EAST : Water + Beach with family suggestion

[MadPatSki]

Okay, I don't like planning ahead for anything these days.

I had a few neat ideas for a family vacation, but my youngest daughter (11) said that she wanted to swim in (relatively warm) ocean. I was hoping to go in the Gaspé. Do some hiking in the Chic Chocs and a bit of swimming, but I was vetoed due to water temperature.

Here is our water vacation summary since my 1st daughter was born.

She didn't get to swim mucb in Northern California in 2012. A dip near Monterray and 2-days in Lake Tahoe.
2011 was in France (Paris, Lyon, in-laws, Alps and Nice). Only stayed a few days in Nice. Water warm, but not a sandy beach.
2010 : Ontario : Lake Huron, Georgian Bay. Beautiful water, but cold on Bruce Peninsula.
2009 : Nova Scotia (Cape Breton island) and PEI.
2008 : Cape Cod
2007 : Maine?
2004 & 2005 : Ontario - Lake Erie
2002 : Ontario : Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula
1999 & 2001 : Maine?

Prior to that, without kids or when I was a kid, I've been a couple of times to the Maritimes (NB, NS, PEI) and Maine. Twice in New Jersey and once in Florida as a kid.

Here are the suggestions for the family (realizing that all these elements might not be compatible):

- Water temperature : warmer
- Big tides : yes
- Waves : yes
- Ocean
- Family friendly
- Not a sharp dropoff in the water
- Beautiful sandy beaches
- Not too commercial
- Not necessarily too far

I love the tide and waves in Maine, but water is cool.
I remember as a kid the waves around Wildwood NJ.
Great beaches in Ontario. but it is not the ocean.

I was looking into flying on points to Iles de la Madeleine (Quebec) in the Gulf of St.Lawrence, but it is a bit short notice (but I got a plane ticket to Oregon for myself at the end of August).

I know the water gets warmer the further south from Maine. Certain places in the Maritimes aren't as cold.

So I'm brainstorming here :
- Lake Huron again
- New Brunswick or PEI
- Maine
- Cape Cod (we've like to see a different place)
- New Jersey coast (Cape May-Wildwood)
Further south?
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia (V Beach)?
North Carolina or SC (Myrtle B?).
Florida??? We are getting a bit far here. I tried to see with points for 4.

Suggestions from maggots that know the coast?

[iceman]

You do ramble on.

but I have some tips for you, but not until tomorrow

#need2crash

[tetzen]

If you're going to NC/SC stay away from Myrtle Beach. I'd recommend Outer Banks in NC or Hilton Head in SC. Nice beaches with warm water. Both family friendly.

[geomorph]

Either Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard would seem to fit your criteria and weren't on your list. MV is good enough for the POTUS so it can't be too bad right?

[BigDaddy]

Or Block Island. Westerly, Point Judith, etc. RI is also very nice with lots to do: fishing, eats, waves, etc.

[warthog]

So you guys think the water is warm in the NE?

The water temp down here is higher than the air temps in half the states right now.
Not saying that is a good thing, but maybe look at Outer Banks. It should be a little more refreshing, but not the shock to your system that the New England water is. Plus, less Great Whites.

[BigDaddy]

Love the OB, but unless you windsurf or kite, it's kind of boring. And a longer drive. Great beaches, though.

[iceman]

If you haven't been to PEI that's a good bet, the water is way warmer there than it seems like it would be because the bay basically empties out every day due to the tides and the bottom warms up, which then warms the water. PEI is basically a huge farm with a couple of towns but the beach is nice and Charlottetown is small but a decent enough town.

Really from PEI until south of the Cape the water is freezing. Cold as shit in NS and Maine and NH and Mass south to the Cape. As Geomorph mentioned MV and Nantucket are really nice, if spendy and crowded. The Gulf Stream warms the waters, unlike the other side of the Cape on North. But anywhere on the south side of the cape on south it's pretty pleasant this time of year.I'm in westport Mass right now, the beach is long and beautiful but there's not a ton to do otherwise. I mean there is, but not for an 11-year-old. Lots of arts and crafts and a vineyard and a brewey but no go-karts or arcades.

Rhode Isaland is mainly Narragansett Bay except for Little Compton (right next to Westport and very similar) and then from Narragansett south. From Narragansett down south through Charlestown and Westerly it's really nice. Westerly is a good bet, the water's warm, the beaches are beautiful and it's not off-the-charts crowded. It's nice all along the bay, cool towns and a lot of history and so on but I don't really like bay beaches all that much. Beautiful area to visit, just not a great beach area to me.

I've never been to the beach in CT, so take this with a grain of salt, but I've been to a bunch of places on the Sound side of Long Island and while it's pretty pleasant it's basically a big lake. And not my favorite part of the world. The northernmost stretch of CT around Mystic and Stonington is pretty nice though and there's a lot to see with Mystic Seaport and other attractions around there. But it seems pretty crowded to me.

The south coast of Long Island is amazingly nice. Obviously there's the Hamptons, but if you didn't inherit some money recently that can be tough. Fire Island is amazing but you'd have to rent a place pretty much. Unreal beaches though. Montauk is pretty awesome, I like it there.

In NJ, it's better than you think. Long beach Island and Cape may are both cool. The beaches are gorgeous and there's a ton to do for a kid. But it's NJ, there's a ton of people and they're well, they're from New Jersey.

The Delaware coast is tiny but pretty nice. Lewes is kind of off the beaten track but it's right next to Rehoboth, which is a nice town. Tons of restaurants and shops, decent beach. Huge gay population in Rehoboth for what that's worth. If being around a lot of gay people freaks you out don't go there.

Dewey Beach DE is kind of the EC beach town in a nutshell. Crowded, tons of bars and live music, hungover college kids dragging themselves to the beach at 2 in the afternoon. Very fun place though.

South of there I've only ever been to hatteras but I've been there a few times, awesome place, insane beaches, too crowded at the height of summer because there's only one road and it's clogged with RV's doing 20 mph. It just is. Go in may or October and it's about the nicest place in the world though.

I can help you focus in a little based on time frame and budget and interests if you want.

[lionelhutz]

Outter Banks.

Fly to Norfolk, rent car, drive.

Or just sack up and make the drive.

Incredible beaches, no commercial boardwalk, plenty of places to stay....

[Tippster]

Keep in mind:

-August is the most expensive time of year for rentals/hotel rooms on the Atlantic Seaboard.
-Most decent places have been booked 6 months ago
-"Lake Atlantic" is in effect. There might be some waves around Hatteras or Montauk, but pretty much everywhere else it'll be ankle-slappers 90% of the time
-Yes the water is warm. That's prime breeding habitat for sea nettles, and they suck.
-The closer you are to an urban center the more crowded the beaches will be. Sure the OBX is beautiful, but it's a slog and a half to get there.
-Odds are that flights to Norfolk + Rental Car + Room & Board in the OBX will be more expensive than the same trip to Puerto Rico or the DR.

[Hugh Conway]

you've mentioned places that are imo, commercial hell-holes - like Virginia Beach(or OBX OMFG!) - and want something "not too commercial". The only place I'd think of would be Assateague/Chincoteague - the beach is a national park, so it's not as built up crowded, the island town is, but haven't been in years.

[Tippster]

OBX South of Nags Head is anything but a commercial hellhole. That's why the drive is so long.

Jupiter Beach in FL is nice too but again - a long way from anywhere.

[MMP]

If you haven't been to PEI that's a good bet, the water is way warmer there than it seems like it would be because the bay basically empties out every day due to the tides and the bottom warms up, which then warms the water. PEI is basically a huge farm with a couple of towns but the beach is nice and Charlottetown is small but a decent enough town.

Really from PEI until south of the Cape the water is freezing. Cold as shit in NS and Maine and NH and Mass south to the Cape. As Geomorph mentioned MV and Nantucket are really nice, if spendy and crowded. The Gulf Stream warms the waters, unlike the other side of the Cape on North. But anywhere on the south side of the cape on south it's pretty pleasant this time of year.I'm in westport Mass right now, the beach is long and beautiful but there's not a ton to do otherwise. I mean there is, but not for an 11-year-old. Lots of arts and crafts and a vineyard and a brewey but no go-karts or arcades.

Rhode Isaland is mainly Narragansett Bay except for Little Compton (right next to Westport and very similar) and then from Narragansett south. From Narragansett down south through Charlestown and Westerly it's really nice. Westerly is a good bet, the water's warm, the beaches are beautiful and it's not off-the-charts crowded. It's nice all along the bay, cool towns and a lot of history and so on but I don't really like bay beaches all that much. Beautiful area to visit, just not a great beach area to me.

I've never been to the beach in CT, so take this with a grain of salt, but I've been to a bunch of places on the Sound side of Long Island and while it's pretty pleasant it's basically a big lake. And not my favorite part of the world. The northernmost stretch of CT around Mystic and Stonington is pretty nice though and there's a lot to see with Mystic Seaport and other attractions around there. But it seems pretty crowded to me.

The south coast of Long Island is amazingly nice. Obviously there's the Hamptons, but if you didn't inherit some money recently that can be tough. Fire Island is amazing but you'd have to rent a place pretty much. Unreal beaches though. Montauk is pretty awesome, I like it there.

In NJ, it's better than you think. Long beach Island and Cape may are both cool. The beaches are gorgeous and there's a ton to do for a kid. But it's NJ, there's a ton of people and they're well, they're from New Jersey.

The Delaware coast is tiny but pretty nice. Lewes is kind of off the beaten track but it's right next to Rehoboth, which is a nice town. Tons of restaurants and shops, decent beach. Huge gay population in Rehoboth for what that's worth. If being around a lot of gay people freaks you out don't go there.

Dewey Beach DE is kind of the EC beach town in a nutshell. Crowded, tons of bars and live music, hungover college kids dragging themselves to the beach at 2 in the afternoon. Very fun place though.

South of there I've only ever been to hatteras but I've been there a few times, awesome place, insane beaches, too crowded at the height of summer because there's only one road and it's clogged with RV's doing 20 mph. It just is. Go in may or October and it's about the nicest place in the world though.

I can help you focus in a little based on time frame and budget and interests if you want.

you do ramble on

[iceman]

Right?

..

[Cruiser]

If you haven't been to PEI that's a good bet, the water is way warmer there than it seems like it would be because the bay basically empties out every day due to the tides and the bottom warms up, which then warms the water. PEI is basically a huge farm with a couple of towns but the beach is nice and Charlottetown is small but a decent enough town.

Really from PEI until south of the Cape the water is freezing. Cold as shit in NS and Maine and NH and Mass south to the Cape. As Geomorph mentioned MV and Nantucket are really nice, if spendy and crowded. The Gulf Stream warms the waters, unlike the other side of the Cape on North. But anywhere on the south side of the cape on south it's pretty pleasant this time of year.I'm in westport Mass right now, the beach is long and beautiful but there's not a ton to do otherwise. I mean there is, but not for an 11-year-old. Lots of arts and crafts and a vineyard and a brewey but no go-karts or arcades.

Rhode Isaland is mainly Narragansett Bay except for Little Compton (right next to Westport and very similar) and then from Narragansett south. From Narragansett down south through Charlestown and Westerly it's really nice. Westerly is a good bet, the water's warm, the beaches are beautiful and it's not off-the-charts crowded. It's nice all along the bay, cool towns and a lot of history and so on but I don't really like bay beaches all that much. Beautiful area to visit, just not a great beach area to me.

I've never been to the beach in CT, so take this with a grain of salt, but I've been to a bunch of places on the Sound side of Long Island and while it's pretty pleasant it's basically a big lake. And not my favorite part of the world. The northernmost stretch of CT around Mystic and Stonington is pretty nice though and there's a lot to see with Mystic Seaport and other attractions around there. But it seems pretty crowded to me.

The south coast of Long Island is amazingly nice. Obviously there's the Hamptons, but if you didn't inherit some money recently that can be tough. Fire Island is amazing but you'd have to rent a place pretty much. Unreal beaches though. Montauk is pretty awesome, I like it there.

In NJ, it's better than you think. Long beach Island and Cape may are both cool. The beaches are gorgeous and there's a ton to do for a kid. But it's NJ, there's a ton of people and they're well, they're from New Jersey.

The Delaware coast is tiny but pretty nice. Lewes is kind of off the beaten track but it's right next to Rehoboth, which is a nice town. Tons of restaurants and shops, decent beach. Huge gay population in Rehoboth for what that's worth. If being around a lot of gay people freaks you out don't go there.

Dewey Beach DE is kind of the EC beach town in a nutshell. Crowded, tons of bars and live music, hungover college kids dragging themselves to the beach at 2 in the afternoon. Very fun place though.

South of there I've only ever been to hatteras but I've been there a few times, awesome place, insane beaches, too crowded at the height of summer because there's only one road and it's clogged with RV's doing 20 mph. It just is. Go in may or October and it's about the nicest place in the world though.

I can help you focus in a little based on time frame and budget and interests if you want.

tl;dr

Why not go to Flahriduh?

[iceman]

Geez I gave him a tour from PEI to NC in like 250 words.

oh well

[BmillsSkier]

We've had a home on Hilton Head for 30 years so call me biased if you want but I think it's fantastic. Quiet, miles of broad beach, warm water, lots of family activities but not anything like go karts or stuff like that. Hell, neon and backlit signs are outlawed on the island so that keeps a lot of that type stuff out. (Cue HoA/planning board nazi comments). After dark the island is pitch black and quiet except for Harbor Town/Shelter Cove. Great eats, lots of nature stuff to do like kayaking, world class golf, and there's a whole foods so you can get all your local-organic-sustainables.

I'd actually recommend anywhere in Low Country (Chas-->Savannah): isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island in Charleston (see Bill Murray at a bar!), Kiawah, Beaufort, Edisto Is., Bluffton, HHI, Daufuskie Is., Tybee Is. Or any of Georgia's Golden Isles: St Simons, Sea Island, Little St Simons (wild horses on the beach and very rustic) Jekyll Is.

Low Country is where it's at. PM me if you want details.

Edit: OBX is nice but such a slog to get out there.

[BigDaddy]

Water Country or Six Flags?

[Hugh Conway]

Jekyll Is.

Perfect for the federal reserve/international conspiracy nut.

[Grape_Ape]

Ocean City, MD.

I jest. That place is a shithole. Outer Banks near Buxton is very undeveloped and nice. Fucking long drive.

[BmillsSkier]

Perfect for the federal reserve/international conspiracy nut.

Heh. At least you can stay in a Rockefeller property without freezing your balls off in the ocean.

[ncskier]

Have been going to SC/NC beaches my whole life. Google Seabrook Island, south of Charleston adjoining island to Kiawah. Low country living at its finest. Super warm water, great food, accessible by air. Not crowded at all. HIlton Head is nice, but traffic in August can be a shit show. I have a 10 year old. He gives Seabrook the thumbs up.

[warthog]

Low Country for sure.

If you do RI, check out Westerly or Charleston. You can be in Newport in 30 min, or go to Block Island, or hit Mystic Seaport in about an hour or so. Also, if so inclined, Foxwoods and Mohegan are close by for adult entertainment.


Still not sure about warm water though. My memories of the Atlantic involve major shrinkage. Guess I have just lived down here too long. See if there are any surf webcams for Narragansett or Point Judith. If those guys are in wetsuits, the water isn't very warm.

Ice- Beaches in CT are like just about everything else in CT. If you really want to do it right, you leave the state.

Montauk is amazing, I hear. Keep meaning to get out there some day. My buddy from college is a Gosman. I hear they own the joint. I need to get on that.

I would think that Montauk would be your best bet in that area for summer waves.

[hawkgt]

way the fuck out of your way but I use to do the drive (23-25 hrs one way) when lived in Boston, also from MO and from CO. Have family in area but still one of my favorite places to vaca, the whole 30A coridor is great. Sand if fucking sweet, no waves though, water warm. Lots of golf, horse back riding, fishing, etc.... Destin or Panama to drone your brain on tourist shit 30 min each way.

http://www.floridastateparks.org/gra...ch/default.cfm


The cabins are some of the best I have been too. no TV, no phone (out in parking lot) and cell phone signal is not avail (still hope that is the case). beach is wide open.

[flyandski365]

Plus, less Great Whites.

Maybe... http://www.ocearch.org/#SharkTracker

NW FL beaches are some of the best in the country. Clear, warm water, good fishing if you're into that and some diving too. Some are touristy, but you can find middle of nowhere places as well. Port St. Joe is awesome.