misha2

We have never taken our kids (11 and 10) on a true beach vacation. This July we would love to go to a spot for less than a week that is easy to get to from Nashville and unlikely to be hit by a hurricaine.

Our main priorty would be gorgeous water white sand and perhaps a day or two worth of other activity.

I have heard that Aruba is outside the hurricaine belt. However, we long for a destination that is more casino-free and has great local flavor.

Does anything come close to that ideal?

A_Traveller

First off, while July is hurricane season in the Caribbean the chances of there being a storm brewing are small and if one did form the odds of it striking any one particular are even less. No island is immune from storms, however, not even Aruba (but storms there are very rare.

If you are seeking white sand beaches look into Provedenciales (Turks & Caicos), Grand Cayman, Anguilla and the aforementioned Aruba. However, don't get hung up on the "white sand" description. While there a a few islands that have "white sand" most have light gold or light beige sand (those photos you see in the brochures are often color enhanced to make the beach & sky appear brighter). This will open up many more possibilities for you.

You mentioned that you are travelling for less than a week. That means you'll want to find an island you can reach non-stop from your nearest gateway city as travelling to/from some of the islands takes multiple flight and or ferries and you can spend an entire day (and maybe even overnight someplace enroute) to reach a particular destination.

Islands you can reach non-stop from most US gateway cities include Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Aruba, St. Martin and perhaps Antigua or Barbados.

PHILLYFLY

misha2,You say you never took your kids on a real beach vacation.Do your self a favor and save a lot of money and drive on down to the fl panhandle.beautiful beaches,plenty of good restaurants,and unless you want to experiance true caribbean culture,which by the way alot of those islands dont have anymore.Hurricane can happen anywhere any time in the u.s. coast or caribbeanWatch the forecast and enjoy.From my experiance save the caribbean for you and your husband i dont think kids get much out of it anyway.Have fun

xkenx

Hurricanes are rare as far south as Barbados, and even rarer in July. No casinos, and a wide variety of hotels, beaches, water sports, sightseeing, lovely people. It is a coral island, so the beaches are dazzling white with pink tinges from the coral. See www.barbados.org

xkenx

In Barbados, you and the kids will experience a vibrant Caribbean culture (formerly British), which will enhance the experience.

vinceygirl

I agree with Phillyfly. My suggestion would be St. Augustine on the east coast of FL between Jacksonville and Daytona. The beaches in some cases are every bit as nice as ones I've been to in the Caribbean and you don't need a passport. There are excellent restaurants and lots to see and do. My brother and his children were the same ages as yours a few years ago and we shared a weeks vacation there. His kids loved it. Visit oldcity.com or google St. Augustine FL.

mah1980

I agree with Phillyfly but I would not recommend St. Augustine and that area as a beach destination. The Florida beaches closest to the Caribbean style, e.g., white sand and emerald water, is in the Florida panhandle, specifically Destin and the Beaches of South Walton (Seaside, Seagrove, Rosemary Beach, etc.). There is a lot of kids your children's age to do there, there are many good restaurants, and it is not an unbearable drive from TN. In fact, that area is hugely popular with families all over the Southeast.

To get an idea of the range of accomodations available, look at garrettrealty.com and to learn more about the area, look at beachesofsouthwalton.com.

ejcrowe

When I was a kid, a beach was a beach was a beach. I loveed the beaches ranging from Gulf Shores, Alabama, to Destin, Florida. I loved the beach by the cranberry marsh near my grandmother's house. Heck, I just loved the little sandy spit on the river close to where I lived. Water, sand, and kids makes for a great combo.

As an adult, however, I have developed certain preferences. You might want to consider what *your* preferences are since chances are good that your kids will enjoy a beach vacation no matter where you take them. If you want a place with great "local flavor," that's hard to find these days with most US beaches. Plus summer time is high season for US beaches, which equals crowds. You might like the extra people around, and it could be good for your kids to make friends whilst on vacation. For my money, I like to avoid crowds, but then again I seldom travel with children and never with kids as young as yours are.

The Caribbean will be more expensive to travel to than the US, so if prices are tight, better stick to the mainland.

Perhaps if you chime in here with more input in terms of price, range of accommodations you're looking for (resort, inn, B&B, condo style with kitchen, private villa, etc) and the types of activities you're looking for we can give you more info. If you could stretch your time to a week, so much the better.

misha2

Thanks for the replies.

For some reason I thought that the Florida panhandle would be unbearably hot in July and that the Carribean is much more temperate. However, I should look into it again.

I had once had a bad Destin condo experience. But, I guess I really should reexamine the area.

That said, I might be motivated by my own desire to head to a lovely isle.

It turns out that this might be a vacation in which we include grandparents. So, I might be moving towards a villa/house in the pan handle or Carribean or an all inclusive. In terms of budget, I have no set numbers. I guess I just want the most bang for my buck.

Thanks for all the advice. I'll start looking into the sites mentioned.

Any other insights would be great too.

ejcrowe

misha, if you're so inclined and your budget permits, I would *definitely* suggest the Caribbean island vacation over Florida!

For wonderful beach and a large array of condo options, check out the island of Providenciales (called Provo locally) in the Turks & Caicos chain. You, kids, and grandparents can get a 3 bedroom condo with kitchen facilities to make breakfast or snacks--thus saving money and making sure there is something on hand at all hours for those kids who are always hungry! The island itself is flat and scrubby but the beach is beautiful and you'll find that gorgeous water in dozens of shades of blue & green. You can take daysails out on the water or go snorkeling, but there's not much on the interior to do.

You could choose an island like St. John, which reached via ferry from St. Thomas. You wouldn't have to secure passports for the family to travel here (though I'd urge you to get passports anyway just to facilitate your travel, both now and in the future). The island has 2/3 left in a natural state for national park, the beaches are lovely, the island is beautiful with rugged hills passing for mountains in these parts. Fantastic snorkeling, hiking, and interior natural beauty. Lots of villas on the island to choose from, but with the exception of Caneel Bay, no real location on a beautiful beach--rather, they're up on the hillside for great views and breezes.

Jamaica is usually an easy island to get with one of the fullest ranges of hotels, resorts, and villas in all prices to choose from. For a get away from it all experience, take a look at the Treasure Beach area on the south coast of Jamaica. Some villa rentals can be seen at www.jamaicaescapes.com that might entice you. Beautiful island with so much more to offer than the typical all-inclusive honeymoon places that get the most hype. Hiking, waterfalls, rafting down the river, seeing the Black River crocs and wild dolphins at play...

Grand Cayman also wins lots of kudos for being a great family destination where the emphases are the beach and watersports. Lots of condo properties on Seven Mile Beach. I've neither visited Grand Cayman nor done much research on the island, so I'll leave specifics to someone else...