Coastal Carolinas Traditions
Growing up in the midwest, we were quite far from the beach-well the ocean beach, anyway. The Missouri River-or “The Mighty Mo’” as we fondly called it-was close by, and what we considered “the beach.” It was not typical for families in our area to visit the “ocean beach” more than a couple of times during their growing up years, if ever. We were lucky enough to have family in Florida so we got to go every couple of years or so and I discovered my love of the beach!
Once we got married and moved closer to the coast, I discovered the joy of the annual beach vacation-thanks to my husbands family! They have been doing an annual beach vacation most of my husbands life, and I was/am happy to join in on that tradition as often as possible-haha! We have had the fun of sharing this with our kids, both our “permanent” and “temporary” (foster) kids. It is such a joy to get to see their reactions to seeing the ocean for the first time. The most recent kids we introduced to the beach ran down and immediately did “snow angles” in the sand. One of them had been talking about throwing sand INTO the ocean for weeks before we arrived, so he was thrilled to be able to do that. It’s so fun to get to experience the joy through their eyes.
The excitement of throwing sand into the ocean! Who would have known?! (Pic from Hilton Head Island, SC)
Living in Virginia, we have lots of beach locations within several hours driving distance and we have enjoyed exploring them as often as we get the chance. North Carolina has lots of family friendly and accessible beaches. The most popular is likely the Outer Banks (OBX). The OBX are barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. They offer a variety of small towns to visit and stay, each with its unique shops, restaurants and things to do. The Outer Banks are characterized by their sandy dunes. You can take a hike up the “tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic Coast” at Jockeys Ridge State Park in Nags Head, NC. If you go up on the northern end of the Outer Banks towards Corolla, NC and see the wild horses that roam the beach certain times of year. It is super interesting to see horses on the beach!
Hiking at Jockey’s Ridge in Nags Head, NC.
A little further south from the Outer Banks is Emerald Isle, North Carolina. We recently discovered this location last year. I really enjoyed how it was a bit quieter and less crowded than the more popular OBX. It is great for people who really just want to relax at the beach and aren’t looking for a lot of other entertainment.
Bogue Inlet Pier on Emerald Isle, NC.
South Carolina boast some really wonderful beaches. While we enjoy beaches in both North and South Carolina, we tend to prefer the South Carolina beaches because of the palm trees! I am a big fan of palm trees because it just feels more like we are on a tropical vacation! My very favorite of the Carolina beaches is Hilton Head Island (HHI). HHI is wonderful for its white sandy beaches, shopping, and family entertainment. The vegetation is lush and tropical. Everything on the island is very “upscale” (it always cracks me up that even the fast food restaurants are made of nicer bricks for a “fancier” ambiance). There are tons of biking trails, parks, and a nature preserve that we always enjoy visiting called Coastal Discovery Museum. Savannah, Georgia is just an hour away so it provides a nice day trip opportunity.
Coastal Discovery Museum, Hilton Head Island, SC. I love the unique vegetation!
Kiawah Island is another beautiful beach off the coast of South Carolina, somewhat close to Charleston. It is known for it’s beautiful golf courses and beaches and it has a quaint little town center that is cute to visit.
Most of the Carolina Coast beach towns have varying amounts of hotels and condos, but the more popular (and family friendly) option is to do a vacation house rental. The rentals usually run Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday. Sunday to Sunday is typically the better option to avoid the worst of the traffic getting on to the islands. We always enjoy having a house where we can spread out and make our own meals when as we want to.
Renting a house with it’s own private pool is always a family favorite! The most popular (and most expensive) time to travel to the Carolina Coast is June through August. If you aren’t tied to the traditional school schedule, May and September or early October can be wonderfully uncrowded and more budget friendly times to go. While there are tons of options for accommodations up and down the Carolina Coasts, they do fill up quickly for the summertime months. It’s usually best to book about six months in advance to get the best choice of rental. And who doesn’t want to start planning summer vacation in January or February?! There is no better distraction from the cold, bleak winter than browsing beach vacations!
Kiawah Island, SC