I am laughing at the Emerald Isle suggestion...nice if you want to rent a trailer for the week

Pawley's Island

We have gone to Sunset Beach, NC 3 times in the last 10 years. It's a bit south of Bald Head Island. Not a commercial area at all. Wonderful beach - very wide; very soft sand. Love it. I think it is much better than Holden Beach.

Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island. Natural wonderland national park for the kids, bikes, kayaking, wild horses, beach, only one hotel. I don't think they have a swimming pool. It's where JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette got married. You could combine it with a trip to GA resort or the Ritz at Amelia Island or St. Augustine.

Anonymous wrote:OP have you considered flying to more far-off beach destinations? If your kids are older and able to handle long flights, consider Hawaii. We love it. There is lots of diversity in both the local and tourist populations - although it's more Asian and not as much African-American. I don't think you'd be as likely to encounter racist comments there.

This is a trip I take with my girlfriends and our sons, so Hawaii is not an option. However, we are dying to go as a family. My kids are really into visiting Hawaii right now. Thanks.

OP have you considered flying to more far-off beach destinations? If your kids are older and able to handle long flights, consider Hawaii. We love it. There is lots of diversity in both the local and tourist populations - although it's more Asian and not as much African-American. I don't think you'd be as likely to encounter racist comments there.

Thanks for all of the ideas. I am definitely going to check them out.

Anonymous wrote:OP: we also like to splurge on vacations. Can you tell me one or three of your all round favorites inNC/SC? Thanks.

I do love Kiawah Island. The Sanctuary is beautiful. I also like Bald Head Island. Both of those beaches are really nice. The benefit of Kiawah is that you can go into Charleston for a day. The beach houses are spectacular.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Emerald Isle, NC.

Is it high end? I have been thinking about it, but don't know anything about it. Is it like Holden Beach or Nags Head (not that nice)?

Tell me more. I'm trying not to take your question as being snobby.

By "high end" do you mean that you want to stay on a resort, or just be in a place that's filled with enough rich people to validate a resort? Do you mean there are more restaurants than just Olive Garden and TGI Fridays? Are you trying to avoid poor people on the beach with you and your kids? Sorry, I'm trying not to make my response sound snarky, but I'm slightly offput by the tone of your posts.

Have you looked further south towards Savannah, GA? I believe there's a resort or two in Myrtle Beach, if the location itself isn't too commonplace.

I like the amenities of a resort, but I want a private home. Ok, I don't want to seem like a complete Bee-ach, but I don't like Myrtle, Holden Beach or Nags Head. I really do like more high end beaches. I don't want to go anywhere that has an Olive Garden or TGI Fridays. Think more Kiawah and Bald Head Island.

I just like to go nice places on vacation. I like to show my kids nice places.

Then show them some nice one, because this isn't it. Try Cap d'Antibes or St. Barth's maybe.

Have you ever been to the Sanctuary in Kiawah? It's very nice. St. Barth's is a different experience.

Anonymous wrote:maybe you should expose your kids to what life is like for the rest of the 99%. just a thought.

Listen, I'm black. Going to a redneck beach is not my idea of a good time, especially in the south. I am from here, but lived in NC. That is not a happy place for me to be, especially with my kids, who have been called some choice names.

How about Figure Eight Island in NC?

http://www.figure8island.com/

OP can you share which of the areas you've already visited that you really liked? And also, which do NOT have biting flies and brown sand? This a recurring problem I have had with southern beaches (not OBX or SW FL) like St. Simon, Amelia Island - brownish ocean water from all the river sediment runoff and biting flies. Also prefer deep soft white sand or some shells and not alternating layers of hard sand and broken shell layers that make it hard to build a sand castle
BTW we stopped at a placed called Crescent Beach in northern Florida just north of Fort Matanzas. Didn't look like there was much in the way of restaurants or things to do beyond nearby St. Augustine, but the sand was so fine it squeaked when you walked on it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Emerald Isle, NC.

Is it high end? I have been thinking about it, but don't know anything about it. Is it like Holden Beach or Nags Head (not that nice)?

Tell me more. I'm trying not to take your question as being snobby.

By "high end" do you mean that you want to stay on a resort, or just be in a place that's filled with enough rich people to validate a resort? Do you mean there are more restaurants than just Olive Garden and TGI Fridays? Are you trying to avoid poor people on the beach with you and your kids? Sorry, I'm trying not to make my response sound snarky, but I'm slightly offput by the tone of your posts.

Have you looked further south towards Savannah, GA? I believe there's a resort or two in Myrtle Beach, if the location itself isn't too commonplace.

I like the amenities of a resort, but I want a private home. Ok, I don't want to seem like a complete Bee-ach, but I don't like Myrtle, Holden Beach or Nags Head. I really do like more high end beaches. I don't want to go anywhere that has an Olive Garden or TGI Fridays. Think more Kiawah and Bald Head Island.

I just like to go nice places on vacation. I like to show my kids nice places.

Then show them some nice one, because this isn't it. Try Cap d'Antibes or St. Barth's maybe.