Looking for Lewes Beach (Cary, Wilmington: rentals, hotels, vacation home)

[librarySue]

hello!
My brother and I are trying to plan a family vacation. He and his family live in DC...they have a 4 year old son, and I have 12 and 16 year old girls. He's proposed a trip to Lewes Beach, Delaware, which is on the Delaware Bay. It's a nice small town with cottages, no big hotels and big enough to support plenty of year round residents and restaurants. We like it because it is great for swimming, there is no big surf to deal with...super safe for the 4 year old. And it is a short drive to Rehoboth Beach and amusements for the older kids. Relatively inexpensive.

BUT I'm really wanting to not drive so far for my vacation. Are there any places in NC or maybe VA that have a similar feel with a beach but not big surf?

[poppydog]

The southern NC beaches don't have big surf usually (depends on the weather). I'd look at Ocean Isle (a little more commercial) or Sunset Beach (very non-commercial). Both are close enough to Myrtle to go for a day or evening for more activities and amusements than you can shake a stick at.

Maybe Wrightsville or Kure Beach, too for close proximity to Wilmington.

[twingles]

Hmmm, that's tough - maybe Ocean City, MD - the surf is rough on the ocean side but they do have a sound side. It's not that much closer than Lewes though. And it's honky-tonk (remember that thread?!)

[linnysol]

Check out Kure Beach (2.5 hour from Cary). It is much less "commercial" than its neighbor, Carolina Beach. We've been going there for 20 years...very family friendly and nice beach. Kure has a neat (just renovated) pier area...with pirate ship playground. Carolina Beach has a carnival type set up on their pier. It's pricey and we don't go often, but kids love it. Be sure you get donuts at Brits in Carolina Beach if you do go, though! Fort Fisher aquarium is 5 mins. from Kure. The ferry to Southport is just next to the aquarium...Southport is a great day trip. We always take the kids to the candy/toy store there and eat at Provision Company. Myrtle Beach is also a do-able day trip...though in 20 years we've never done it as we've been happy with all Kure/Carolina/Ft. Fisher/Southport has to offer. Lots of homes on Kure beach are rentals...and most are painted very bright primary and pastel colors. There are a few hotels too. It has a nice vibe, IMHO.

[durhammom]

Try Sandbridge Beach in VA. It's actually the southernmost beach in Va Beach but it's not what you think of as Va Beach. It's essentially a peninsula along the coast that is all just vacation homes, a couple of small stores and restaurants and not much else. There's a fishing pier at one end associated with a city park. You can also fish on what they call the Back Bay. Down one end of it is a State Park with some trails. Actually at the far end there is a Federal Wildlife preserve where you can't walk on the beach but if you could you would be able to take a long walk to Corolla. And because it is Va Beach, it is still a short drive to the Va Beach attractions. Surf-wise it's varied a bit year to year -- some years almost lake-like and others with better surf for my boogie-boarders but never anything too crazy for a fouir year old. From a driving perspective it's a much shorter drive for you -- 3.5 hours or so. And your DC relatives would have a similar drive. Oh yeah -- and it's generally less expensive than Delaware.