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Destin area beaches

mdmost

By mdmost
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mdmost

mdmost 43,054

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Planning our summer vacation and we've centered on a beach vacation. I'd rather do California but the wife wants the East Coast to try something new. We'd rather not do Florida but can have it as an option. I was thinking something in South Carolina like Myrtle Beach or the Charleston area. Any experiences or suggestions?

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South Austin

South Austin 52,620

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I love Emerald Isle, North Carolina. I grew up just south of there, and took the whole family for a beach week there during my 20th high school reunion in 2012.

We’ve also been to Rosemary Beach, Florida three times and are big fans. White sands, clear waters, lots of milfs.

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9,083

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2 hours ago, mdmost said:

Planning our summer vacation and we've centered on a beach vacation. I'd rather do California but the wife wants the East Coast to try something new. We'd rather not do Florida but can have it as an option. I was thinking something in South Carolina like Myrtle Beach or the Charleston area. Any experiences or suggestions?

Emerald Isle is nice, not that much night life, more residential in its feel, but the beaches are great.

 

The Outer banks would give you more choices of beaches, and lots of great restaurants, bars, things to do.

3 hour drive from Raleigh, NC.  airport or 1 1/2 drive from Norfolk, Va. airport.  A much more laid back beach from Corrola down to Cape Hatteras.  You've got the ocean and a huge back Bay Area within about 1 mile of each other. surfing, Fishing, kayaking, hang gliding, kite surfing, pier, surf, and deep water fishing.  Great seafood joints all along the Beach roads.  The ocean has bad rip tides at times, but they are very good about managing people in the water if it;'s dangerous surf. I grew up in those waters and as a kid it doesn't get much better for swimming, rafting body surfing.

Nags head, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills are the meat of the beach and have the most to offer along that stretch. Corrolla is more resort like and traffic is a bitch during the summer.  Hatteras is the far end and not as much to do except fish or hang on the  huge beach, which is nice....

I wouldn't go to Myrtle beach if given the opportunity to go to other places.  It is very kid friendly, lots of touristy things to do, but very very touristy. Great golf and good beaches. A congested drive to get there all the time.

Charleston of course is very cool and lots of history, great food, cool night life.

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EE2B

EE2B 1,565

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Georgia...either Jekyll Island or St. Simon’s Island. both are fantastic with plenty of things to do and see outside simply laying on the sand.

We’ve done both and typically end up in savannah as well for a night or two. My wife still talks about the sea turtle rescue on Jekyll Island.
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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9,083

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Just now, South Austin said:

I will say that North Carolina coast summers can be muggy as shit.  Like Houston muggy.

That is for damn sure. We go at least 2x a summer, and while it's not the rule, it does suck when it happens, and that's pretty much true all the way from Va. down to Fla.

Sept. and Oct. are friggin glorious there.

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9,083

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1 hour ago, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

How old are the kids? If teens they will love Myrtle Beach for the party atmosphere.

Hilton Head hasn't been mentioned yet but is good with younger kids.

Hilton head is definitely nice, but very resort, less beach in my opinion. Very beautiful  though. 

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VABuckeye

VABuckeye 2,472

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6 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

North Myrtle Beach is much nicer than Myrtle Beach even though it's just a couple of miles up the road.  The Outer Banks are a solid choice but the waves were crazy when we were there. I wouldn't let kids get very far out there without supervision.

Driving from North Myrtle to South Myrtle sucks.  The traffic in that town is bad in the summer.

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orange dream

orange dream 1,256

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Hilton Head was kind of a whip in my opinion.  When I go to the beach my preference is for it to be uncrowded.  HHI was almost elbow to elbow with our fellow vacationers.  Making matters worse was it was a heavy dose of New York, Philly & Boston residents.  We were there mid to late July timeframe 6 or 7 years ago.  YMMV.

I agree that North Myrtle Beach would be preferred over "regular" myrtle beach.  Avoid  Memorial Day weekend at all cost. Trust me!!

Wrightsville Beach, Nags Head and Duck are also worth checking out.

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RiceOwl

RiceOwl 74

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I grew up going, but to me, depending on your budget, it’s tough to beat Nantucket.

Great restaurants, fishing, golf, etc... All in a classic whaling town that really brings you back in time.

The south facing beaches are really nice and if you go from July 15th-September 1st, the water will be ~70 which is very manageable. 

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Brew

Brew 3,049

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Kiawah and Seabrook Islands have not been slam packed the times we have been there like HHI or Myrtle have been. The Amelia Island / Fernandina Beach areas were also nice and had plenty to do plus easy access from Jacksonville. However, with younger kids you just can’t beat the Florida Gulf Coast. 30A, Anna Maria Island, Longboat and Siesta Key, Sanibel/Captiva, all have better beaches, better water access for kids, and are all around more kid friendly. Outside of the Caribbean, the only beaches my kids want to go to are along that stretch, because for them a beach means warm water and white sand (outside of SanCap anyways). There are plenty of off the beaten path areas where you can go and not be elbow to elbow with people.

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Sbbruin

Sbbruin 21,894

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22 hours ago, South Austin said:

I will say that North Carolina coast summers can be muggy as shit.  Like Houston muggy.

Not to threadjack, but can you expand on this?  Are they really that brutal?  The wife and I have kicked around retirement destinations, and the southeast- NC/SC/GA have definite appeal.  Outer Banks and Places like New Bern seem pretty cool, and what you can get for the money is amazing.  But I wonder if there's a reason, mainly that it is oppressive in the summer and cold ass in the winter.  We're years off yet, but I wonder if I should just scratch this region off.

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9,083

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6 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Not to threadjack, but can you expand on this?  Are they really that brutal?  The wife and I have kicked around retirement destinations, and the southeast- NC/SC/GA have definite appeal.  Outer Banks and Places like New Bern seem pretty cool, and what you can get for the money is amazing.  But I wonder if there's a reason, mainly that it is oppressive in the summer and cold ass in the winter.  We're years off yet, but I wonder if I should just scratch this region off.

Having spent 2 weeks a summer there the last 50 years or so it can get 95 degrees and 80% or worse humidity. That's not the rule, but it sucks when it happens.  

Most of the the time it's 80-90, and not oppressively humid when there's a good breeze blowing from off shore.  The wind direction makes the difference.  Late July and August seem to be the worse times to be there. Early Summer, and Fall along the Outer Banks is amazing. 

No definitely do not scratch it off. The Outer banks are pretty damn cool.  Unless you're from Jersey or NY, then it sucks, and I would strongly  recommend you never go there ever.

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South Austin

South Austin 52,620

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11 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Not to threadjack, but can you expand on this?  Are they really that brutal?  The wife and I have kicked around retirement destinations, and the southeast- NC/SC/GA have definite appeal.  Outer Banks and Places like New Bern seem pretty cool, and what you can get for the money is amazing.  But I wonder if there's a reason, mainly that it is oppressive in the summer and cold ass in the winter.  We're years off yet, but I wonder if I should just scratch this region off.

Winters aren't bad.  I mean, they're bad if you're coming from Southern California.  But you're not going to have much appreciable snow along the Carolina coast or long periods of frozen testicles like some east coast areas further north. 

As for the summer, you'll get several weeks with temperatures in the 90s with 80%+ humidity.  Even with temps in the 80s the humidity is still pretty high, something Californians aren't used to.  Those summer periods are much, much shorter than what I endure here in Texas, and I don't think they're by any means a significant negative in the overall liveability of the area.  Just get used to your clothes sticking to you for a spell in the summer.  The springs and falls can be gorgeous, the people are laid back, and you're within a decent drive to the Raleigh-Durham area, and another few hours for some good getaways in the Western Carolina mountains.

Don't scratch this region off.  I loved my time in NC.  @OnBoard probably has better information as I believe he's lived in NC more recently than I have. 

Edit:  And just like that, OnBoard beat me to it, and pretty much said what I said.

Edited by South Austin
OnBoard be faster
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Sbbruin

Sbbruin 21,894

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If we're retired and not pinned down by jobs, I suppose we could pick July/August to travel and get the hell out of there.  But I'll be workin' for the man for a number of years yet.  But we've started to kick it around.  The reality is that where our kids are living will probably drive our decision pretty hard.

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alincoln

alincoln 2,385

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3 hours ago, Parliament said:

Sea Pines Resort at Hilton Head.  You can rent a condo pretty cheap in the summer.

Agree with this recommendation, although we have always rented a house in Sea Pines for a week a few rows off the beach.  You can then walk to the beach which isn't crowded at all and also hang out at the pool at your house.  I guess the dude above bitching about the crowds must have stayed in a low rent district.  HH is really great for kids.  The beach is suitable/enjoyable for all ages.  You can easily drive into the more populated areas for lunch/dinner/drinks.  The best restaurant in HH is Ombra Cucina and is a must in my opinion.    

One problem, it is way too late in the season to secure a good house for this summer at any of the worthwhile east coast destinations.

Happy to provide more detailed HH info (particularly Sea Pines related) if anyone is interested.

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Bartles

Bartles 769

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Our spot is Cape May at the southern tip of New Jersey. Less than 90 min drive from PHL airport. Not overrun by any annoying types. Even if you hate Philly sports, you'll see lots of shirts and hats but it's not the obnoxious fans. Nice beaches, great bars/restaurants, easy walking/driving/biking everywhere. About 15 minutes from Wildwood boardwalk which is rowdier but has rides, etc. But Hilton Head is great too - I haven't been in so long I can't recommend anything specific.

 

 

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McCroskey

McCroskey 1,505

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Just curious, have you ever been to Destin or 30A?

What are you looking for? Nice beaches and a house rental? Or hotel?

I just gotta say, I’m nearly 40 and have spent my life going all over the east coast...most anything north of Charleston isn’t that great. Hilton Head / Kiowah are great but not the best beaches IMO. Weather/humidity/wind across the east coast is terrible in summer and as you would expect, crowds are jam packed but granted you’ll run into that most places.

I would recommend Alys Beach or Rosemary Beach. After that, Sandestin. Fantastic places to spend a week, all are on the FL gulf coast. Can fly into VPS or ECP.


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Llano Estacado

Llano Estacado 1,257

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Hilton Head. 


Not really Applicable Info or at all helpful. -

Have a cousin in Bluffton, SC. Been to HHI twice with them, once in the offseason. Then this year in October we couldn’t make it work so did 3 nights in Charleston and 3 nights at Folly beach AirBnB. I really loved the feel of Folly offseason. Easy access from Charleston airport.

Everyone of those SC trips I’ve spent half drunk and full of good food. My best day during season on HHI was taking a boat to some random sand bar on the back bayou and drinking millers and fireball away from the non-locals. The other day on HH we drove in early dropped the girls, blankets, bags, ice heats off, parked away, and took bikes in. I think we were off the beach by 2 or 2:30. So I don’t know what it looks like density wise peak hrs peak season

Can’t recall any food or drink spots as that’s been a few years. But plenty of decent beach type spots between Bluffton and HH

Folly Beach we hit a bunch of local spots, but one afternoon finished early and went to a nice dinner back in Charleston (restaurant list is long, but distinguished)
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mdmost

mdmost 43,054

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So you've all given me a lot to think about. Going back and forth between Destin/30A area and Hilton Head. May go for Florida just for ease of travel and those white sandy beaches. Lots of condos. Any good tips on places in that area to look?

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South Austin

South Austin 52,620

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Rosemary Beach is the prettiest, least crowded, and has the best restaurants (although the other 30A towns aren't that far away if you want to venture out).  It's also a very safe contained environment where we felt fine letting our kids bike around town by themselves.  They have a great farmer's market in the town square every Sunday. 

There is a smaller community right next to Rosemary Beach called Seacrest Beach, that for all practical purposes feels like it's part of Rosemary Beach, but you might find a place there that's a bit cheaper.

West of the Rosemary/Seacrest area on 30A is Alys Beach, which is still relatively new, but for some reason has a weird new age vibe to it. 

Then even further west on 30A is Seaside (where The Truman Show was filmed).  A very nice area, but bigger and more crowded.

We've stayed in Rosemary Beach three times.  We know we'll be back to 30A, and don't have the desire to stay anywhere else. 

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Brew

Brew 3,049

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Not a Rosemary fan here, something about it has never done much for me/us. We have pretty well always stayed further west in the Blue Mountain beach area. For the last 10+ years we have been in that area 2-3 times a year. You can find areas with fewer condos so the crowds are thinner that direction. Plus you have easy access to all of the communities along 30A and Destin if you feel the need. You couldn’t pay me to stay in Seaside at this point, too many people and too many kids. If you end up on 30A, I can tell you about just about every restaraunt in the vicinity.

Saying all of that, we probably made our last trip there last year. We were close to buying a house and just decided at the last minute to pull out of it and go further south. There are just too many people at this point even out of season when we tend to go. The barrier islands from Clearwater south are more our speed and where we will go. Their seasons are somewhat flipped so I can walk out of our house on Sanibel, go to the beach, and there be no one out there in the middle of June. We also will spend some time on Anna Maria and Longboat on trips back and forth for the summer just for a change of pace. Their beaches are right up there with 30A and you can find places during the week with light traffics. The weekends are a different story.

 

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mdmost

mdmost 43,054

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Of the two areas, Rosemary Beach and Seaside off 30A, which is better? Most of the places I'm seeing for rent are in those areas. The Seaside ones all seem to be resort types. The Rosemary Beach ones are more smaller condos. I know the kids would love the resort options but I'm not sure that's what the wife and I are looking for. I lean more to Rosemary Beach for a more laid back vacation.

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hopkinsnhorns

hopkinsnhorns 533

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On 3/8/2019 at 11:16 AM, mdmost said:

So you've all given me a lot to think about. Going back and forth between Destin/30A area and Hilton Head. May go for Florida just for ease of travel and those white sandy beaches. Lots of condos. Any good tips on places in that area to look?

My in-laws get a condo in Fort Walton Beach every summer, just across the bridge from Destin (aka The Redneck Riviera).  I think it's called the Island Echos by Wyndham.  Pretty nice, just a pain to get to unless you're driving in.  Flights in to/out of VPS are $$$.

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