We have been vacationing on the Outer Banks (Duck)for a number of years, mostly in July. However last year our two college type sons convinced us to attend an Anime convention in Durham, NC over Memorial Day weekend. We had a ball and continued on to the outer banks for the following week. We found out that late May is a bit cold for swimming and beach activities there. We are doing the convention again this year but we are hoping to try a bit further south at one of the Georgia beaches, hoping it will be a bit warmer. Looking for suggestions on where to go and where to stay. We prefer to rent a condo and will need to be within a maximum 8 or 9 hours drive from Durham. Some nightlife, shopping and outdoor activities near by would be a plus. Suggestions?

I spent a couple of days in Wilmington, N.C. in September and just loved it. We flew into Raleigh-Durham and rented a car--it was only a 3-4 hour drive to Wilmington from the airport.

Wilmington has marvelous white sand beaches for the relaxation thing and is chock full of Civil War history, too. I've heard the town called 'the Hollywood of the South' because so many movies are filmed there. We also took a tour of an old plantation that was fascinating.

Hilton Head?

I'd go as far south as possible. According to google maps, Amelia Island is 7 hours away. Daytona Beach is 568 miles and they say it's 8 hours 43 minutes.

Anything on the stretch of beach from Amelia to Daytona would be a good option.

Thanks all for the suggestions. Main concern is the weather in late May to early June. We have been considering the area from Savannah to Daytona. We don't have any first hand knowledge of that area - activities, lodging etc. Have been to Hilton Head and find it to be a bit pretentious & Wilmington might be too cold then. Amelia Island & Daytona Beach sound interesting. Are these areas very crowded or over commercialized? Wonder when 'spring break' activities happen, we certainly don't want to be there then. Any input on the Savannah area?

Go to Google Maps and create a map from Jekyll Island GA to Daytona Beach FL. It will help you see your options.

Late may/early June would be perfect for that stretch of beaches - and warmer than the Outer Banks.

If you don't like Hilton Head (I don't either) you would love Jekyll Island - but there's not much "nightlife". St. Simons Island has more. A day trip to Cumberland Island is a spectacular experience - who have to take a ferry. The Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island area would offer lots of options. St. Augustine would be great. The beaches at Daytona are amazingly wide, but it can get crowded. I'd stay north of Daytona.

Tybee Island is the beach closest to Savannah. Not the best beach - but great because it's close to Savannah.

Are your college age sons going on this trip? How long do you want to stay on the beach?

Trip is planned from May 25 to June 6 & yes the guys will be with us. Three days in Durham and then a week on a beach somewhere. I've looked at the maps & that's why we are looking at the south Georgia to northern Florida area. Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island area sounds interesting. Are there many condo type rentals in that area We would need a Sunday thru Sunday rental.

Tons of rentals. Start with vrbo.com but there are realty and rental agencies too.

It'll probably be 90 degrees then with humidity to match so I don't understand the too cold comment. No need to drive 8 hours when Wilmington area beaches are much closer. I'd recommend anything between Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC.

While in Durham visit the Duke Gardens -- oh, my are they pretty.

The air temps and water temps aren't going to be that much warmer in Daytona than they are in South Carolina due to the Gulf Stream and how it effects the air and ocean.

The average daily high for Charleston, Jekyll Island GA, and Daytona Beach FL on June 1st is 83, 85, and 87 respectively.

My suggestion would be one of the Charleston beaches. Much shorter drive and much nicer area with a lot to do.

Thanks all for the input, kind of what we are looking for. As for the cold part, it comes from last year when we stayed on the outer banks and the ocean was numbing cold and the pool was ok but not warm. Does the couple hundred miles further south make that big a difference in temp? Also, since we would prefer to not spend a lot of drive time the Charleston beaches might be a good alternative. We have no interest in going to Myrtle Beach,to busy & I've read that the Memorial Day weekend time frame is not a good time to be there anywy. So, any suggestions on specific beach areas to stay and any input on specific condo rentals would be a plus.
Thanks again

Go just south of MB to Litchfield or Pawley's--a couple of hours closer than Charleston, although Charleston would offer a lot for the family to do during the week.
As someone said, it could be blazing hot outside,at least. A pool would be a definite possibility. I don't go in theocean in the summer so that is up to you!!

Not sure when Bike week is in Myrtle Beach, but a good idea to stay far away.

There are a good number of options in the Wilmington area plus easy access from I-40. Wilmington offers gardens, shopping, aquarium, lighthouses, and the USS North Carolina nearby. Charleston area beaches offer Charleston which has a lot to offer too.

There are two bike weeks in MB--a Harley week in mid-May and the Black Bikers week on Memorial Day. Do not go to MB or Atlantic Beach (the real center of it) on that week. However, south of MB, by Murrell's inlet and LItchfield is fine.

I vote for Amelia Island. We also vacation every July in the Outer Banks (Corolla Light). If you like that, I think you would like Amelia Island. Obviously, the further south you go, the better the likelihood of warm weather. We've stayed at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island (good for families) and loved it. I can't remember the town near there (Fernandina?), but your college aged boys would be able to get in a little nightlife. If you prefer a condo, look into the Amelia Island Plantation.

You have to be careful with some of the barrier islands around Georgia. They are absolutely charming yet the beaches may not be the nicest sand and the water can be a little murky.

Be aware that even if you avoid the destinations for bikers, I-95 is a nightmare south of the NC/SC border, and particularly in Georgia. It's a 4-lane highway there with very few exits and almost no N-S alternatives -- traffic's heavy and any slow-moving vehicles or accidents can bring it to a 10 MPH crawling parking lot. Try to travel, if you can, very early in the morning and/or avoiding the weekend (Tues., Wed., Thurs.)

And of course, the Monday holiday, when everyone is leaving the beach.

All of North Carolina's beaches are within four hours drive of Durham with the exception of Ocracoke and that vicinity on lower Hattaras. I prefer any of them to Myrtle Beach, which is as ugly as Ocean City, MD.

So we'll look forward to not seeing you ever on the Grand Strand George.

It's narrowing down to the Charleston area or Amelia Island. We are very fond of the Outer Banks, been staying there for a number of years, mostly around Duck & Corolla so Amelia might feel comfortable. As for I-95, we try to avoid it like the plague. there is something to say about using a laptop with 'Street Atlas' & a GPS unit, it has saved us many hours of traffic time in the past.
I'll check out the Amelia Island Plantation and hope someone can recommend a reliable rental agency for a condo around one of the Charleston area beaches. Thanks again for everyone's input.