travelfan1

We haven't had a family vacation for a few years and decided NEXT summer we're going to get everyone together. I have 3 boys (with girlfriends/spouses) who enjoy outdoor activities,....and are still young at heart and love amusement parks, miniature golf, etc. I was thinking of renting a large house with a pool and am considering returning to the Outer Banks.....haven't been there in over 15 years...just not sure there is enough for the "kids" to do there. Many of the homes in NC have pool tables, volleyball, etc...which I know they would enjoy.

A co-worker loves Myrtle Beach...said there's more to do there (and I would love a side trip to Charleston).... so I'm now checking into that area but find the prices are about the same and it seems the homes don't offer the extra "fun" amenities. Plus we must travel end of June or July....I think SC may be too hot! I'm even looking into Maine and the Acadia Nat'l Park Area.

Yes....I'm going to ask them for their input...but I would love to hear from those who've been to these locations or might have ideas of where to take my group.

I appreciate any input. Thank you.

willowjane

The Outer Banks and Myrtle Beach are so very different. I would recommend Litchfield Beach if you want to be able for the kids to get into Myrtle Beach but you want a little more peace and quiet. I am NO expert at all, but I have been to both places and I will add that they are not bad in early June, but July is hot.

suewoo

Ah yeah. The South in summer is hot. But the beaches are great. I'm not nuts about Myrtle (Where's Waldo?) but I love the Banks and the Charleston beaches too. You should book soon. People book years in advance.

zootsi

Acadia would be a totally different kind of beach experience - extremely scenic, lots of hiking opportunities. The water is VERY cold, few can endure it for more than a few minutes. Amusements parks and such are hours away in Old Orchard Beach.
Maine of course would be considerably cooler than the Carolinas, but it can get into the low 90's. Perhaps southern Maine - the Ogunquit/Kennebunkport area, which has more tolerable water, wide sandy beaches, and lots of mini golf and such, along with some beautiful rocky harbors and lighthouses.

Gretchen

Another vote for Litchfield. At the Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort you can rent accomodations that would include a pool access in addition to the beach. There is tennis and golf--and MB nearby. Great food. Near charleston for a day. Our adult kids have always loved it.

dandy93

I have been to all 3 of the areas you are thinking of. Myrtle Beach itself is crowded and has a touristy feel. But you have tons of things to do (golf, water parks, shopping, many restaurants, jet ski rentals, parasailing, etc) Litchfield Beach would be a good compromise if you dont want to be in the middle of it all. The NC Outer Banks is beautiful. Some areas are more built up in the way of homes but they are lovely homes. You can still find remote beaches that are so peaceful. This would be a more quiet vacation for you. And finally Maine and Acadia. I wouldn't even call Acadia a beach destination really because I personally cant imagine just going to the beaches there day after day. Its more about hiking, biking, sightseeing, whale watching. The area so pretty but you have to get out to really enjoy the beauty!
Good luck making your decision! I'm sure you will have a great time with your family no matter where you end up!

dfrostnh

How about NH? A cottage rental on Lake Winnipesaukee might be a good solution (lake water is warmer than ocean). The Weirs Beach area is funky with a small water park and Fun Spot (I actually don't know what's at Fun Spot because we've never been but it seems to be a popular place with kids). Plenty of miniature golf in the area. Summer theater. The White Mountains are a short drive away for more outdoor fun. Some places like Gunstock in Guilford NH (also on Lake W) have put in zip lines. Some ski areas have mountain bike trails. They can rent jet skis or find quieter rivers for kayaking.

Jaya

I'll second the vote for New Hampshire...way more fun, varied, and scenic for what you're looking to do. The weather here is August is hot with no bugs and likely no humidity.

You can do the Lakes Region/Lake Winnepesaukee area as mentioned above.
There are a lot of days trips you can make from this area too. Lake Winnepesaukee is clean for swimming, water skiing, and there is the M/S Mount Washington boat that is a wonderful 2+ hour excursion. http://www.cruisenh.com/index.php

About an hour north is the Cog Railway. http://www.thecog.com/ You need to ride it at least once! It's the real deal and not gimmicky at all.

The zip lines at Gunstock are at http://www.gunstock.com/

There are also a lot of restaurants to choose from. It's really a gem of an area.

If you're flying, you can use the airport in Manchester, NH (MHT). It has easy access to the highway.

Sassafrass

We just returned from a couple of days at Lake Winnepesaukee, and perhaps I am jaded, but I was not impressed with the lake in general. The cruise was OK as a one time thing, but not that interesting, IMHO. It actually seemed quite congested for a lake area. I did like the little town, which was an old fashioned, tacky (but charmingly so), resort.

If your kids are really into miniature golf, MB is heaven! There are also lots of great restaurants and shopping, plus Charleston to visit and Brookgreen Sculpture gardens. Georgetown is a charming small town to visit, and take a ghost tour on a boat into some of the old plantation areas. There are also some pretty good shows, including breakfast with blues and gospel music show, which was great fun. Of course, tons of regular golf courses, hang gliding, kite flying etc.

I love the outerbanks, but there is less to do there.

For a more historic place, consider Williamsburg, VA with Busch Gardens, Water country, the James River plantations, Yorktown, nearby Richmond, nearby Virginia Beach, etc. Of course, still hot in Summer.

Except for the heat, I would pick MB.

Jaya

Sassafrass, what town did you stay at?

Sassafrass

Jaya,
I assume you mean at Lake Winnepesaukee. I will have to look up where we actually stayed. So much going on in the two weeks since, I can't remember off the top of my head. We met up with old friends who were familiar with the area and picked everything. It was some resort, which was Ok, had a nice beach, and a couple of restaurants nearby. One was quite good and people were nice. Then we drove a few miles to the town where we caught the boat for a brunch cruise. If you hadn't been on one before, it would be fun, but I guess I've been on too many similar ones. It was boring after a while, food very average. There was an old train station, and it looked like fun: restaurants, ice cream places, etc. Honestly, I will have to look. I thought it would have been great fun when my kids were teens to go there. I think I expected it to look more like places in the Poconos, very rural, and from the boat, many areas were just packed with cottages and homes - lots of very expensive, beautiful ones, to be sure, but super busy on the Sunday we were there. I will look at my travel stuff though and be more specific.

MB is a hot, crowded mess in many ways, but I was recommending it based on OP saying they liked miniature golf, etc. and there are so many other places to visit.

My own pref would be NC. for peace and quiet, but I am lots older than OP's group.