Our family is from the midwest, and none of us have ever been to a beach. We'd like to plan a vacation next summer for our family of four (kids 8 and 11). What is a good family-oriented beach? What do we beach newbies need to know? Thanks for your help!

The beach is a great family place. You need to decide if you want a place near a city for other activities or just a beach away from other stuff. Think warm water. Florida's west coast beaches are warmer and more gentle than the east coast ones. Also, generally, more shallow and less waves. The further south you go, the clearer the water. If you are into snorkeling or scuba, think the Fla Keys. There are 'critters' in the water and we are the intruders. Use common sense and do not swim at dawn or dusk (feeding times). Do not wear jewelery as it can attract large 'fish' and is subject to getting lost in the water. Wear waterproof sun protection and have good sunglasses. The reflection from water and white sand is murder. Limit your exposure to 1/2 to 1 hour and build up over time. Do not fall asleep on a float as you may wake up out to sea. Some beaches allow cars to drive on them. Beware of parking anywhere near the water - may find your car sunk. Good Luck

Hello Katie,
There sure are ALOT of beaches in this country to choose from, could you be more specific?
My suggestion is St.Augustine Beach in northeast Florida. Lovely little Spanish city, nice beaches, reasonable prices, close to Disney World, Kennedy Space Center, Sea World etc. Fall and spring are best times for weather. Yhe city has a website, I'm sure.
A.M.
A.M.

Ooops! I am only one A.M.

Katie, I'm sure you'll get a lot of opinions on a good beach, but apparently I may be your first reply, so I'll ask the obvious questions - are you wanting to drive, do you want to stay in the US, do you have any special financial requirements? Other posters can probably give you good info regarding some great beaches in Mexico, Cancun and others come to mind that may be good with kids as well as adults. I'll stick with what I know however. I am from South Texas and I think our local beach, South Padre Island, is probably one of the best beaches in the US. If you go to the Texas site, you'll see some different opinions on it, but I think mostly that is because the posters were expecting a cancun or acapulco type setting and SPI is not that. It is a very family friendly location. Lots of T shirt shops and schlock, but that is part of the charm of a beach community. It is very accessible on Southwest Airlines to Harlingen or easy to drive to if you have enough time. Recently a water park was added - Schlitterbahn, and the reports I am getting from families who have been there are glowing. Even before it opened the beach here was great. Lots of rentals of water sport crafts and fishing boats. Also, an added attraction is that Brownsville, Texas is only about 45 minutes away and there is a great zoo there - Gladys Porter Zoo - one of the best in the country. Mexico is just across the border from Brownsville and that would be exciting for kids to visit. Prices at hotels such as the Radisson or Sheraton can get high during the summer, but others such as Holiday Inn can be lower, as can individual condo rentals, which the chamber of commerce can advise you on. There are many great casual eating places at the beach and fireworks every friday night during the summer. The roads can be very congested during the summer, but if you are staying right on the beach, you can avoid that traffic. Anyway, if I can give you any other advice on SPI, let me know.

Katie: come to San Diego. We have miles of beautiful beaches, many other fun places for kids (and parents!) to visit such as the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Museum (and other museums in Balboa Park), Sea World. The temperature here in the summer ranges from mid 70s to low 80s at the beach, much warmer inland. It is not humid here, unless ther is a tropical storm hundreds of miles south, off the coast of Mexico. Then we do experience an increase in humidity for a few days. All of our beaches, both city and State, have lifeguards. When you go to a beach, talk to the lifeguard, they will tell you the best area for swimming that day. Use lots of sunscreen (even if overcast) and reapply after going in the water. Wear a hat and, if possible rent a beach umbrella. You can barbecue on the beach, but you must dispose of the coals in the proper recepticle. You would need a rental car in San Diego, and some of our beaches are better than others for parking. Some popular beaches for families are: Coronado, La Jolla Shores, Torrey Pines State Beach, Del Mar. Have fun planning!

San Diego is the perfect place for a family vacation. So much to do and see and wonderful weather.

Thanks for the responses! We're probably fairly equal distance from the east, west, and Gulf coasts, so I intentionally left the destination wide open. Definitely want to limit to U.S. mainland. We'd like to fly. Financially, prefer hotels in the $200/night vicinity.

Katie:
Why not Lake Michigan? Don't have to worry about "sea critters" and it has some of the greatest sand beaches anywhere, from Michigan City, Indiana all the way up the state of Michigan.

Katie: take a look at the Sea Lodge at La Jolla Shores. It's a nice hotel right on the beach; I'm not sure how much it costs, but I don't think it's very expensive. It's part of La jolla Beach and Tennis Club. The web address is www.ljbtc.com/sealodge.

Hi Katie,
My suggestion would be to first ask your kids what they want to get out of this vacation. Will they be happy just hanging out at the beach? Do they need more (amusement parks, water parks, etc.)? And realize, summer is crowded on any beach, and the prices are at peak. My favorites are 1. Hilton Head for: firm sand you can ride bikes on, good resturants, fireworks on summer weekends. 2. Sanibel Island for: bike trails all over island, very slow pace(no stop lights on the island), varied sea life, unbelievable sunsets. And 3. Destin/Sandestin, Florida for: sugar white sand, wide range of resturants, great golfing, newer rental properties. Please let us know when you've narrowed your choices, so we can answer your specific questions. There is nothing like the first time kids see the ocean!

North Carolina has great beaches. You could fly into Wilmington, NC and drive to Wrightsville Beach, or Holden Beach.
Both very family oriented. SC is also great with easy to swim ocean and lots for kids to do. If you want lots of commercialism, try Myrtle Beach or if you want quieter try renting a house in Hilton Head SC. The plantation (resort areas) are great for golf, bike riding tennis and beach fun. Good luck!

San Diego!! Take Southwest--very cheap and very safe and friendly. Good advice on what to do. Lots of great resorts, etc. Weather is great any time of year. Coronado Beach is so friendly and beautiful and family-oriented.

Just remember that the beach is NOT like a swimming pool. It can be dangerous if not respected. I've lived my life on the coast and we have several drownings a year, all visitors. People seem to leave common sense at home. BE SAFE and have fun.

The most beautiful beaches in this country are arguably those of Destin, FL. I have been to Miami, San Diego, VA Beach, and many others. Those are all great, but Destin still has the most beautiful beaches. The sand is as white as snow, and the water is a deep emerald color. It's not like many places along the Atlantic where you can't see you feet through the murky water. Destin's water is crystal clear. There are also many great reastaurants, great shopping, golf, and etc. in Destin. One other attraction to Destin is its beautiful harbor. I believe the largest charter fishing fleet in the country is found there. So deep sea fishing is another big attraction.

Second Destin, and I've seen a LOT of beaches all over the world. If what you want is a family vacation, Destin is a great spot. And you should be able to rent a very nice condo for well under $200 per night.

Hi,
A beach vacation is a great vacation. You may get hooked and do this each year, like we do. Finding the best beach will take some work.

Here are some basics, then I'll share some of our beach stories.

Location: The biggest decision you will have. Make sure the place has warm, swimable water, an uncrowded beach, a lifeguard on duty and is a walk (not drive) away from where you stay. It should also have enough other things to do. These may include easy of bicycling/jogging/blading, mini golf, shopping, grocery store nearby, restaurants, water and boat access for fishing, renting, etc. and enough things to do if you get too much beach, the kids get bored or it rains.

Hotel/Motel vs. Rental: Many beach areas have weekly rentals with realty agencies specializing in summer rentals. Usually Saturday-Saturday or Sunday to Sunday. A hotel-based beach plusses are you may have a pool, restaurants, beach chairs/umbrellas provided, activities planned, cable TV & movies and air conditioning. Some hotels are just places to stay in the beach community, and are not on the beach proper. Rentals include beach houses, condos, duplexes and other domiciles. A rental can give you privacy, kitchen for your meals (to save $$), less crowds and a homey atmosphere. You may also find a 'difference' in the type of people who stay at a hotel vs. a beach rental (many families) vs. who own and live on a beach.

Length of Stay & Cost: A week is minimum time required. Cost varies widely, of course, but I'd say $200-$300 / night would be a good estimate. Many places will have peak, semi-peak, off-peak, etc.. pricing depending on the specific week you choose. Remember, if you go to early (May or June) to a northern East Coast beach, the water may not (usually) be warm enough.

Timing & Reservations: We always book next years rental the week we leave. Many beach people we know do the same, year after year. Get your place lined up by Super Bowl Sunday. If you can, actually take a small trip in the winter to the places you are considering and check everything out. Many realty companies will be open on the weekend just for the summer rental market, and they will be able to show you around. Plus, you will get the 'feel' for the place. Some examples: If there are lots of high rise hotels on the beach (you will get a crowded beach); if the community is made up of rental homes; how much other 'stuff' is around; How far is it to go to the grocery store, etc.. How many restaurants are close by. Can my family ride bikes, where is the movie theatre and movie rental store, Etc…


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What to bring and prepare: You can probably rent anything you don't have. Bring bicycles, roller blades, etc. If you go thru a realtor, they will give you a great checklist.

Our experiences. We've taken a beach vacation for more than 20 years. It gets into your blood after a while. It is truly one of the only places to really, absolutely relax. We rent a small unit / house a block and a half from the beach. The roads are residential/rental, so we walk to the beach. Every road has public beach access. The beach itself is never crowded - even on July 4th,, as there are neither hotels nor very many rental houses. [However, a ½ mile down the beach there are hotels and their beaches are very crowded]. A lifeguard is on duty from 10-5, every day. A bike lane for bicyclists, roller bladers, walkers and joggers stretches along the roadways. There are arcades, grocery, liquor store, movies, restaurants, ice cream, book stores, bakeries all within walking , biking or driving distance. We do not worry (or did) about our kid going along on his bike to the arcade or mini-golf. Each week there is a mini golf tournament. We sometimes watch the sun set (from the bay side). We have taken fishing trips, evening cruises etc. from various stores and marinas. Our place has no air conditioning, but a nice breeze (usually). We often stay on the beach until 7-8pm just reading or talking. My kid meets up with other kids and they all play together (year after year after year) on the beach or in the street. If you want to know where, I'll e-mail you… but don't want to let the world know where we stay.

We have also rented houses in Nags Head and Duck, NC, on the Outer Banks. The rental properties are new, wonderful and a good value. Check out Sun Realty (www.sunrealtync.com) - get one of their rental guides sent to you to see the options you have there. WE found that the water was rough - too rough to swim in both times we were there. I suspect this is not normal.. but it is our only experience. One thing about the Outer Banks - I though it was very car oriented… You had to drive to get anywhere, really. The houses were very nice, loaded with all the comforts of home (TV, VCR, A/C, dishwasher, game rooms - some had pools too).

We liked Hilton Head - but never stayed a week. It had many of the small-time, homey things we like about our 'regular' spot.

We stayed in Vero Beach, Florida. I have to say I was not impressed. This is probably because the hotel we stayed at no longer had a beach (it had vanished out to sea! ) . It was over developed and very commercial. However, I have heard many, many people say that the Florida beaches are the best. [Plus they always have warm water!]

We've also stayed in Ocean City, MD. The beach was lined with hotel after hotel after hotel. Too many people! But plenty to do, I must say.

We have also done the lake-beach vacation (in Michigan). It really was great… BUT - it doesn't compare to the ocean and an ocean beach vacation.

Ask your friends. You probably know someone who is a transplant from a coastal area, whose summers consisted of going to the beach.

Work hard on your location.. It is the most important. Have fun

The water is rough on the outer banks of NC. We live in Virginia and drive up to Stone Harbor, NJ. Its very family oriented. 1 1/2 hrs from the Philly airport. It may be expensive though. Avalon is also nice.

Thanks again for the responses. Great information. You're the best!