I was wondering if you can share your favorite beach vacations with a toddler with me. Please only let us know of Eastern coastal states, I am not interested in lake beaches. Be as specific as possible, as we are looking for a place to stay, possibly renting a two bedroom condo versus a hotel, but are still looking at hotels if you had an amazing experience. We are thinking of Myrtle Beach, but have never been there, so are open to other suggestions as well. Thanks!!
We vacationed w/ another family two summers ago in the Outer Banks-specifically Duck, NC and loved it. Kiawah and Hilton Head Island are also great family vacation spots. You could look into www.vrbo.com-it's all rentals by owner so you save some money over going through an agency. We've always had good luck finding houses through the site.
For the last two summers we've gone to the Outer Banks, NC. We love it so much we've decided to make it an annual trip and already have our plans made to go again this year. We go with a group of friends who all have kids around the same age as ours (ages 3 and 1). We rent a large house on the beach in Corolla. A lot of the houses also have private pools. Duck is also nice. Both communities also have shopping centers, restaurants, and other activities for the kids. The rental prices drop drastically the week of labor day, so that is a good time to go if your kids are not yet in school.
Hi....We went to Myrtle Beach last May with our then 3 year old daughter. We LOVED it! We stayed at Dunes Village Resort which was a condo resort with a small indoor waterpark and outdoor pool right on the beach. The condo was beautiful with a great ocean view. It was exactly what a vacation should be -- very relaxing, but still a lot to do if you wanted to. We spent a lot of time at Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing which were nearby shopping/entertainment areas. We went to Ripley's Aquarium, Alligator Adventure and of course, mini-golf. It was our first time there and I would definitely go back again.
Two years ago I went to the Outer Banks,N.C with four other familys. We had a total of seven kids( age range 10 mos-2yrs) We rented a large house on the beach and the house had a pool. It was great for the whole week the only place we ever left to was the grocery store. I highly recommend this area. There was a beach twin with shopping and resturants we just nerve needed to leave our house.
Good luck and have a great vacation!
We are going through the same search, however our kids are 11, 7 and 7. I think we are going to end up in the Florida Keys. We are thinking about Marathon, FL. Here is the place we are considering:
They have beach houses right on the beach.
Take a look.
our family has traveled 3 times now to Narrangeset (sp??) Rhode Island- we rent a home within walking distance to the beach and spend every day there- the only time we eat out is when we take the ferry to block island and on the last night- otherwise we cook a simple dinner in the home. The seafood is awesome and cheap! We also spend time in the salt pond which is so much fun for the kids! Good Luck!
For about 3 generations, my husband's family has vacationed in Brunswick County, NC. They used to stay at Ocean Isle, NC and in the last ~20 years they've been staying at Sunset Beach, NC. Personally, I've stayed at Sunset Beach just about every summer for the last 9 years. We have taken our children since they were babies. We typically rent one or two houses over a two week period with family. Sunset Beach is mostly families - not the college age crowd. Just imagine a huge extended family that sets up a few umbrellas, a pack-in-play, a few chairs on the beach. The houses are close enough to the beach you can walk back home for a snack or to go to the bathroom. The island is probably about 95% houses, no big condos. Very quaint. Fabulous seafood and eastern NC BBQ. If you go the week of Labor Day the beach is nearly empty since most kids here and there are back in school (it is also considered off-peak rental).
We rent a house from Sunset Properties www.sunsetbeachnc.com. There is another rental agency we haven't rented from called Sunset Vacations www.sunsetvacations.com. We haven't rented from Sunset because my MIL claims you don't get as nice of a house or as good of service. We always stay on the east end of the island, as far east as we can (the beach is not as crowded).
The closest airport is Myrtle Beach though in recent years we have found it harder and more expensive to fly in there. Though I did just see a $198 round trip from Rockford to Myrtle Beach recently. We have been flying in to Raleigh and driving the 3 hours into Sunset Beach. When my son was a baby we drove the 18 hours and unless airfare is through the roof, we won't be doing that again.
Typically our vacations have been about 80% of the time at the beach. Myrtle Beach is only 30 minutes away so we usually drive there for a day during our stay. Frankly, my husband & I don't like the crowds or the atmosphere so a day is about all we can take (we also usually meet up with friends).
I could go on and on - if you're seriously considering this let me know and I'd be happy to provide more details about where to eat, what to bring, etc.
A few years back, my family and I vacationed at Holden Beach, NC, which is just a little north of Myrtle Beach (I believe the distance is 30 miles or less). It's much more family-oriented; there are no hotels, only beach houses and condos, so it's less crowded and more private. But you're still close enough to Myrtle Beach to enjoy the shopping, restaurants, and golfing that Myrtle Beach has to offer. Visit Holden Beach's website for town and rental info. I highly recommend it!
This is where we stay in Myrtle Beach .. Kingston Plantation
http://www.bestmyrtlebeach.com/index.html
We love it there, it's secluded but also close enough to the action. Your toddler will love the splash park and you can rent townhouses or condos. They also have a hotel on site, I think it's an Embassy, but we've never stayed in the hotel.
The other option we go to every year is the Jersey Shore. So much better than Disney for little ones in my (and my kids) opinion. You can stay in pretty much any of the cities south of Atlantic City (don't stay in Atlantic City, too seedy for the little ones imo).
Both Wildwood and Ocean City have very kid friendly boardwalks to walk on at night and go on rides. You don't have to stay in the these towns though, even Avalon is fine and you can drive to the boardwalk, there are some trollies also. A lot of little rides for toddlers. I always search VRBO.com or findrentals.com to find a condo or house to rent. The beachfront houses and condos are great. You can also stay across the street from the beach and save a bunch of money.
You can fly into Philly and drive from there (about 1 1/2 hours) or drive the whole thing. Another nice day trip for this location for the little ones is to go to Sesameland just outside of Philly. Like Disney but with sesame street characters instead and mostly a water park but has a few rides and shows and dinner with Elmo etc.
Have fun and let me know if you have any questions!
If you are considering South Carolina for a beach vacation with a toddler, I suggest skipping Myrtle Beach and going to Hilton Head Island instead. It was my family's favorite vacation site when I was a child, and I have been there several times now with my own family. I can't say enough good things about it. It is as wonderful now as it was in my childhood memories. In particular, I recommend staying inside Sea Pines plantation instead of somewhere else on the island. There are a huge variety of rental properties available. Try going to www.seapines.com to start. A rental agency called destination vacations also focuses on sea pines. There are private homes and "villas" which are condos/townhomes. If you are looking for a two bedroom condo, there are literally hundreds if not thousands. Most villas are in clusters of 20-50 which have a "private" pool for the group. In addition, there are tons of websites that help you rent directly from owners once you have an idea of what you want. In my experience, the pools are never crowded and are good for families w/ kids. There is no need to be in a walk to the beach place because the beach is never more than a 5 min drive from any place. I would focus on making sure that your unit comes w/ bikes to ride because there are miles of beautiful bike trails on the island and it is a ton of fun to do as a family. It is such a family fun place, everyone there has tons of kids so restaurants aren't surprised to find that you have a young child. It is easy to fly into Savannah GA if you fly and then drive for 1 hr out to the island. I have sent 3 families in my neighborhood to Sea Pines in the last 2 years and they have all loved it. (My family rents a house since I have 3 kids ages 7, 5, and now 2 and while the little guy naps it is nice for us to have our own private pool to play in at the same time.) Good luck!
Here are two sites that have rentals that you may like
white-realty.com
northmyrtlebeachrentals.com
My family has used white for years...since I was a very small child. And we started using Elliotts because a house we like turned out to be owned by a guy here in Rockford and he moved to Elliotts. He offers a discount to those he finds to rent out the house himself.
It is a four bedroom and super nice. About a two block walk to the beach...not bad even with little ones.
Ed Powelson can be reached at ____@____.com or ###-###-####. Tell him that S. Acevedo in Huntley told you about the house.
Go to northmyrtlebeachrentals.com to look at it. Click on "all rentals" and find the Hawks Nest.
I've tried to post about three times and for various reasons I keep losing my post...so I'm tired. If you would like more info just email me....go to my profile and there will be a place to email me directly.
I grew up going and my kids are growing up spending a week there every summer.....they love it. I started with my oldest at about 7 months old. They all just love it.
REnting a house is great and cheaper. I like North Myrtle Beach better than the strip. Less traffic, fewer half naked kids, more families, it's nice.
I can give you lots of tips from driving down, to flying, to cooking in the house, and eating out.
Personally I think every kid should spend a little time on a beach. Myrtle Beach is great!!
PS The person that posted about going in May is right...the water is a little cold, but so is every other beach in the country. And as far as jelly fish go, I've been going every summer for 41 years and I've only seen two jelly fish...my brother got stung slightly two summers ago, but it was small and it didn't hurt him very much at all.
A few weeks back my BF and I went to Key West Florida. It was amazing. The beaches have alot of coral, but the hotel we stayed at had beautiful pools next to the beach. We did not bring children, but we saw many that did and the resort was very accomidating to them. We stayed at The Casa Marina.
Last year we stayed on Jupiter Island (near West Palm Beach) at a Sheraton resort that also had condos. The beach there was great and not so rocky as the Keys.
Good Luck and have a great vacation!
Pebble Beach condominiums in Emerald Isle, North Carolina. They have sandy beach and fresh water pool and close access to grocery store and restaurants. Because of relatives in NC, we go to the same place every year and meet at the beach. The place where we stay has bedroom with king sized bed, bedroom with queen sized bed and room with twin beds and sleeper sofa. Its possible to rent a crib and other baby gear along with sheets. Overall, Emerald Isle has many rental places that rent by the week or longer.
I personally never took a vacation with a toddler....but
I do know of a resource as to where to go and what to do!
Family Fun magazine covers family friendly vacation spots in every issue...each month has a different location/type of trip detailed with ideas as to where to go, where to stay, what to do while there. They have a website.....check it out. I'm sure you will find some thing that sparks your interest.
Hi Jennifer. We have vacationed at Myrtle Beach twice with little ones, and we have stayed at Myrtle Beach Resort. It's a little south of the main tourist area, and it's gated, which is nice. They have a nice kids water area and a playground....as well as a few pools, tennis courts, and it's right on the beach. We have really enjoyed our times there. And....the 2nd time that we went, we had researched other places to vacation, and nothing compared to the price and amenities of Myrtle Beach Resort, which is why we returned.
Jennifer, I have the best place in Myrtle beach. OCEAN LAKES, I can't begin to say how my family LOVES this place. My in-laws live there but we still choose to stay there. They have a web site, go there. It is a very family orientated. We have gone to Myrtle Beach more times that I can count, the farer south of down town you stay the more family it is, down town is real college kids. Ocean lakes is almost self contained, there is alot to do there on the grounds( don,t let the size scare you).They have a mile or two of beach they control(not real public). They have rentals in all sizes, from small one bedroom to large five bedrooms, all that is on the website. But it is also close to everything in the area. I hope you give it a try, I'm sure you will enjoy it.A.
Myrtle beach beaches even in may have cold h2o, and jellyfish. It can still be chilly there too. Last spring we went to Miami, Hollywood beach area. VERY kid friendly. We stayed at the Westin.. We used points, but, alot of people had gotten graet deals on priceline, and hotels.com. The list rate of the hotel is expensive, but Some people I had spoken with had paid the same cost as a budget motel! Good luck!
We love, love, loved it there! They also have small fridges in the rooms(or you can request one) and we saved a ton by buying our own snacks and soda/water etc. There were lots of kids there. (we did go in march, spring break time)
Hi Jennifer--
My family and I frequently vacation in a beach town called Cape May, NJ. It is a wonderful family vacation place!! I've been going there since I was a kid and have also brought my children. My oldest prefers Cape May over Disney! Everything is in walking distance from the mall to the boardwalk. I know there are condo rentals and hotels. I'm pretty sure you can just go to capemay.com and check with realtors. That's usually how we find our places to stay. Good luck and have fun at the beach!!
I'm not sure where you live, but there are direct flights from Springfield, IL to Myrtle Beach now. The airline is called DirectAir. I've not been there, but the Outer Banks in North Carolina have a lot to do for families and are reasonably priced, depending on where you go. We stayed in Avon (on Hatteras Island) and rented a house through Surf or Sound Realty.
