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MarilynW
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| Posted: June 22 2009 at 7:25pm | IP Logged
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We are looking to go to the beach for a few days in early September and are really hoping to find a quiet deserted beach - we do not like big resorts with hundreds of people. Until a few years ago we used to travel to Hilton Head Island SC- it was so beautiful and we saw few people on the beach - the kids were able to find lots of sea creatures and not see lots of "bodies"
I would love advice to as to how to find a beach home for rental - we gave gotten to where we cannot fit in one hotel room and figure that we may be able to afford a home rental because September is not peak time.
Our inspiring sermon yesterday was all about creating memories for your family and going on family vacations even when financially hard - so we are going to try and figure this out somehow!
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Marilyn
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RamFam
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Anxiously awaiting responses. We've yet to make to any beaches in the area. I was wondering about Assoteague Island or Rehoboth, DE or Ocean City, MD or where in the OBX or Fenwick Island State Park?
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Leah
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mary theresa
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| Posted: June 22 2009 at 8:01pm | IP Logged
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We go to the Outer Banks, NC every year, usually Duck/Corolla/Southern Shores. We love it there. Duck is a really cute area. The further North you go from there later in the season the quieter it gets, so I have heard. At the top of the OB, past Corolla, you have to let your tires out and drive on the sand! We actually usually go in late May, still during school time and usually there is at least 50 ft between us and the next umbrella. I am not sure what it would be like in terms of how much people in Sept, but I expect it would be similar. One thing to note though is that Sept is hurricane season on the Outer Banks -- when renting, they tell you it would be crazy not to get hurricane insurance -- just to factor in that extra cost.
Hope that helps a bit!
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Mary Theresa
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Tami
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I would highly recommend Bethany Beach,DE. We went there whenever we were able to take a vacation. Small town. Very family friendly. Short boardwalk. About 30 min (I think) away is Henlopen State Park - bayside beach, fishing, etc. There is a ferry from somewhere near Bethany to Cape May, NJ. Oh, and about 30 min. north, in Rehobeth Beach, are phenomenal outlet malls. Great way to pass the time if you get a rainy afternoon.  Bethany is definitely our family's beach-of-choice! 
Ocean City, MD is ~ok~. Like the other beach areas, it will be quieter in September (although all those beach areas are busier in Sept. than in previous times). But really, OC has become very, very commercialized and honky-tonk. We wouldn't take our kids there, under normal circumstances. But the north end is not as bad (approaching DE). The boardwalk can be a very, very dark place, although the rides at the end can be a lot of fun. We tended to stay away from that type of thing because of cost. But in Sept., I don't know how much will be happening on the boardwalk, except for weekends. It will be busy then.
Our fall vacations to the beach mainly centered around beach/outdoor activities, with an occasional trip to the souvenir shop. The water is still quite warm, the beaches are not crowded at all (esp. on weekdays). One year we saw a whale! I'm sure you'll have a blast!
I've had friends go to the Outer Banks in Sept. They love it there, too!
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Tami
When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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MarilynW
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| Posted: June 22 2009 at 8:10pm | IP Logged
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RamFam wrote:
| Anxiously awaiting responses. We've yet to make to any beaches in the area. I was wondering about Assoteague Island or Rehoboth, DE or Ocean City, MD or where in the OBX or Fenwick Island State Park? |
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I would not do Reheboth - we went to Dewey/Reheboth last year with friends - I would not do it again
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Marilyn
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MarilynW
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| Posted: June 22 2009 at 8:12pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Tami. My BIL want us to go with them to Bethany - but I really like us to have a just our family vacation. maybe we should look at Bethany anyway.
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Marilyn
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SaraP
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| Posted: June 22 2009 at 8:21pm | IP Logged
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My family loves Chincoteague/Assateague and our favorite time to go is the weekend after Labor Day when the rates are cheaper and very few people are there. I have always used the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce website to find rentals.
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insegnante
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I was going to recommend Bethany Beach, even though we've only been there briefly a couple of times. Once we stayed in, I think, Ocean City but drove over there to visit the actual beach. I haven't read all the responses but see at least one other person mentioned it.
(Though, don't mean to hijack, and nothing at all against people who can eke out a vacation right now doing so -- but I think I might cry if I heard a sermon right now exhorting me to find room in the budget for a vacation.)
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Theresa
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teachingmyown
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We'll be in Duck in the Outer Banks of NC in early September! I haven't been in years, but even in the summer it was always really nice and not too crowded. I expect September to be wonderful.
You'll have to pm me if you end up going that way. Maybe our vacations will overlap and we could meet up for an afternoon. 
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mary
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| Posted: June 23 2009 at 5:16am | IP Logged
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another vote for obx. we'll be in southern shores in august. we only go on vacation every 2 or 3 years so that makes it easier to adjust for the expense.
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MarilynW
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| Posted: June 23 2009 at 7:19am | IP Logged
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insegnante wrote:
I
(Though, don't mean to hijack, and nothing at all against people who can eke out a vacation right now doing so -- but I think I might cry if I heard a sermon right now exhorting me to find room in the budget for a vacation.) |
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Dear Theresa - I do know how you feel. But we only go for a couple of nights - and sometimes just for day trips too if we cannot afford to stay over.The sermon really spoke to me because the priest was talking about how their family struggled financially but their father always managed a vacation at the beach for them and now it was those vacations he and his siblings always talked about as adults. I feel like my husband is like that - I am not a huge vacation person - sometimes complain to myself about all the packing and unpacking and also I am allergic to the sun and the beach can be tough in summer.(and other ways I am not too much fun - eg I don't like rollercoasters!) But my husband always plans fun things for the children and they love to look at photos and talk about these.
So I am on a quest to be creative and find a couple of affordable days at the beach. When we used to go to Hilton Head Island, I worked at a legal conference early in the mornings for a week - and the company paid all hotel and travel expenses for me and the family - but that job ended a couple of years ago. 
Hijacking my own thread - I am doing a beach theme with my 2 little guys - reading them tons of beach picture books from the library - and a couple of the books just make me want to wake up to the sound of the ocean and sit on a porch looking at the ocean and drinking my tea.
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Mackfam
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insegnante wrote:
(Though, don't mean to hijack, and nothing at all against people who can eke out a vacation right now doing so -- but I think I might cry if I heard a sermon right now exhorting me to find room in the budget for a vacation.) |
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Theresa, We're not able to do any vacationing this year either. Our budget is consumed trying to save as much as we can for my husband to get a modest used truck to get him back and forth to work. His car is literally falling apart.
I took that as a personal challenge to try to carve out some fun time that I set aside as "vacation-like" with my attitude and a few modest actions. There are some great ideas to get the creative juices flowing here on Angie Mc's staycation ideas thread. I love taking an extreme challenge...like having absolutely no extra $$ to do anything and only being able to use what we have around the house to punctuate an event as exciting and set-aside! Just mentioning it because I know the budget is extremely tight for you guys right now!
So taking a few liberties with Father's sermon that Marilyn heard...try to find room in your imagination for a vacation this year!
And, I did want to say that I'm terribly excited for my friend Marilyn as a trip to the beach sounds like an absolute blast!!!! What a fun thing to look forward to!! We've taken off-season trips down to the Gulf in years past and had such an amazing time - the beaches are spectacular and basically deserted!!!! I have wonderful memories of those trips, Marilyn! Obviously, I can't recommend the Gulf for you , but I do hope your trip details work out! What fun!
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teachingmyown
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This is the first time in ten years that we have taken a "real" vacation, and this is due to a generous Christmas gift from a relative.
We do have the good fortune to have access to a small lake house that we make it to once a year for a couple of days.
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Molly
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MarilynW
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| Posted: June 23 2009 at 9:55am | IP Logged
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OK Theresa - I will call you about things to do in our area..
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Marilyn
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insegnante
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Oh, I know people who can afford -- as I said, in some cases "eke out" -- some kind of vacation aren't all living in luxury! Marilyn, your later explanation of the priest's sermon sounds a bit less specific than I was perceiving to "people really should take family vacations" so I think I understand better now.
We've done some overnights to the beach in years past. And this year we were able to stay in a hotel just outside NYC where my mother and other relatives live, our first trip there in years, through the generosity of my mother. (And I do understand the draw to the beach -- while we were in Brooklyn, so near the ocean, we decided to take the kids even though it wasn't particularly warm. But some guy with big unleashed dogs started scolding my husband for "letting" our sons be afraid of them so we got out of there in a hurry. Only in New York? Sadly, probably not.)
Did you read Night of the Moonjellies as part of your beach theme, Marilyn? I think it's set in New England, but always reminds me of our trips to that whole MD/DE beach area.
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MarilynW
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We were posting at the same time Theresa! And let me make sure you know - I have all these great ideas - but right now I am struggling to just walk round the cul de sac - so my husband is doing much with the children - I am hoping to go blueberry picking though as you park right where the bushes are.
M
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insegnante
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Thanks for the list, Marilyn... some of those I hadn't known/thought of. We were at Frying Pan Park on Sunday (Father's Day/my birthday and it occurred to me that the baby had never been to that sort of place to see the animals.) Really hoping to make it to the Farmers' Market this season.
Sorry again for the hijack 
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RamFam
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MarilynW wrote:
| ...I have asked my dh to try and find some other free parking near the museums... |
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There is free parking on Madison and Jefferson Drives, right outside the doors of the museums on the mall. It starts at 10 am. I have had luck with getting there at 9:45ish and waiting in the car until 10. I think there is a three hour limit, though.
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Leocea
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Well, I have to say that we usually go for the day to Rehoboth Beach, DE. It is a busy beach, so probably not what you are looking for. However, if you are interested in having your kids ride rides for less, the Rehoboth boardwalk is the way to go.
It is MUCH cheaper than any other boardwalk we have ever tried. We usually walk around the town for a while, window shopping, after going on the beach. Then we go to the rides, and end at Grotto's pizza. We can feed our whole family for about $30 for dinner if we get an extra-large pizza, a large anitipasto salad and a pitcher of drinks.
Now, Rehoboth does have a certain reputation for same-sex couples. I have to say, though, that in the 30-odd years I have gone there, I have not noticed TOO much. Mostly couples where you think "Hmm, were they or weren't they?". Once we walked too far down the beach and my husband said "let's turn around!" A minute later I asked why, and he said, "Umm, there were suddenly no women on that beach, lol." Nothing inappropriate, and my kids never noticed.
So, we walk north, not south, on the beach now, lol.
There are not as many teens as in Ocean City, MD. I grew up going to OC, but wouldn't go now unless I had to. Too many partying teens, really. Too much traffic, and the amount of people makes me crazy.
So, my vote is for Rehoboth if you want a boardwalk and rides. We also used to go to Dewey or Bethany's public access beaches for the day. We don't do that now, as we know where everything is in Rehoboth.
Good luck and have fun on vacation!
Vacation doesn't have to cost a fortune, either. We joined a campground membership last year, and one of the perks is a week in a cabin each year. So, we went to Cape May. We took our own food, mostly, and had a ton of fun. We could have spent less than we did if we just stayed at the campground, but dh likes to explore, lol.
Of course, going on a day trip can be fun and cost less than $100. We have done this for years.
Your sister in Christ,
Leocea
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Beach recommendation
