Driving...good family beach to stop and relax at on our way home?

[DizneyLizzy]

So we are planning a little family road trip for this summer. My husband and I are both teachers, so our plan is to hit the road right after we finish school in mid-late June and have some fun before he has to start working summer camps. We live in MD and plan to stop in North Carolina on our way down to spend a few days visiting relatives in Chapel Hill. Then we'll head to Disney from NC and spend 4 days/5 nights in the World.

Any ideas of where to stop for a few nights to break up the drive home? We are thinking somewhere in South Carolina that is somewhat accessible to the Charleston airport in case I decide to fly home with our youngest who is under 2 and still flies for free.

So...any suggestions of a relaxing beach town in the South Carolina-ish region (not Myrtle Beach...too much action post Disney!) for a family with two young kids, one will be 4 and the other will be 18 months.

I figured other families have done something like this before Thanks!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

So we are planning a little family road trip for this summer. My husband and I are both teachers, so our plan is to hit the road right after we finish school in mid-late June and have some fun before he has to start working summer camps. We live in MD and plan to stop in North Carolina on our way down to spend a few days visiting relatives in Chapel Hill. Then we'll head to Disney from NC and spend 4 days/5 nights in the World.

Any ideas of where to stop for a few nights to break up the drive home? We are thinking somewhere in South Carolina that is somewhat accessible to the Charleston airport in case I decide to fly home with our youngest who is under 2 and still flies for free.

So...any suggestions of a relaxing beach town in the South Carolina-ish region (not Myrtle Beach...too much action post Disney!) for a family with two young kids, one will be 4 and the other will be 18 months.

I figured other families have done something like this before Thanks!

I know you said no Myrtle Beach but they can cost money but look at rentals at some of the campgrounds/ resorts. other than a store stop you don't have leave campground. know my grandkids from little on love this and we have done this for a few days on way back from WDW

 

[GrnMtnMan]

We are thinking somewhere in South Carolina that is somewhat accessible to the Charleston airport in case I decide to fly home with our youngest who is under 2 and still flies for free.

1. Charleston's beaches are a good ways of I 95....something like 60 miles.

2. Hilton Head is near the Savannah airport, which has a few daily non-stop flights to IAD and DCA (not sure which part of MD you're in). And Hilton Head's beaches are more like 30ish miles from I95.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

1. Charleston's beaches are a good ways of I 95....something like 60 miles.

2. Hilton Head is near the Savannah airport, which has a few daily non-stop flights to IAD and DCA (not sure which part of MD you're in). And Hilton Head's beaches are more like 30ish miles from I95.

Thanks! That is good to know. 30 miles off of 95 sure beats 60! I'm closer to Baltimore than I am to DC. I will look into the Savannah airport.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

1. Charleston's beaches are a good ways of I 95....something like 60 miles.

2. Hilton Head is near the Savannah airport, which has a few daily non-stop flights to IAD and DCA (not sure which part of MD you're in). And Hilton Head's beaches are more like 30ish miles from I95.

Allegiant flies nonstop to BWI from the Hilton Head/Savannah airport. So that's good to know. I know they can be unreliable, but it's nice to know we would have that option.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

My in-laws live on Hilton head, and we've been spending time there since kids were infants. Our usual summer itinerary is some beach time there before we head down to WDW. One downside to it is its not really the halfway point between DC and WDW, more like a third of the way. Its a 5ish hour drive to/from WDW depending on traffic. Then its a good 9ish to the DC area. But if you're heading to the beach, its probably the closest to I 95, since 95 heads somewhat inland in NC, SC, and VA.

ETA: HH is also a good beach for young ones. Its very flat and usually no waves (though wind may generate some 1-3 footers. But the flatness means there's usually tide pools for babies to play in when the tide goes out:


Also had to add this favorite family photo from HH:

 

[DizneyLizzy]

My in-laws live on Hilton head, and we've been spending time there since kids were infants. Our usual summer itinerary is some beach time there before we head down to WDW. One downside to it is its not really the halfway point between DC and WDW, more like a third of the way. Its a 5ish hour drive to/from WDW depending on traffic. Then its a good 9ish to the DC area. But if you're heading to the beach, its probably the closest to I 95, since 95 heads somewhat inland in NC, SC, and VA.

ETA: HH is also a good beach for young ones. Its very flat and usually no waves (though wind may generate some 1-3 footers. But the flatness means there's usually tide pools for babies to play in when the tide goes out:
View attachment 298153

Also had to add this favorite family photo from HH:
View attachment 298154

Thank you! This makes me feel good about the SC beaches. I know what you mean about the drive being more like 1/3 of the way than 1/2 of the way. That's what I like to keep the option open of me flying home with the kids.

 

[loves to dive]

Look into Jekyll Island Georgia. It's just a hop skip and jump away from Savannah so if you want to fly, no problem. The beaches are clean and family friendly and the prices are not too bad. Lots of historical things to do in the area if you want to sneak in a little education while you are there. Tybee Island off Savannah isn't bad, I don't like it as much as Jekyll but it's not bad. Again, lots of sneaky learning experiences. There are a couple of forts in the area, my son used to love to run around and re-enact battles with the cannons (who am I kidding, he is 37 and we still do it) lots of parks and nature activities.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

So we are planning a little family road trip for this summer. My husband and I are both teachers, so our plan is to hit the road right after we finish school in mid-late June and have some fun before he has to start working summer camps. We live in MD and plan to stop in North Carolina on our way down to spend a few days visiting relatives in Chapel Hill. Then we'll head to Disney from NC and spend 4 days/5 nights in the World.

Any ideas of where to stop for a few nights to break up the drive home? We are thinking somewhere in South Carolina that is somewhat accessible to the Charleston airport in case I decide to fly home with our youngest who is under 2 and still flies for free.

So...any suggestions of a relaxing beach town in the South Carolina-ish region (not Myrtle Beach...too much action post Disney!) for a family with two young kids, one will be 4 and the other will be 18 months.

I figured other families have done something like this before Thanks!

We drive all our disney trips, we live in SC (right next to Charlotte NC). We have done some beach stops on our drives but as PP mentioned, Charleston area beaches are an hour or more with traffic from 95. If you do choose that area, Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms are some the local beaches in that area. Sullivan's is where we go and it's nothing like Myrtle Beach which is what we love about it. The island is only homes and ocean, and just a handful of restaurants, it's great. And if you want to see Charleston, it's a 15 minute drive over the bridges. But not near the airport at all. Also you could do the beaches in FL around St Augustine. They are all very pretty. We've done that before on our way down we stop there for a night. They aren't far off 95.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Another vote here for HHI. We love it there. WDW & HHI are our fave places.

 

[ajwolfe]

Another vote for HHI!

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Anyone have recommendations for areas to stay on HHI? I haven't been since I was a child, so I don't have a good handle on the lay of the land.

 

[NinaBella]

Jekyll Island, Georgia

 

[pixie08]

Hilton Head. there is even a Disney resort there...