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Post by Basket1lady on Feb 13, 2018 1:21:21 GMT
Is it warm enough to swim in the Atlantic in late May/early June in OBX or even Hilton Head? The NW Florida/Alabama Gulf coast is a bit chilly for me until mid to late June. This is what I was thinking. Most people I know vacation at the shore/beach/ocean at the end of the summer, not in May (schools are still in session here anyway.) If you just want warm temps, it's probably a perfect time to go because it's often not too hot and humid in May. But the water temp will come up another 10-15 degrees. We were in the OBX last April. It was wonderful. Warm daytime temps, but not too humid. So if you go in May, you should avoid crowds at least. We went to the beach, but mostly just played with the dog on the beach. Even Emma (a Labrador) didn't go into the water much, and she swims in Lake Superior and Kabetogama. It could be that she wasn't sure of the big waves--it was pretty rough that day. But we did wade and enjoy the sun. Restaurants weren't crowded and most things were open. We drove as far south as Roanoke and as far north as the Currituck lighthouse. The Roanoke museum wasn't much, but we are history geeks so it was fun to see the site. We liked the Wright Bros museum and spent a few hours there. We did a really great sunset canoe trip up near Duck, run by the Audubon society, on the sound side, complete with Emma riding in the canoe. I highly recommend it! We stayed in Kill Devil Hills at an AirBNB, but I'd also look at the Duck area as well.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Feb 13, 2018 1:29:12 GMT
I really don't care if I go swimming. I just want to lay in the sun, on a beach, and relax. Is it too cold for that? I'm northern MN, remember? We wear shorts in -10F. well, not me, but you know..ha
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Sarah*H
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Jun 25, 2014 20:07:06 GMT
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Post by Sarah*H on Feb 13, 2018 1:34:31 GMT
Hatteras Island, south of Buxton or Ocracoke. I only say south of Buxton because of the time of year - the gulf stream comes in at Buxton so the water south of there and on Ocracoke is measurably warmer than the towns even just a few miles north.
There are parts of the Outer Banks which are crowded (no high rises though!) but Hatteras and Ocracoke do not fall into that category. There are multiple parking areas at various mileposts all through the national seashore so if one is too busy for your taste, just move on the next.
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Post by Merge on Feb 13, 2018 1:41:48 GMT
For remote, uncrowded beaches, I love North Padre Island and Mustang Island in south Texas. Very wild and un-commercialized. The area was hit hard by Harvey, so not sure how much things have recovered ... but I'm sure they'd appreciate the tourism dollars if things are getting back to normal.
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Post by Kelly_MR on Feb 13, 2018 13:20:30 GMT
Jun 26, 2014 at 4:48pm Kelly_MR said: You didn't say where you wanted to go but Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks meets your needs completely. One of our vacation favorite places because of all those reasons you mentioned. I always think of the OBXs as being crowded? We would go in May/early June. I don't think there is spring break going on then. The main OBX is very crowded (Duck, Nags Head, Corolla but you drive through all that about 30 miles and it's totally different at Cape Hatteras. Very, Very quiet especially in May and June.
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Post by GamGam on Feb 13, 2018 13:49:13 GMT
I really don't care if I go swimming. I just want to lay in the sun, on a beach, and relax. Is it too cold for that? I'm northern MN, remember? We wear shorts in -10F. well, not me, but you know..ha It should be ideal weather for beach time at Isle of Palms. Do check out Wild Dunes Resort. They have a nice variety of accommodations. This resort covers one end of the island, and is a gated area. When we have gone as a family, we rented an ocean front house on the other end of the island. The Beach on this end is absolutely beautiful, and perfect for relaxing and walking.
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Post by Patter on Feb 13, 2018 13:54:18 GMT
We LOVE going to Hilton Head the second week of May. Never crowded where we stay. We stay in a house on the beach back in Sea Pines. Quiet and wonderful. I am always out there at 7 am (or earlier) riding my bike and watching the sun rise. It’s so peaceful and quiet. Truly our favorite!
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Post by crazy4scraps on Feb 13, 2018 14:41:38 GMT
We're looking at a cruise for that very reason. DH wants to go sit on the beach, I want more to do than sit on the beach nor do I want to cook. I'm watching this thread with interest. I have never been on a cruise. Aren't cruises crowded? Not necessarily. My DH hates crowds with the heat of a thousand suns and he LOVED the cruise we went on. Having said that though, it was a Disney Cruise and they really know how to manage and move people so you don’t feel like you’re in the middle of a crowd. The thing we were most surprised by was that we thought because it was Disney it would be totally overrun with kids all the time and that really wasn’t our experience either. It was vastly different from the NCL Hawaiian cruise I had taken with my mom and sisters prior to that.
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Post by dawncpa on Feb 13, 2018 20:45:44 GMT
For a cruise I think it depends what you pick and when. Something like Celebrity or Holland America will not be as chaotic as Carnival or the bigger Royal Caribbean ships. But on any ship, I'm so happy with my book on my balcony that I'm somewhat oblivious to the activity I wish to ignore.
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Post by mom on Feb 13, 2018 20:53:12 GMT
We're looking at a cruise for that very reason. DH wants to go sit on the beach, I want more to do than sit on the beach nor do I want to cook. I'm watching this thread with interest. I have never been on a cruise. Aren't cruises crowded? We cruise every year and love it. How crowed they are depends on when and where you go, and for how long. The 3 days cruises to Bahamas and Mexico tend to attract college kids who want to party - especially over Spring Break. The longer cruises (7 day and up) are quieter. We almost always cruise either in Jan/Feb or Sept/Oct and they are quiet then. We get a balcony so I can read and relax without leaving the room. On the big ships there will be adult only pools, hot tubs, bars, food. We leave next week for a 5 day cruise to Mexico. This will be the shortest cruise we will take (we've done 3 day but have sworn off of them). Just DH and I. We've booked excursions snorkeling one day and a private resort (limited people) for the other stop - we're getting our own cabana and it comes with food, drinks, and massages. This trip we got short notice, so we got a good deal on it. So even if its not where we want to be on vacation (St Johns is our favorite), for the time we have to go, this will be good. SaveSave
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Post by mom2ja2 on Feb 13, 2018 21:03:19 GMT
We love this area! And if you're thinking May/June the weather should be great. 30A is a beautiful scenic highway. One adorable, beautiful, beach town after another. Grayton has great restaurants, Seaside is amazing (and the crowds wouldn't be too horrible in May), Rosemary is also great. Cute book stores, shopping, yummy restaurants.
It's pretty close to unbearably crowded during spring break season - not only Seaside but also Rosemary. (Rosemary had to cancel all evening events last spring break and installed mandatory curfews due to hundreds of unsupervised kids and teens.)
But if you could time it to a week in May where most schools are still in session you'd have an amazing time.
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bethany102399
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Post by bethany102399 on Feb 13, 2018 22:18:41 GMT
As for crowding on a cruise, this one will be our first so I have no idea.
We are planning for late April/Early May hoping to avoid the college kids on break and the rush of younger kids (including ours) who will still be in school. We're looking at a Disney boat but mainly planning to stick to the adults only area. If we like it, then I hope to branch out to longer trips on less expensive lines. It's only a 4 day but we get a day on the boat and a day on the beach plus a day in Key West which is on my bucket list.
Every line I've looked at has adults only areas, which if you can avoid the spring break season I suspect is not crowded at all. My problem is making the dates and the fact that I want a shorter trip work together. The only thing offered are Caribbean or Bahaman trips on older ships. Should we choose to expand our horizons I'd choose a newer ship with a longer itinerary. But then we'd have to bring our kids which defeats the purpose of a relaxing vacation.
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naby64
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Jun 25, 2014 21:44:13 GMT
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Post by naby64 on Feb 13, 2018 22:43:36 GMT
My SIL has a home on Anna Maria Island, FL. We head down every summer. I am so spoiled we don't go anywhere else. No highrises allowed on the island. No real traffic. Great little local places to eat. You can take a short drive to Bradenton or Sarasota if you need any "city" during the visit.
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Post by M~ on Feb 13, 2018 22:51:42 GMT
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Post by freecharlie on Feb 13, 2018 22:53:03 GMT
Any gated community beaches may work. We stayed in Palm coast at cinnamon beach and while it wasn't secluded, it wasn't busy either.
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Post by Delta Dawn on Feb 13, 2018 22:59:26 GMT
We were just on the Big Island. There is a beach and park where we like to go and read. There is a beach but it's not a great swimming beach. If you like to dive there is lots to see there. The park Sunday-Friday is pretty quiet. Saturdays are crazy with birthday parties but the rest of the week it was just us at the park.
We drove to the Black Sand Beach and that is fun. It's a great day trip and we drove to the volcano and that was great as well. The food at the most southern bakery in the US did not disappoint us. We also got coffee at a couple of places but didn't get to see our favourite Sondra from Uganda at the coffee shack where we stop. We have pictures with her and she is wonderful!
Princeville is nice on Kauai. We own in Princeville and my parents have been there oodles of times. It's not that busy. The beach at Hanalei Bay was nice. They also liked the beach further down the road from there. I can't remember what it is called. Poipu has a LOT of people at it but it is a very, very nice beach.
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ellen
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Post by ellen on Feb 13, 2018 23:20:37 GMT
May is the off season in Florida. The beaches on the Gulf would not be crowded. If you wanted to avoid high rise hotels and chain restaurants, Sanibel and Captiva Islands do not allow them. You can also take advantage of cheaper rentals in May. We rent a house when we stay in Captiva and stay in a beachfront condo when we stay in Sanibel. I like the location of the Tarpon Beach condos - close to a grocery store, some good restaurants and right on a bike path. We rent bikes for the week when we stay in Sanibel - everything is right on a bike path which is kind of awesome. My husband would bike over to a little coffee shop every morning. Good restaurants and laid back atmosphere. It's been a while since we've been there. I miss it. Royal Shell Rentals
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Post by mcscrapper on Feb 13, 2018 23:29:53 GMT
Absolutely! But don't tell everyone, okay? If they all knew how fabulous the area of Highway 30A along the Florida panhandle is, they would all go and then it would be crowded!! Seriously, this is one of my favorite spots in the world. No chain hotels, no fast food restaurants allowed. Amazing local restaurants and the best crab cakes that you will ever eat. There is a line of little beach towns that we love; Grayton Beach is our very favorite town to rent a home in via VRBO. ^^^ this 100% I love Grayton and Rosemary and Blue Mountain. So much charm SaveSave
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Post by gritzi on Feb 14, 2018 0:08:19 GMT
Oh yes! Sand Key, FL ... an island of paradise, away from the hustle of Clearwater Beach. It's an upscale area where most rental require two week stays. LOVED it! We stayed there the week of July 4th, which is usually shoulder to shoulder people. On most days we counted a total of 10 people, 4 of whom belonged to my family. We could see a public area of Clearwater beach in the distance & their beach chairs were at least 4 rows. I coveted our little quiet area!
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Post by gritzi on Feb 14, 2018 0:11:16 GMT
Several years ago we rented a beachfront condo there, too. One of the nicest condos we rented, with very few people at the beach. it seemed many were locals, so during the weekday they were at work.
Loved the condo, but we found it difficulty to find decent &/or beachfront restaurants. We did enjoy the trips to visit St. Augustine.
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Post by lovemybabes on Feb 14, 2018 0:16:05 GMT
You didn't say where you wanted to go but Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks meets your needs completely. One of our vacation favorite places because of all those reasons you mentioned. This! OBX, any where down there is not super crowded. We frequented Duck and it was beautiful!
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Deleted
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Apr 26, 2024 22:05:21 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2018 21:08:09 GMT
It seems like every beach vacation place is so crowded. Don't want to go on a beach vacation with high rises, and houses right smack next too, and on top of each other. Still looking for anniversary ideas for dh and I in May. Relaxing, no bumper traffic, no crowds, good food!! I could tell you but then it would be ruined by crowds of people looking for an uncrossed beach. Sorry.
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Post by kamper on Feb 15, 2018 0:05:03 GMT
We stayed on the Florida panhandle last year. It was like having a tiny bit of paradise in our backyard. Look at the Seaside, Seagrove, Seacrest, Rosemary Beach areas. +1 for 30A. We stayed in Seagrove one week before Memorial Day. It was uncrowded and the beach was awesome. Stayed next to one of the dune lakes so, we could SUP there as well as the ocean. Check out VBRO. Plenty of listings.
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Post by meriannj on Feb 15, 2018 0:24:34 GMT
You didn't say where you wanted to go but Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks meets your needs completely. One of our vacation favorite places because of all those reasons you mentioned. I always think of the OBXs as being crowded? We would go in May/early June. I don't think there is spring break going on then. Hatteras/Buxton is not as crowed as Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills or Kitty Hawk. I'd you want really quaint, take the ferry to Okracoke. It's starts picking up in May but if you go before Memorial day it won't be bad. If you avoid weekends even better. Memorial Day to Labor Day driving on the island is crazy! I just moved from there in December and miss my little beach home.
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Post by lisae on Feb 15, 2018 1:19:32 GMT
Hilton Head Island, SC
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Post by beachbum on Feb 15, 2018 1:27:32 GMT
This was Sanibel on Tuesday, Feb.12. Temps were in the low 80s and the water has warmed up enough for me to get in, and I'm a wimp when it comes to cold water. This is close to the Sundial resort I posted about earlier. I sat and read and watched pelicans diving for food. Best way to spend a Feb. day. And the summer is actually off season, prices drop after Easter.
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ellen
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Jun 30, 2014 12:52:45 GMT
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Post by ellen on Feb 15, 2018 2:17:08 GMT
This was Sanibel on Tuesday, Feb.12. Temps were in the low 80s and the water has warmed up enough for me to get in, and I'm a wimp when it comes to cold water. This is close to the Sundial resort I posted about earlier. I sat and read and watched pelicans diving for food. Best way to spend a Feb. day. And the summer is actually off season, prices drop after Easter. I stayed at the Sundial once. We were in a building that was really close to the beach and we had a corner unit which was really nice. With our work schedules we could never go during the winter and could always take advantage of off season rates. It's quite a difference in price. One of my doctor's owns a condo at Tarpon Beach and we rented from him during our last couple trips. People in his family also had places at Pointe Santo which is right next to Tarpon Beach. I wouldn't hesitate to rent at any of the places mentioned here. All are nice. SaveSave
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Post by cindyupnorth on Feb 15, 2018 2:20:22 GMT
Thanks Elaine!! I've looked at some places Ps have suggested, and everyone else must make MUCH more money they we do. Because there is no way in heck my dh would let me pay 300$+ for a room. yes, we could do something cheaper, and be off the ocean, but dang! I want ocean. ha
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Post by anniefb on Feb 15, 2018 3:06:40 GMT
Come to New Zealand
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Post by cindyupnorth on Feb 15, 2018 3:15:42 GMT
HA!! yea, that'll be cheap! I wish!
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