How often do you make it to the beach? (Durham: chapel, hotels)

[CaliBoy]

Originally Posted by twoisbetter

For us, a major problem with a day trip is that there are very very few public facilities such as bathrooms & showers where you can rinse off for a comfortable drive home. We would go much more often if there were. Now, not to say I love CA, but it had wonderful facilities at the beach...nice showers, clean bathrooms, snack bars and parking and many people traveled the hour or more it took to get there from the inland.

We've only been a few times over the last few years... no way near enough. But, yes, the commute there is a two hour drive to closest beach. Not terrible, but not close enough to just go there on a whim just to catch the sun going down.

And, yes, in CA, the shower facilities were great. Easy drive to get to the beach from most locations in the southland. And even though the commute wasn't far in distance, there were some days with so much traffic, it would take an hour to get there from, say, the San Gabriel valley. Almost as much time (half) as it takes to get to Wilmington. So, the two hours to the latter isn't really that bad.

We lived closer to the beach in Los Angeles for a long time... we got spoiled. Used to love rollerblading there. So far, we haven't even broken out the rollerblades, even when we did visit the beach. I really don't see people using them here.

So, I would say that we, on average, have visited the beach once a season. Not nearly enough.

[Jdatlas]

Originally Posted by uncletupelo

we make it about 26 times a year. My wife and kids stay at the bedach all summer. Me-just on weekends. We are at the beach now and it is beautiful.

l-u-c-k-y!!!!!!!

[uncletupelo]

we are lucky. we bought it in 2000 when prices were about 200% less than they are now-even with the recent ongoing correction. best thing that i ever did.We LOVE Pine Knoll Shores.

[Poggly Woggly]

We go at least 2 or 3 days weekly. I'm sitting here now looking at the ICW in South Carolina.

[twoisbetter]

I forgot to add...we spend a week around Emerald Isle in Sept in a rental...but thats about it....

[macjr82]

Originally Posted by twoisbetter

For us, a major problem with a day trip is that there are very very few public facilities such as bathrooms & showers where you can rinse off for a comfortable drive home. We would go much more often if there were. Now, not to say I love CA, but it had wonderful facilities at the beach...nice showers, clean bathrooms, snack bars and parking and many people traveled the hour or more it took to get there from the inland.

there is a large public shower facility at fort macon/atlantic beach

and bunch of smaller rinse stations all along the crystal coast on the beach

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by uncletupelo

we are lucky. we bought it in 2000 when prices were about 200% less than they are now-even with the recent ongoing correction. best thing that i ever did.We LOVE Pine Knoll Shores.

This is not the beach I grew up near but Pine Knolls Shore is my favorite NC beach outside of the preserved national park land on OBX. Pine Knolls is so very lovely. Not to mention that is our favorite NC Aquarium too.

OP, we do not own at the beach, but we make it to the beach about once a month during the school year and several times in the summer. In the summer we stay for weeks at a time usually. My folks do live in a coastal town so it makes going to the beach easier. But we have gone for day trips too. My favorite time of the year at the beach is late September to late October.

[ty320f]

"we are lucky. wye bought it in 2000 when prices were about 200% less than they are now-even with the recent ongoing correction. best thing that i ever did.We LOVE Pine Knoll Shores."



I'm looking out across the water on the outskirts of emerald isle close to PKS right now. Love this place

[Lori1961]

We moved here a year ago from California and LOVE the beaches here. Yes its a 2 hour drive but well worth it. The water here is warm enough to swim in (wasnt that warm even in Southern California) and you can find beaches with changing/showering facilities here. Definitely worth the trip and day trips are SO doable!

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by beckycat

I know that the beach is about 2 hours away. Do you feel it's too far away?Do you feel that is doable for a day trip or is it better to stay there? How many times do you make it there a year?

My wife and try to go once a month from May through September. Strictly day trips. I just got back from a trip to the beach at Emerald Isle today. We left N. Raleigh at 8:45am this morning and were cruising a parking lot at Emerald Isle looking for a place to park at 11:30. Other beaches are closer (Like Wrightsville Beach which only takes us about 2 hours) but we wanted to try something new. I plan to post a few pics soon!