I would like to take my wife and two children (15 & 12) to the S. Carolina coast in mid-to-late April. I'm looking for a destination that will provide some excitement for the kids, preferably a house or villa on the Ocean. Is Spring really the best time in SC? Suggestions appreciated.

Hilton Head Island is a great place for family vacations. Much classier than Myrtle Beach but still lots to do (restaurants, beaches, watersports, miniature golf). We've always rented a house in Palmetto Dunes through Island Getaway. However it might be a little chilly in the spring for the beach. We went at the end of May and it was unseasonably cold which made for lousy beach going. Now we go in late August (when the rates have dropped a bit and it's still nice and hot!).

I love Litchfield. It is a short drive to Myrtle Beach which will have anything you children could want to do.( Broadway at the Beach, Putt Putt, GO Carts. Amusement parks, Family dinner shows, and great aquarium etc... but is far enough away from the masses for peace and the beauty of the coast. We stay at Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort which has several different choices including homes, condos, villas etc. It is a gated property so you have that extra security . We live in SC and have traveled all over the county but have found the time we spend at Litchfield the best. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

If you come in April, come early in the month and go to Charleston, stay on one of the nearby beaches, Isle of Palms or Folly. The azaleas and dogwoods will still be in bloom in early April and are spectacular.

However, just in case you don't know, it is too cold (way too cold) for swimming that time of year. I usually go to Chas the first weekend in April for the Cooper River Bridge run, and it's normally warm enough to lie on the beach if you hunker down behind a sand dune, but that's about it.

That reminds me, don't go the weekend of the Bridge Run...hotels are sold out/at a premium.

Snowrooster, Debbiesm, Litespeed Chick:
Thanks for the insight. Very helpful.

My husband and I often come to SC to play tennis in April -- it tends to be perfect weather for that, though decidedly chilly for swimming. But the beach walking is great! Last year, we chose Hilton Head, and the beauty of Hilton Head is its proximity to both Savannah and Beaufort. With the azaleas in bloom, both towns are a feast for the senses. Because April is spring break time, you may expect a slight blip upwards in rates, especially in Hilton Head, which seems to attract not only families this time of year, but college students as well (less so Kiawah).