Beach Vacations?

[Couturier]

Okay, I am in charge of planning our next years beach vacation. We have not done one of these in YEARS! We would like something in N or S Carolina or close to there.

I am looking for an oceanfront home with a private pool, that is actually semi close to the water, lol. It seems like everything is oceanfront but it is about a mile walk to the water!

Has anyone ever done a vacation like this or live in an area that sounds like this?

I need all the help I can get!

Our first choice was Hatteras area, but I was hoping for something we could actually take my mother who has a REALLY hard time walking, out to the beach.

Thanks ahead of time!

Dana

 

[laurafergie]

If you are looking at Hatteras, then the Outer Banks is the place for you. Try the Northern End like Duck, where it isn't quite so busy. vbro (.com) is the best place to see what's offered.

Myrtle Beach in SC is also very much worth a look. But I like Outer Banks, NC better.

 

[cristbaby]

If you really want a nice beach that your mother would enjoy and not have a hard time walking on you should try St Augustine beach in Florida. I know it is a little farther that you wanted to go but the beach is totally flat and very easy to walk on. St Augustine is in the northern part of Fl. not to far across the Georgia st line. Outer banks is very nice but the beach is very hard to walk on. Good luck and happy beach hunting.

 

[HeatherFeather]

You could always rent a beach wheelchair. I never even knew such a thing until last year at Myrtle Beach I saw a family getting their picture made on the beach. They had Memaw in a beach wheelchair and were taking pics in the surf with her. Maybe you could just use it to get her to and from the beach.

 

[bluesky225]

I went to the Outer Banks a lot when I was younger, and I love it there. We stayed in a lot of houses, and a few of them were very close to the beach. I have no idea where those houses were though as I went with friends. Anyway, I suggest you keep looking in that area!
We usually do our beach vacations to Myrtle now, but we stay at a resort (not a house). I hope to go back to the Outer Banks soon...

 

[Joyful3Heart]

Check out Nags Head or South Nags Head, which is on the outer banks also, about an hour north of Hatteras. We have been there many times and most oceanfront homes are truly oceanfront. It's pretty quiet there, no fancy boardwalk scene, but we love it. We have rented with Stan White Realty and really liked them, maybe call the realtor directly and let them know what you're looking for. As far as difficulty walking on the beach, you could set up a rental for a beach wheelchair, they have really big wheels that don't sink into the sand. Good Luck!

 

[papagene]

We stay on Topsail Island in the southern part of N.C. It is very quiet and the houses are on the beach within 50 to 100 feet of the water. They do not have pools but the beach is never crowed. if you want a quiet place try there.

 

[kimnvbva]

Outer Banks is very nice. Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head are usually the more popular places. Virginia Beach is very nice too (not that I am biased or anything ) Sandbridge beach is very cool, lots of beach houses to rent for the week, right on the beach. Very close to grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Target and restaurants. Sandbridge is right next to the VB Oceanfront too, lots to do there. You can even take a day trip to Williamsburg!

Kim

 

[donnabc]

LOL, I am looking for something like this right now! Christmas every year we rent a 4 bedroom condo at Ocean Reef in Myrtle Beach. It is awesome and I highly recommend it. My mom needs 2 knee replacements (but won't get them) so she has a really hard time walking most of the time too...ie stairs are pretty much out for her.
There is an elevator to the room and a great view.
There is an indoor and outdoor water park for the kids and whirl pool for adults :0)
We are leaning toward Ocracoke in the summer for the small town feel but if you don't mind the hussel and bussel of Myrtle Beach in the summer check out Ocean Reef
http://www.oceanreefmyrtlebeach.com/

 

[Kimberly Hill]

Call Dunes Realty in Pawleys Island (south of Myrtle Beach) for rental homes: http://www.greatbeachvacations.com/ Courtney Tedrow is fabulous to work with!

 

[bookwormde]

We do a week in the outer banks every year, mostly at Corolla NC. We have rented Ocean fronts with pools many times and it was never more than 150’ from the pool to the beach across our private walkway over the dunes. When you get to the lower areas (towards Hatteras) there is a national park along much of the coast so walks of 300-400’ are not uncommon. In most cases there are quite a few step which if mobility is an issue that is a consideration.

The bad news is that the prices of the oceanfronts have been going up at about 3x the rate of inflation, so this year we ended up with a semi ocean front (about a 300’ walk). If you have the budget for it (typically 4k-8k/wk) the ocean fronts are really nice.

Here are a few of our favorites realtors.

http://www.kittydunes.com/

http://www.resortrealty.com/index-rentals.htm

http://www.outerbanksvacations.com/

http://www.sunrealtync.com/

http://www.twiddy.com/

The beaches are uncrowned and it is a very low key family oriented vacation spot, if you get a mid block OF it is not uncommon to have 50’ of beach all to yourself. If you are really adventuresome you can rent a house in Corova, which is a 4wd access only area with wild horses wandering around. The beaches are really nice and very swimable most days with warm Gulf Stream waters from June into September.

bookwormde

 

[Couturier]

WOW! Thanks so much! This gives me a few different things to look at! I really appreciate it!

Anyone ever stayed in any of the vacation homes they really liked?

Thanks, Dana

 

[CLR4321]

You may also want to check into Hilton Head SC or Tybee Island GA.

 

[robinzkj]

Last summer we stayed at Ocean Isle Beach in Ocean Isle North Carolina. It's 20-30 minutes north of Myrlte Beach. We stayed at Ocean Isle Inn which is right on the beach, clean rooms with mini fridge, private pool outside and indoor and a hot tub. They have a fee continental breakfast too. We stayed there for about $120 a night right after memorial day. All rooms have a balcony too!

check out the website. oceanisleinn.com

 

[pantherlj]

This place has an elevator and decking all the way to the beach so you mom wouldn't have to walk in the sand much at all.

http://www.beachrealtync.com/rental/house.html?ID=1091&Avail=&Stay=

If the link doesn't work go to www.beachrealtync.com and search for High Cotton.

You can call the reality places and tell them what you are looking for and they can suggest something for you.

Prices are obviously much cheaper after labor day and the ocean water is still warm then.

 

[Couturier]

You may also want to check into Hilton Head SC or Tybee Island GA.

Hi
I did check Tybee, but everything was SOOO expensive! Maybe I was looking in the wrong place, lol. Have a link to homes that a normal family could afford, LMBO!

Dana

 

[bookwormde]

We stayed I this one a couple of times it is a smaller one but is nice but has limited ocean view (2nd floor only standard floor plan).

http://www.kittydunes.com/rental/house.html?ID=404

I have not stayed in this one but it is next to the one above and looks very nice.

http://www.kittydunes.com/rental/house.html?ID=400

It is a reverse floor plan

We stayed in this one also, it was nice but has a “rolling floor” in one section (a couple of the pilings mist have settled, reverse plan also

http://www.kittydunes.com/rental/house.html?ID=394

We had this one pre booked but the rate went up 40% so we cancelled it

http://www.resortrealty.com/book/house.html?Num=1366

These are not the “fanciest” houses but they also are not 6-12K like some of the OF castles.

bookwormde

 

[PinkRhombus]

If you are looking at Hatteras, then the Outer Banks is the place for you. Try the Northern End like Duck, where it isn't quite so busy. vbro (.com) is the best place to see what's offered.

Myrtle Beach in SC is also very much worth a look. But I like Outer Banks, NC better.

I have a friend that just ADORES Duck beach. We're looking at doing that next year or the year after.

We also like Hilton Head.

Depends on, also, the time of the year. If you're doing early June, the water is noticeable cooler than the Gulf. Destin, FL or Orange Beach, AL areas are nice. Panama City is okay, but it's not as good as it used to be.

 

[Ashlander]

We go with friends to Duck every year. We love it there - it is gorgeous. This year we splurged and got oceanfront. We always go the week before Labor Day, because that is when prices go down.

We also go to Topsail Island. This beach is much quieter and much more reasonably priced. You can get an oceanfront house for about 1/3 of the price you pay in the Outer Banks.

 

[Karalea]

We like Carolina Beach and Kure Beach in NC also. There are some great restaurants and other attractions in Wilmington that are an easy drive from the beach as well. My boys still talk about visiting the battleship almost 10 years later.