For me it's sentimental. I spent many happy times there with loved ones, before there was a bypass or mileposts. And I like the ocean there.

If you have been and don't care for it, so be it. There are lots of other places to go, even in NC that aren't as "far". Why do you ask. I don't get the question.

We have so many friends and relatives that love it there. We are lukewarm about it and feel it is not worth the drive to get there from here, but also think we may be missing something due to the passions of others.

Try Rehobeth Beach (or Lewes) Delaware. Same ocean, more civilization.

It's a long way for you. I would just go to Rehobeth. It's nice there too.

It may be helpful to understand what you like about beach locations. If I remember correctly, you didn't like Anna Maria Island nor another west FL coast beach - Sanibel?

Different people like different things in beach locations. Some think the perfect beach location is something along the lines of Myrtle Beach, SC or Panama City Beach, FL or Daytona Beach, FL. Others may like Surfside, or Destin, or New Smyrna Beach, FL - all just a few miles from the first ones listed by a million miles away in feel.

You say the OBX you "feel it is not worth the drive to get there from here". What kind of beach is "worth the drive"? That may help you find a beach that you would be passionate about.

Why not skip the beach and go to The Great Smoky Mountains in TN or NC. There is so much to do and see in the area.It is a beautiful area and I think you would enjoy it if you have never been before.

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm

http://www.discoverthesmokies.com/

http://www.gatlinburg.com/default.asp

http://www.visitsmokies.org/

Why about Chincoteague Island?
http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/washington-dc-and-chincoteague-va-trip-report.cfm#last-comment

I go from Pennsylvania to the Corolla section of the Outer Banks because there's beach and big houses. When I go, it's with family including lots of kids, and it's great to have all that space on the beach with few people around. (We usually go first week of June or in October.) It's also great for relaxing--no boardwalk every night, for instance, unlike the NJ beaches--but it's not quite as great to me as it used to be, say 20-some years ago when there were far fewer houses.

Been to Chincoteague and aSsateague. Like those natural beaches. Recently loved Cape cod for the same reasons. but the traffic way around nyc is horrendous now.I did like Ann Maria but got in a traffic jam there, also. We loved sAnibel, although a bit pricey. I really enjoy Rehoboth, except for the dangerous undertow. So there are a lot of beaches I enjoy, and did like Corolla and Duck, but not Rodanthe and south.
Come to think of it, we like crowds and people, excitement and lights, but no traffic.
The Great Smokey idea is interesting.

So, you are looking for crowds, people, excitement and lights with no traffic and natural beaches.

Oxymoronic, right?

Be aware: no beach in the Great Smokies. I always think it's interesting that people want a beach to themselves. Only one way to do that. Buy an island. Everyone loves the beach in summer, and there will be traffic no matter where you rent.

I'm sure there is one, but I can't think of it.

The closest I can come up with is natural beach ports of call from a cruise ship.

So no real secret about the obx, huh?

The cruise ship will certainly cut down on the #s of people on the beach.

Well, the secret is that it is exactly what a lot of people are looking for when they go to a beach.

Evidently, it's not exactly what you are looking for when you go to a beach.


The people I know who live there or go there every year with their families (and have for generations) love it more than any other beach.

But you don't. It's not your kind of beach.

Your post is like a series of current posts on Maine. The poster there wants quaint unspoiled towns with good restaurants frequented by locals and good shopping.

You could find two of those things: quaint unspoiled towns and restaurants frequented by locals or good restaurants and good shopping. You can't have all four.

There are no undiscovered beaches in the United States that anyone is going to tell you about. Once they tell your, the beaches will not be undiscovered.

Getting past NYC, if you like the Cape, is usually easy if you hit the GW Bridge between 9:30 AM and 3 PM. Take the Merritt Parkway to Milford before getting onto I-95. No trucks. Once you are past New Haven, it is a piece of cake, and you can stop in Mystic for lunch.

Do be aware that if it is raining heavily, the underpasses on the Merritt will be flooded and travel will be very slow/impossible. Travel on 95 will then also become very slow, so be flexible and willing to alter your plans.

We drove there from Michigan the first part of May. We stopped at Asheville first. It was a great trip!! We preferred the northern part of OBX, staying at a nice place in Nag's Head. The beach was much more beautiful than I anticipated. There is a small village very close by called Manteo---which was charming. It's not on the ocean. We also stayed in the southern part of the OBX in Buxton. It had a completely different feel. Very quiet and the beach was different. It had a dune in front of it, with lots of sea grass. We drove to Hatteras----I didn't care for it. We should have gone to Okracoke, but didn't plan for it properly.

I would go back to the OBX again. On the other hand, we visited the Smokey Mountains a few years ago. We hated Gatlinburg and the other cities on the outskirts of it. Very touristy. Even more so than the OBX.

You can spend days, weeks, months, even years in the Smokies without going to Gatlinburg. I promise. I have for several decades. I live in the edge of the Smokies but have only gone to Gatlinburg less than a handful of times as an adult. The Smokies are not Gatlinburg, just like Savannah is not River Street. But a lot of tourists believe differently.

If I lived in PA I'd go to Cape Cod. Heck, I'd be at Cape Cod right now if I could.