We are planning a weekend beach getaway at the end of May. We are torn between super-cheap Florida (airfares are amazingly low for that weekend) and Myrtle Beach – help me decide.
What we want:
[ul]
[li]nice beach(es)[/li][li]historical and/or cultural attractions[/li][li]maybe some outdoorsy stuff (hiking?)[/li][li]good dining[/li][/ul]
What we don’t want:
[ul]
[li]huge crowds[/li][li]rude people[/li][li]having to drive everyfrigginwhere we want to go[/li][li]amusement/theme parks[/li][/ul]
We’d prefer there be a military base nearby (we could stay on post and save on our accomodations) but it isn’t necessary. If it matters, we are talking May 28 - June 1. We originally decided on Virginia Beach, but they’re having some huge festival (crowds, ick!) so that made it a huge “no thanks!” for us. We just want to do some laid-back family time.
So sell me on one or the other, Myrtle Beach area dopers, is it really that nice? Tell me what we can do there. Family consists of me (mom, 36), my husband (dad, 36), daughter (15) and son (8). Not-boyfriend might come too – he is 17 (my daughter’s not-boyfriend, I am not allowed to have one of those).
How about Fernandina Beach / Amelia Island in Florida? It’s right near Mayport, which is a navy base.
Myrtle Beach is all crowds, not a very nice beach, and you have to drive everywhere. Amelia Island you can drive in and park and walk around town, it’s nice and historic, decent beaches, some nice state parks with trails, etc.
I’ve always liked a small area between Daytona Beach and St. Augustine.
The Summer Haven / Anastasia Island / Marineland area is really beautiful with nice beaches and no crowds. There’s a few state parks nearby and Fort Montanzas is historically interesting.
St. Augustine has a lot of history as well and the Castillo De San Marcos is one of my favorite historic sites as well.
Marineland was once the original “Seaworld” type place of Florida but is now a sleepy town which is home to a Dolphin conservation center that is open for tours.
Heh. Funny, but Myrtle Beach pinged my radar as being listed as “one of the best beaches in the US.” Weird, I will definitely consider this. That’s why I was asking. Our goal is to go somewhere none of us have been before – which kind of rules FL out, except that it’s so inexpensive. We also considered Biloxi, and it’s still high on the list, but when my husband deploys, they will launch from Ft Shelby, so that kind of makes it one of those “well, the next time you’re in this area, it will be to go off to war” places, y’know?
I love Florida. Different areas have lots different to offer, depending on where you fly into.
Would only recommend Myrtle for golfers - for which it is hard to beat.
Trust me, I went to Myrtle Beach every year as a child, and then to Clearwater, as my grandparents lived there. Granted, it’s hard to live up to Clearwater Beach, but Myrtle Beach is teh suxx0r. 17 is an incredibly crowded road, the beach is small and gray and urghles, I just don’t find it appealing.
(Pssst - there are some awesome restaurants on Amelia Island, too. Just sayin’.)
In my opinion, MB is 2/4 of the things you want (I’ll conced that the beaches are nice and there are good restaurants) and 3/4 of the things you don’t want. (Maybe 4/4, but I’ve never personally noticed any abnormally rude behavior).
To add to some of the other places mentioned, consider Fort Walton Beach/Destin FL. It’s close to Eglin AFB.
What you want is St. George Island (FL). Beautiful white sand beaches. Not crowded. Near historic Apalachicola, where you can get some delicious seafood. The eastern third of the island is a state park, so you can hike along the beach for miles.
An hour or so up the road is Wakulla Springs, an off-the-beaten-path natural marvel. Take a ride in the glass-bottomed boat around the spring and down the river for some fantastic wildlife viewing.
This sounds nice. I guess I was hoping to hear that MB was da bomb, since we did Dsiney last year (and will do it again next year) but I think I would like what you’re describing.
Didn’t catch the bit about a military base. Elgin Air Force Base has an outpost on Cape San Blas, I believe. Don’t know if it’s big enough to offer you accomodations, though.