volcanogirl

lp, we asked a security guard if we could go to the beach, and he let us. We were 5 single girls traveling together, so I guess we looked unthreatening.

yep, ttt is to the top - people use it to mark a thread under their own name or to send it to the top. Sometimes you'll see bookmarking; it does the same thing.

yellowbyrd

Kiawah has several "gated areas" that visitors have access to depending on where they are staying ( and how rich they are). You can rent a private condo or stay in the resort but there are some areas that you will not be allowed to visit unless you know someone who lives beyond the gate. The beaches are hard flat sand, great to walk on. But IMO the whole feeling is rather "man-made" when compared to the wild natural beauty of Coast Guard Beach on the Cape. The National Seashore Beaches, like Coast Guard and Nauset Light Beach in Eastham are undeveloped, backed by marsh or dunes and admission during the summer is limited to the availability of parking in the Park Service lots.
So if you are choosing between a premier resort/developed area like Kiawah and wild/national park area like Coast Guard Beach, you should make the decision based on the type of experience you want as well as the water temp., time of year, proximity to Boston/Charleston etc.

I like Kiawah because every thing feels so rich and easy....I can dress up to dine at one of the lovely resort restaurants, never get my shoes dirty, shop the boutiques right on the island, visit the spa, sit by a pool or be in Charleston in 30 minutes to take advantage of all that it has to offer. To me it's like a Walt Disney fantasy vacation...just perfect.

I like Coast Guard Beach because it is real, wild and breathtakingly beautiful. The outer cape has distinct small towns, each with it's own personality. You will find local artists, small boutiques, every kind of dining from clam shacks to French cuisine, theater, museums as well as many out-door activities like biking, hiking, whale-watching, dune-tours. But as another poster mentioned...you can't just hop in your car and drive to Boston for a day trip because it will take a minimum of 2 hours. You might however take a day
trip to Boston by ferry from Provincetown, or to Nantucket from Harwich or Hyannis, or to Martha's Vineyard from Woodshole. Additionally, the Cape is large enough that you could explore Cape Cod Bay beaches and Nantucket Sound/Buzzard's Bay beaches in addition to the National Seashore beaches on the outer cape. There's more than enough to keep you busy on Cape Cod for a week.

laplaya

thanks, it sounds like both are great.