Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ok, we are here in Raleigh, just the three of us so we thought we might escape to the beach over the Christmas break since we have no other family around.Has anyone else done this?
Which beach did you go to?
We have a five year old and two dogs that we would need to take along.
The mountains would be a festive option also...some houses thru vrbo even put up a decorated tree for you. Some places may even have snow tubing for your 5 yr old.
I spent the week between Christmas and New Years at Topsail Island a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It was me, my sister, her husband, and my son who was 13 at the time. We rented a condo at St. Regis and had a great time playing tennis, using the indoor pool, and spending many hours on the beach just lounging around reading books and making sand castles. We got lucky with the weather and it wasn't too cold, so we still go to spend a lot of time outside. It was also nice just hanging out inside playing card and board games and spending time together.
I know quite a few folks who go to the beach for Christmas. Wrightsville or Carolina would be good choices if you want more stuff to do. They're the busiest beaches close to Raleigh and probably the busiest in NC. Nags Head and the OBX would be next busiest, but farther away. You could go a little further afield to Myrtle Beach in SC if you want lots and lots of things to do. If you want somewhere quiet Topsail is a good choice or one of the Brunswick Co beaches. Anywhere really besides Wrightsville or Carolina will be very calm and quiet during winter. Emerald Isle would be good too.
Ok, we are here in Raleigh, just the three of us so we thought we might escape to the beach over the Christmas break since we have no other family around.Has anyone else done this?
Which beach did you go to?
We have a five year old and two dogs that we would need to take along.
We did this many years.....always got a beach house for the week in Topsail. It's a quiet beach in the off season....but we liked that. Also, plenty of dog friendly homes and the beach is also.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,780 posts, read 15,798,761 times
Reputation: 10889
One year about 15 years ago we went to OBX (Kitty Hawk) over Christmas break. It was actually for New Year's. We booked a hotel that we could cancel in case the weather wasn't good. But it ended up being a warm week, and we were able to do a lot - Jockey's Ridge State Park, kite-flying on the beach, Wright Brother's Memorial, and fireworks on New Year's Eve on the beach. Our hotel even had a fireplace in the lobby which was a nice touch. I think a lot will depend on the weather - whether it will be fun or not, at least for me it would. I don't like cold, so being outside in cold would not appeal. That's why I always book hotels I can cancel up until the day of.
We rented a condo at St. Regis and had a great time playing tennis, using the indoor pool, and spending many hours on the beach just lounging around reading books and making sand castles.
If you do rent a condo, make sure they are heating the pool in the off-season. Many don't in order to save money.
Thanks. I am starting to think we should just save our money and stay here and have a quiet Christmas a just do things around Raleigh.
We are renting a house and our rent is high, seems silly to rent a house for a week when we already have one here.
Perhaps next year if we plan further in advance.
I am also worried it will be too cold to be on the beach. We moved here from Florida and some times forget about the difference in weather.
We spend a lot of time at the beach in the fall and winter (here now actually!) and the weather can great or it can be miserable. my advice would be to wait, see how the weather is, and book a last minute hotel at Wrightsville or Carolina beach for a couple of nights that week if the weather is going to be nice. Or go to MB for 2 nights and stay at the Dunes so your LO can go the indoor water park.
We moved here from Florida and some times forget about the difference in weather.
It will definitely be colder than Florida. Last year in NC there was some freak weather though and there was an 80 degree day around Christmas time so it is possible but definitely not the norm!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
