vacation spot in the carolina's in april?

[My2CrazyGirls]

We would like to take a small vacation during Easter week. We live in MD and we don't want to drive more than 8 or 9 hours. Ocean temps will be cold but we don't want to rule out beaches. But besides from beaches, where would you go? And if we do a beach we would need a nice place with a pool/hot tub. Any ideas?

We do not want to travel north...only south.....

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Our favorite Spring Break location is Edisto Island, South Carolina. We drive from Richmond, Va. It may be a little longer than 8 hours from Maryland. It has always been warm enough to spend the whole week on the beach. There are lots of rental houses and condos on the island. We stay at the Wyndham Ocean Ridge timeshare property.

We have also been to the Outer Banks, North Carolina a few times for Spring Break. The weather is always iffy there. Many times it has been too cold and windy for beach time.

 

[wergoin2camouse]

We vacation yearly on lake keowee...it's a man made HUGE lake that is mountain stream fed. There are three lakes actually... The closer to the mountain the clearer and colder 12-16 ft clarity ... I wouldn't recommend unless I thought it was gorgeous! Lots of small beach islands and quiet warm waters! Great family times... Lots of VRBO rentals to be had.. Some that come with boats and jet skis! Relaxing and fun . Check it out!

 

[yellowjacketfan]

We vacation yearly on lake keowee...it's a man made HUGE lake that is mountain stream fed. There are three lakes actually... The closer to the mountain the clearer and colder 12-16 ft clarity ... I wouldn't recommend unless I thought it was gorgeous! Lots of small beach islands and quiet warm waters! Great family times... Lots of VRBO rentals to be had.. Some that come with boats and jet skis! Relaxing and fun . Check it out!

I haven't been on the lake yet but it really is gorgeous! I've never seen such beautiful blue in a lake. And with the mountains in the background- stunning. Clemson U is in the area if you're interested, along with lots of hiking trails, waterfalls, Table Rock, etc. But it is pretty much just outdoorsy stuff. If that's not your thing then I would look elsewhere.

 

[HeatherC]

We are going to Hilton Head, Sc for spring break. We drive from Massachusetts, which is about 16 hours. (My parents also live near there so we get to visit too)

It is a straight shot down 95 to Exit 8 in SC....then another thirty min. from the exit.

Another idea would be Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN. Not sure how far it would be for you.

Charleston also has some nice beaches.

And there is always Myrtle Beach. But surprisingly for us, Hilton Head is the same distance since MB is further from the highway.

Have fun wherever you may go!

 

[stitches4kids]

I also recommend hilton head! It is our "paradise" and most favorite place to go!

 

[MrEVILdrPorkchop2u]

Charleston would be our pick. It is such a beautiful area with so much to do just depending on what your interests are. We love the history and the food is just amazing. If you like beaches, you have that. Shopping is such a treat. There is something here for all ages. Take a carriage tour during the day and a ghost or pirate tour in the evening. It's such a wonderful place to explore. We park and spend the day walking everywhere. A car is not needed which is great.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Thanks all!

So it looks like:
Mrytle Beach, SC 7 hours 20 minutes
Charleston, SC 8 hours 20 minutes
Hilton Head, SC 9 hours
Edisto Island, SC 9 hours

Any other suggestions? Perhaps non-beach suggestions since the water will be WAY to cold. Of course we love to just look at the ocean, play in the sand, and then swim in a heated pool It can be tricky to find a place w a heated pool though.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

How old are your kids? April in the Carolinas can be all over the place - it is usually warm, but this winter has been unusually cold. We usually see people in the ocean in April, but they are all Northerners!

Myrtle Beach has tons to do even if it is too cold to swim - mini golf, the aquarium, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Wonderworks (which is awesome), shopping, restaurants, etc. There are several places with indoor pools and some with indoor lazy rivers, but they are not luxury resorts. Our favorite resorts in Myrtle Beach are the Marriott Grande Dunes (which has an outdoor pool) and the Marina Inn Grande Dunes (not on the beach, but they have a shuttle to a private beach or you can drive). Resorts like Dunes Village, Landmark, Sea Mist, etc have more amenities for kids (lazy rivers, slides, some have bowling alleys), but they are just ok hotels.

We really like Hilton Head, but most of the stuff we like there is outdoors. It is much quieter than Myrtle Beach, so it depends what you are looking for.

Charleston is lovely and has lots of historical sites and great restaurants as well as nearby beaches.

Wilmington has the Battleship NC, a nice Children's Museum, one mini-golf place, Airlie Gardens, the Cape Fear Museum, the Serpentarium, river tours, and a nice riverfront area downtown. We like Wrightsville Beach for beach time, but some people prefer Carolina Beach.

Charlotte would be a lot of fun if you were looking for a city getaway. Charlotte has Discovery Place (which is awesome for kids and adults), the Whitewater Rafting Center (which also has rock climbing and ziplining), a Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, and the Nascar Hall of Fame (have not been there, but in case it interests you). Even if you didn't stay at Great Wolf, you could find a hotel with an indoor pool.

Hope this helps!

Edited to add:

I didn't mean to diss our capital city. Raleigh has some very nice arts and science museums, and the Carolina Hurricanes play in Raleigh. If you like hockey, the Hurricanes games are very fun! Raleigh has good shopping, too, but if coming from Maryland, you probably have all the same places and more.

 

[wiigirl]

I also recommend hilton head! It is our "paradise" and most favorite place to go!

 

[skylizard]

Thanks all!

So it looks like:
Mrytle Beach, SC 7 hours 20 minutes
Charleston, SC 8 hours 20 minutes
Hilton Head, SC 9 hours
Edisto Island, SC 9 hours

You can't go wrong with any of those places. Myrtle and Charleston would have more to do. Charleston has a lot of historical sites and some great restaurants. HH and Edisto are more quiet and laid back (though Edisto is only about 40 minutes from Charleston.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

How old are your kids? April in the Carolinas can be all over the place - it is usually warm, but this winter has been unusually cold. We usually see people in the ocean in April, but they are all Northerners!

Myrtle Beach has tons to do even if it is too cold to swim - mini golf, the aquarium, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Wonderworks (which is awesome), shopping, restaurants, etc. There are several places with indoor pools and some with indoor lazy rivers, but they are not luxury resorts. Our favorite resorts in Myrtle Beach are the Marriott Grande Dunes (which has an outdoor pool) and the Marina Inn Grande Dunes (not on the beach, but they have a shuttle to a private beach or you can drive). Resorts like Dunes Village, Landmark, Sea Mist, etc have more amenities for kids (lazy rivers, slides, some have bowling alleys), but they are just ok hotels.

We really like Hilton Head, but most of the stuff we like there is outdoors. It is much quieter than Myrtle Beach, so it depends what you are looking for.

Charleston is lovely and has lots of historical sites and great restaurants as well as nearby beaches.

Wilmington has the Battleship NC, a nice Children's Museum, one mini-golf place, Airlie Gardens, the Cape Fear Museum, the Serpentarium, river tours, and a nice riverfront area downtown. We like Wrightsville Beach for beach time, but some people prefer Carolina Beach.

Charlotte would be a lot of fun if you were looking for a city getaway. Charlotte has Discovery Place (which is awesome for kids and adults), the Whitewater Rafting Center (which also has rock climbing and ziplining), a Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, and the Nascar Hall of Fame (have not been there, but in case it interests you). Even if you didn't stay at Great Wolf, you could find a hotel with an indoor pool.

Hope this helps!

Edited to add:

I didn't mean to diss our capital city. Raleigh has some very nice arts and science museums, and the Carolina Hurricanes play in Raleigh. If you like hockey, the Hurricanes games are very fun! Raleigh has good shopping, too, but if coming from Maryland, you probably have all the same places and more.

Thanks! We love Wrightsville beach! We lived in Wilmington for a year. I priced out the place we like and it would cost 1700 for just 5 nights so it is pricey...but it is closer too and we we know the area. But the price is why we r looking into other areas.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Girls ages 7 and 9.

 

[HeatherC]

What about Pigeon Forge/ Gatlinburg, TN?

Not the Carolinas, but tons to do...affordable rentals and definitely south.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

TN doesn't sound warmer than MD

 

[HeatherC]

Really? It is over 400 miles west...SOUTH west of MD. Should be a bit warmer.
It is only 3 1/2 hrs east of Atlanta, so Iwould think the weather would be nice then. Unless another Polar Vortex decides to show up! Which after this winter, who knows?

The reason I suggested it is because there is a TON of stuff to do....Dollywood, hiking, mini golf, dinner shows, shopping, etc.. You could rent a log cabin with a hot tub in some resort communities that have heated pools.

Just thinking of something other than the beach since you mentioned the beach may be too chilly.

Have an awesome time wherever you go!!

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Really? It is over 400 miles west...SOUTH west of MD. Should be a bit warmer.
It is only 3 1/2 hrs east of Atlanta, so Iwould think the weather would be nice then. Unless another Polar Vortex decides to show up! Which after this winter, who knows?

The reason I suggested it is because there is a TON of stuff to do....Dollywood, hiking, mini golf, dinner shows, shopping, etc.. You could rent a log cabin with a hot tub in some resort communities that have heated pools.

Just thinking of something other than the beach since you mentioned the beach may be too chilly.

Have an awesome time wherever you go!!

I think because it is so inland the weather is not really any warmer in April than it is here. Plus it just doesn't sound like too fun (dollywood....not appealing). But I do appreciate the suggestion very much

Actually cabin and hot tub do so nice... but over 8 hours away...I need something else to entice me

 

[HeatherC]

I totally understand! I am a beach girl myself! That is why we are going to Hilton Head. Will definitely be warmer than here in Mass. We just love it and will also do our usual day trips to Savannah, Charleston and Beaufort.

Now if spring break would just hurry up, right?

 

[HM]

The NC beaches are kinda iffy in April. Last year (first week in Apr) we rented a house on Topsail Island and it was like winter. Cold, rainy, and WINDY all week. We did get out and were able to enjoy the beach a bit, but we were bundled up in jeans and sweatshirts every day. We had a hot tub, and got to enjoy that, played Bocci ball, flew kites, and ran remote control cars on the beach.

The year before that, we also rented there, and while it was sunny and we could put on our bathing suits to tan on the decks, it was really not warm enough for swimming and the beach was too windy to sit around on.

I would suggest Topsail Island as a destination though. Not too far off I-40 and a quick trip to Wilmington where there are plenty of things to do (Children's museum, Sepentarium, Battleship, etc).

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

I totally understand! I am a beach girl myself! That is why we are going to Hilton Head. Will definitely be warmer than here in Mass. We just love it and will also do our usual day trips to Savannah, Charleston and Beaufort.

Now if spring break would just hurry up, right?

That sounds awesome! How long are you staying? I just love Charleston and Savannah. I want to check out Beaufort one day...what is it like?