The OBX of course has tons of history, and there's another NC aquarium at Manteo. It can be more driving than many people realize, though, so you'd want to narrow down what you want to do and choose a central place to stay. With a few exceptions, though, I don't think the OBX beaches are as nice as the others I'm mentioning. The surf also tends to be rougher.

(I'm not dissing the VA beaches, I just don't know nearly as much about them as the ones in NC, SC and GA.)

Thanks.  It's funny, I don't about VA beaches either.  It's funny because I actually live in VA (opposite side of the state from the beach) and everyone I know goes to NC, SC or GA.  No one ever goes to VA beaches.  My family is working on visiting all the VA state parks, so I'm super tempted to stick with VA, but I just don't know.

[whitestavern]

We did a lot of research for a trip we took last month. We ended up staying in Savannah and Charleston and doing some day trips to beaches. That being said, the Golden Isles of Georgia looked great, as did Amelia Island, FL, and Kiawah Island, SC. Trip Advisor forums for all those areas are a great source of information. 

[Pawz4me]

We went to Virginia Beach many years ago and frankly weren't impressed at all. We assumed we'd been spoiled by the beaches here in NC and to the south, but . . that was one snapshot in time, and a long time ago. We've always had Chincoteague/Assateague on the list of places we wanted to go, but we've just never gotten around to them.

ETA:  I have family in southwest Virginia and they all go to the beaches in NC or SC. I don't recall them ever going to any of the VA beaches. But I don't know the "why" of that, other than my aunt grew up going to the NC/SC beaches, so they may just be following tradition.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Pawz4me

[alisoncooks]

Virginia Beach (according to DH) is incredibly crowded/touristy. Idk, I've only ever driven by. 

We did a vacation in Myrtle Beach. I quite enjoyed it. The shopping/Ripley's Aquarium/pirate show were all good. Our hotel had a private beach area, so not packed (but it was also September). I told DH that it felt like Gatlinburg/PF ...but at the beach.  

I'm from eastern NC, so to me the beach is always OBX. 😉 In fact, we're headed there in 3 weeks. But yes, it can be a lot of driving, depending on where you stay. Nags Head is central, but if you want to see the lighthouse in Hatteras or the waterpark at the far north end or the aquarium/The Lost Colony in Manteo, that's still a 30-45min+ drive. But Nags Head is close to Jockey's Ridge (sand dunes state park) and the Wright Bros memorial. Also close to the movies or putt-putt.

We stay in the Rodanthe/Salvo/Waves area (partway to Hatteras). We usually have 1-2 days we drive into "town" or over to Ocracoke, but usually we're content with pool/beach/local tiny ice cream shops. 🙂 (Which is about all you'll find there, lol.)

Edited May 13, 2021 by alisoncooks

[sheryl]

4 hours ago, Elizabeth86 said:

Thanks.  So I know I want to avoid overly commercial places like Myrtle Beach.  We do want to spend just several quiet days just relaxing and enjoy the beach and each other. We would most prefer a quiet natural type scenery over busy and touristy.  We are always interested in state parks and the nature side of things.  We would like to do at least 1 historic thing.  The littlest ones couldn't handle too much history lol, but the oldest 2 boys sure would enjoy it. We won't spend time on golf or shopping.  We wouldn't mind things like aquariums and *possibly* amusement parks. Hope that helps clear up what we are looking for.

You may wise to avoid Myrtle Beach.

Oak Island is more of a community and quiet - more mature.  We go there a bit.  There are so many places to go.  I'd choose a state and narrow it from there.  

[sheryl]

2 hours ago, alisoncooks said:

Virginia Beach (according to DH) is incredibly crowded/touristy. Idk, I've only ever driven by. 

We did a vacation in Myrtle Beach. I quite enjoyed it. The shopping/Ripley's Aquarium/pirate show were all good. Our hotel had a private beach area, so not packed (but it was also September). I told DH that it felt like Gatlinburg/PF ...but at the beach.  

I'm from eastern NC, so to me the beach is always OBX. 😉 In fact, we're headed there in 3 weeks. But yes, it can be a lot of driving, depending on where you stay. Nags Head is central, but if you want to see the lighthouse in Hatteras or the waterpark at the far north end or the aquarium/The Lost Colony in Manteo, that's still a 30-45min+ drive. But Nags Head is close to Jockey's Ridge (sand dunes state park) and the Wright Bros memorial. Also close to the movies or putt-putt.

We stay in the Rodanthe/Salvo/Waves area (partway to Hatteras). We usually have 1-2 days we drive into "town" or over to Ocracoke, but usually we're content with pool/beach/local tiny ice cream shops. 🙂 (Which is about all you'll find there, lol.)

Right, but probably not suited for 4 kids under 9.  There are a few things here and there and I was going to suggest OBX but I thought twice about it.  

[matrips]

For mostly a beach and hanging out, I’d go with a shorter drive.  What’s closest?  Least expensive?  You live in VA so tons of history stuff to do all the time anyway.

we did take a family vacation to Chincoteague when the kids were around 5.  Awesome trip.  Boat ride to see the wild horses, beach days, a class run by the rangers at the national park, a rainy day at the nasa museum place nearby.  Plans to go horseback riding didn’t work out, but that was an option too.

[kokotg]

4 hours ago, Elizabeth86 said:

Thanks.  So I know I want to avoid overly commercial places like Myrtle Beach.  We do want to spend just several quiet days just relaxing and enjoy the beach and each other. We would most prefer a quiet natural type scenery over busy and touristy.  We are always interested in state parks and the nature side of things.  We would like to do at least 1 historic thing.  The littlest ones couldn't handle too much history lol, but the oldest 2 boys sure would enjoy it. We won't spend time on golf or shopping.  We wouldn't mind things like aquariums and *possibly* amusement parks. Hope that helps clear up what we are looking for.

Jekyll Island is my favorite beach vacation spot, and it would tick all those boxes. It's owned by the state, so development (and therefore crowds) is limited, with lots of natural areas. And really interesting history because it was a winter resort for all those Gilded Age robber baron types before the state took it over. There's a tram tour that takes you around the historic district, which appeals to younger kids, too, because you get to ride on a big red tram 🙂 . There's a small water park, too, although I've never been because we avoid summer. Oh, and our favorite part is that there are dedicated bike paths to take you all over the island; you don't have to drive at all unless you want to. 

[alisoncooks]

1 hour ago, sheryl said:

Right, but probably not suited for 4 kids under 9.  There are a few things here and there and I was going to suggest OBX but I thought twice about it.  

Idk, my kids have done OBX every summer since they were babies. Enough to do...or not do, if one's beach style is more chill. Some people go to the beach to just...go to the beach. 😉

[Elizabeth86]

58 minutes ago, matrips said:

For mostly a beach and hanging out, I’d go with a shorter drive.  What’s closest?  Least expensive?  You live in VA so tons of history stuff to do all the time anyway.

we did take a family vacation to Chincoteague when the kids were around 5.  Awesome trip.  Boat ride to see the wild horses, beach days, a class run by the rangers at the national park, a rainy day at the nasa museum place nearby.  Plans to go horseback riding didn’t work out, but that was an option too.

No, not really.  We live in the mountains of VA and there is a bit of history, but not like colonial williamsburg type stuff.  We are in the appalachian mountinas.  All those places are about a 6.5 hour drive for us.

[Elizabeth86]

Thanks for all the advice ladies.  I've read through all you all said and after looking around a bit this morning, I *think* I'm leaning toward Charleston, SC.  So, if anyone wants to add any specifics about Charleston, let me know.

[mom2scouts]

I love the Outer Banks in NC. The beaches are nice, usually not terribly crowded or touristy, but there's usually an aquarium or fort or lighthouse or other attraction nearby if you need a break from the beach.

[kokotg]

1 minute ago, Elizabeth86 said:

Thanks for all the advice ladies.  I've read through all you all said and after looking around a bit this morning, I *think* I'm leaning toward Charleston, SC.  So, if anyone wants to add any specifics about Charleston, let me know.

Charleston is great...Fort Sumter is a great trip with younger kids--we saw a ton of dolphins on the boat over, and then the fort itself is fun to explore. Charles Towne landing is another good, kid-friendly historic site--it's on the site of the original settlement, so there are recreated buildings/boats/etc. plus a small zoo with animals native to the area. 

[Kassia]

15 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

Idk, my kids have done OBX every summer since they were babies. Enough to do...or not do, if one's beach style is more chill. Some people go to the beach to just...go to the beach. 😉

We did too when my kids were little (and it was a 12 hour drive).  They LOVED it, but it was a lot of work for us when they were little.  It would take forever just to get everyone sunscreened and out the door.  

[Elizabeth86]

7 minutes ago, kokotg said:

Charleston is great...Fort Sumter is a great trip with younger kids--we saw a ton of dolphins on the boat over, and then the fort itself is fun to explore. Charles Towne landing is another good, kid-friendly historic site--it's on the site of the original settlement, so there are recreated buildings/boats/etc. plus a small zoo with animals native to the area. 

I had these 2 places for sure Thank you.  Can you suggest what beach?  I was seeing maybe Kiawah Island is least developed and natural.  I read Edisto Beach was least crowded, but far from Charleston.  IDK  if this is correct.  I've just read so much today.  

[kokotg]

1 minute ago, Elizabeth86 said:

I had these 2 places for sure Thank you.  Can you suggest what beach?  I was seeing maybe Kiawah Island is least developed and natural.  I read Edisto Beach was least crowded, but far from Charleston.  IDK  if this is correct.  I've just read so much today.  

We were there last in early April and it was still pretty chilly/windy, so we didn't do a ton of beach time. We went to Folly Beach, but that was mostly because that's the side of town we were staying on. It was nice, but I mostly just remember how cold we were. Oh! The USS Yorktown is another great place with young kids! They just turn you loose in a giant aircraft carrier.

[Elizabeth86]

1 minute ago, kokotg said:

We were there last in early April and it was still pretty chilly/windy, so we didn't do a ton of beach time. We went to Folly Beach, but that was mostly because that's the side of town we were staying on. It was nice, but I mostly just remember how cold we were. Oh! The USS Yorktown is another great place with young kids! They just turn you loose in a giant aircraft carrier.

Thanks. We will do that for sure.  Dh was stationed on an aircraft carrier for 6 months once, not sure I'll drag him on.  I'm only half kidding.  I think he almost went nuts on that deployment.  I guess he's glad he was a Marine instead of the Navy.  Ship life didn't agree with him. My boys will love it.

[Toocrazy!!]

Charleston is great, it’s getting very crowded now. The population explosion is real. Isle of Palms and Folly Beach are popular spots. Sullivan’s island is less crowded, but rentals are really hard to find. 
If you don’t need to be on the beach, you might try Mt. Pleasant. It’s got some cool areas, and some beautiful marsh rentals. It’s Basically half way between Sullivan’s or isle of palms and Charleston. 

[Toocrazy!!]

We used this company for the boat tour with the shrimp boil. It was so much fun! 
 

https://nature-tours.com

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, Elizabeth86 said:

Thanks. We will do that for sure.  Dh was stationed on an aircraft carrier for 6 months once, not sure I'll drag him on.  I'm only half kidding.  I think he almost went nuts on that deployment.  I guess he's glad he was a Marine instead of the Navy.  Ship life didn't agree with him. My boys will love it.

If it's hot/humid be very careful at Patriot's Point/the USS Yorktown. There's lots of stair climbing and tight spaces and no air conditioning. It's super, super easy to get overheated and/or dehydrated. We've done it a couple of times and it's well worth it, but there's absolutely no way I'd do it from now until at least late September.

[Elizabeth86]

5 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

If it's hot/humid be very careful at Patriot's Point/the USS Yorktown. There's lots of stair climbing and tight spaces and no air conditioning. It's super, super easy to get overheated and/or dehydrated. We've done it a couple of times and it's well worth it, but there's absolutely no way I'd do it from now until at least late September.

Thank you.  I'm not at all sure of the timeline just yet.  I'm hoping it will be more in the fall (that is if we are feeling comfortable with how things are going with covid, there is really no telling.)

[strawberries]

We went to Charleston three years ago. All of us enjoyed Charles Towne Landing. At the time, DS had just finished a Poe study, so Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island was a fun lunch stop. If you want a natural beach, Huntington Beach State Park is great - we saw our first alligator in the wild there! - but it is about an hour and a half from Charleston.

[whitestavern]

We just got back from Charleston and we LOVED it! There are quite a few plantations, and you can read about all of them to decide which one you'd like to go to. We enjoyed the Aiken-Rhett House and the Nathaniel Russell House museums (one admission for both). The entire historic district is lovely to just walk around. The waterfront park is nice. We wanted to rent kayaks and do some exploring on the water, but we didn't get a chance. We did not go to any of the Charleston beaches, but we did spend a day at Hunting Island State Park, which was awesome and worth the visit. They have a really nice beach there as well, if you're looking for a day trip recc. 

Note that you cannot go onto Kiawah island unless you are staying there, and I believe there is only one hotel on the island. There are home rentals though. 

[mmasc]

We’ve done Charleston, and it was beautiful. We didn’t go to the beach on that trip, though. We did the other stuff like plantations, downtown, Fort Sumter, etc. My kids liked it, but they remember a LOT of walking. We’ve been to a couple of NC beaches (Fort Fisher and Wrightsville I think). But I honestly really love NORTH Myrtle Beach. (North Myrtle Beach is an actual town with hotels; it’s not just the northern part of Myrtle Beach, so it’s father from the main touristy boardwalk area) The beach is lovely and quieter than Myrtle Beach, the sand has plenty of shells to find, but not tons of painful-to-step-on broken shells like I’ve seen on other beaches, the water is warm, and like @alisoncooks, we really enjoy the pirate show and Ripely’s aquarium as a break from the beach, if needed. Plus, funnel cakes. 😁

[QueenCat]

The Outer Banks in NC are very nice but they are heavily booked for this summer. People are having a hard time finding rentals or motels (few hotels). 

[Annie G]

We stayed in Charleston last weekend to attend a wedding in Mt. Pleasant. After the reception we walked the beach at Isle of Palms and were surprised at how crowded it was. At 7 pm, 70 degrees and quite windy, the beach was packed.  There were lots of families and it looked very family friendly. Just surprised at how crowded it was- Charleston wasn’t crowded.

Hotel prices were high!!

[WildflowerMom]

I would definitely not go to any place you mentioned between Memorial Day and Labor Day.    The crowds will be nuts and the heat...😱. 

If you can ever swing it, keep Cape San Blas and Mexico Beach, Florida in mind.   It is our favorite beach place and that’s saying a lot since my parents live on Amelia island and that makes for a super easy and cheap vacay.  But we’d still always choose the Cape.   It is magical.  

[HS Mom in NC]

I would advise doing everything you can to maximize your time on the beach because it can be a lot of effort to get there.

I live in the greater Raleigh area, so I only know about beaches in NC.  One thing that you need to be aware of is that there are very few public restrooms on the beaches here.  The nearby shops and restaurants often have "Restrooms for Customers Only" signs posted. Many beaches can be searched for by name and you can add in the keywords "public restrooms" to help you find one. Same with public parking-the amount varies from beach to beach.  

They make garden/beach wagons with special wide wheels for sand (up to a certain weight) that are very handy if you end up having to walk a long way to a spot. I got mine at Amazon.  They collapse like strollers so you can put them in your trunk. We also have beach chairs and umbrellas that are designed to be carried together like a backpack and sleeping bag. I got mine at Costco, but I assume other places have them.

I have a cousin living near the coast in ME.  As a single Mom it was harder to take her 4 kids to the beach and not be stressed out when they were younger, so she put the littles in float jackets like people wear on boats.  That didn't mean she she kept less of an eye on them, it was just a little extra insurance and let her relax a bit more.

[Alicia64]

I write about travel for a parenting mag in Virginia. I thought you might like to see these articles:

Georgia Islands: The Family Went Down to Georgia

Outer Banks, NC (really great beaches section after the part on sharks): Shark Smart & Beach Bound -- Learning to share the ocean

South Carolina: When It's Carolina Time -- Discover Hilton Head Island

Virginia Beach: Spinning Hurricanes into Gold -- Getting Back to Virginia Beach

For another group, I wrote about Virginia Beach hotels:

• Hampton Inn Virginia Beach Oceanfront North
• Quality Inn & Suites Oceanfront

You didn't say Delaware beaches, but I'm including b/c they were my favorite especially Rehoboth: A Date with Delaware Shore and Lots More for Families

I love beaches. I hope these help!