Summer Vacation Plans and Stories

If you never been SS, Outer Banks is like 2 long skinny islands without the commercialization of typical vacation beach spots. No boardwalk, no cheezy t-shirt shops, no Snookies. The first island, Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Manteo area, are where you will find the most people, lots of rental houses, spots to eat, shops etc. U also have Duck which is the north point of the island...a little more private but your gonna be surrounded by Duke grads, now doctors, and their vacation homes. Im personally not a fan. Ive heard farther up in Corrella its better, but never been.

If you continue going down the island you will cross over to Hatteras Island which is noticably more private, skinny island with miles of beach where you can just turn off the road and find no one around. At the bottom of that island is Cape Hatteras, Buxton, and Frisco, which is great but the misquitoes this year down there are gonna be brutal. Heard that from a source last weekend. Off Hatteras is a little island call Ocracoke Island (or as dad mispronauces "Oreocake")which you have to ferry to, but is amazing. It is a must day visit just to walk the small bay and chill. So is the Hatteras area in general, just a cool area.

Im gonna direct you to Avon NC. Middle of Hatteras Island with a good number of options of food, rental houses and small number of shops and not overly crowded. Its a good balance and very private.

If your still looking for more private, Rodanthe is where my parents have there spot, but its no stop lights and you can drive through it in about 2 mins. Less people, less options, no grocery store and less things to do other than the beach which I wouldnt suggest if your first time or even 2nd time down.

So id look at Avon or very southern Nags Head (city).

This all very good info. Our place is in Kill Devil Hills across from the Wright Brother Memorial. Not as private as it once was its still a great area for vacation if you want to just kick back. As Chico said its mostly cottage/home rentals but you do have plenty of motels up and down the beach. If your looking to eat out for lunch and dinner I stay in a motel and get a room on the ocean. On the first island of Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, and Nags Head you will not have the misquitoe problems. If we still rented out our cottage I'd offer it up but the family made the decision a few years back to no longer rent. If you have any questions just ask between the two of us we should know the answer.

What about the beaches near Charleston, SC

So,

In the Wow How late can you plan department. I have to come up with plans for my 12yo daughter and 13 yo son over the summer. The last few years they have come to work with me, and stayed upstairs, with various activities and day things to work around it for them and me. This year I found out that that won't work. Now I got nothing for them to do, and they can't stay home alone all day for a couple different reasons. Anyone got any saviour type tips to help me come up with a plan?

I have about three weeks to get something in place.

What about the beaches near Charleston, SC

Ive never been but family and friends have and ive heard the city is unbelievably awesome. I think you kinda have to travel a lil out of the city for the beach area. South of there is Hylton Head which Ive heard is pretty nice. North is Myrtle Beach where ive been too alot which is nice, but not what your looking for in terms of privacy. I want to go to Charleston badly, cant beat "old south" cities.

What about the beaches near Charleston, SC


Hilton Head is great and IMO nice then the outer banks. It is almost tropical; palm trees crystal blue warm water. Plenty of things to do outside of just the beach like golf, restaurants, shopping, tennis, fishing, etc...It cost a lot more $$$ then outer banks though.


I lived on Hilton Head for a year, what a year what a great year.

So,

In the Wow How late can you plan department. I have to come up with plans for my 12yo daughter and 13 yo son over the summer. The last few years they have come to work with me, and stayed upstairs, with various activities and day things to work around it for them and me. This year I found out that that won't work. Now I got nothing for them to do, and they can't stay home alone all day for a couple different reasons. Anyone got any saviour type tips to help me come up with a plan?

I have about three weeks to get something in place.

Send them to a summer camp. Of course make sure it's something that interests them, even though the odds are they won't like the idea of camp. If you're on a budget though I have no idea. Any ideas to keep your kids occupied over the summer will obviously cost money since staying home is out.

Send them to a summer camp. Of course make sure it's something that interests them, even though the odds are they won't like the idea of camp. If you're on a budget though I have no idea. Any ideas to keep your kids occupied over the summer will obviously cost money since staying home is out.

Yeah summer camps work, but only for a week or two, don't want to really send them on long ones, as I only get the summer time to spend with them. (money also is a bit of an issue, but not so much as trying to mix the time with them and a keeping them reasonably occupied.) Like I said, in the past several options have always come available, but this year I have a lot less flexibility and fewer personal contacts that are able to help...

What about the beaches near Charleston, SC

I just came back from Myrtle Beach and we had a blast. It was 8 guys down for a golf weekend but we do go down on the beach. MB has alot to do but I like the Outer Banks much better. The wife and I also went to Tybee Island in SC 7 yrs back and had a good time. It seemed the island was in the process of transforming form a little town to a resort area. You would have a $500,000 house on the water beside a 1950's shack.

Yeah summer camps work, but only for a week or two, don't want to really send them on long ones, as I only get the summer time to spend with them. (money also is a bit of an issue, but not so much as trying to mix the time with them and a keeping them reasonably occupied.) Like I said, in the past several options have always come available, but this year I have a lot less flexibility and fewer personal contacts that are able to help...

Yeah that's a tough one then. I wish I had more ideas but I don't. Too young for a summer job, don't want them spending their time at home, can't go to work with you, don't want a summer camp, honestly idk. Short of letting them stay with a relative for the summer (which it sounds like you don't want to do because summer is the only time you really get to see them) I got nothing. GL figuring that out.

Yeah that's a tough one then. I wish I had more ideas but I don't. Too young for a summer job, don't want them spending their time at home, can't go to work with you, don't want a summer camp, honestly idk. Short of letting them stay with a relative for the summer (which it sounds like you don't want to do because summer is the only time you really get to see them) I got nothing. GL figuring that out.

Thanks :)

Family always has helped, and may some this summer. Found a UMBC weekly camp that runs multiple one week sessions, and that is near my work, so it may be an option for a bulk solution, with flexibility within specific weeks for my time with them. More so worried about the 12 yo girl, cause it's kinda boring without any similar aged girl friends, and this UMBC one has a big swim portion which she loves. My hope is that I can get her into a majority of the weeks, and then figure out some other things for my 13 yo boy, who as we all know would be happy sitting in front of the PS3 for 90% of any given day!