Where is an uncrowded beach on Memorial Day?

April 22, 2009 12:39 PM

This Memorial Day weekend, my girlfriend and I would like to go on a US vacation to an ocean/gulf beach. The challenge: (1) I hate crowds, and especially crowded beaches. (2) I want to be able to swim in the water, so it can't be freezing. (3) It must be a sandy beach, not some crazy cliff-side or rocky beach. (4) I am not looking to camp, or drive an RV or in any other way 'rough it', so a hotel / b&b / cottage of some sort is necessary. Within reason, money is not a major issue, nor is flying time, or need for other scenery/attractions.

And if someone gives us the perfect idea, the rest of you can't show up this year. I call dibs. Sorry, but you can go next time.

posted by davebug to travel & transportation (29 comments total)

1. Avoid Florida and California.
2. Avoid the West Coast.
3. Avoid New England.
4. Good thing money is not an issue.

Visit the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Rent a house on Ocracoke Island or somewhere smaller like Avon.
posted by billtron at 12:47 PM on April 22

Do you need waves or would the sheltered side of an island work so long as it is uncrowded and sandy (and clean, etc)?
posted by Pollomacho at 1:02 PM on April 22

The water's still going to be pretty cold at the Outer Banks.
posted by greta simone at 1:06 PM on April 22

Captiva Island Florida?
posted by beccaj at 1:09 PM on April 22

Or Anna Maria Island
posted by Pollomacho at 1:11 PM on April 22

Go to Pensacola, Florida, and beach at the Gulf Island National Seashore.

(1) Its not crowded at all.

(2) Its the Gulf - its like bathwater by July, August, it never gets too cold.

(3) Beautiful white sand, like sugar.

(4) Just minutes away from all your standard variety hotels, luxury or cheap, however you like it, and just a few minutes from lots of restaurants, cheesy entertainment, some historical stuff, etc.

I don't mean to sound like a commercial but damn I miss to going to Pensacola.
posted by RajahKing at 1:14 PM on April 22 [2 favorites has favorites]

3. Avoid New England.

Exactly. The waters off of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts (including the Cape and the Islands), etc. are very cold at the end of May.
posted by ericb at 1:15 PM on April 22

North Topsail Beach in NC is pretty quiet without all the fancy stuff you find at larger places. The average water temperature is shown on this chart, comfort level is up to your taste - many folks from "up north" don't seem to mind the colder water temperatures.
If you consider going, check out this place - don't know from a personal experience, but have always wanted to find out!
posted by mightshould at 1:25 PM on April 22 [1 favorite has favorites]

If you go to Florida I can't recommend Cape Canaveral enough. There are lots of beautiful, white sandy beaches without a t-shirt shop in sight. We quite like Playalinda beach but be warned that certain parts of it go nudist occasionally (but the area is so large you'll likely never run into anyone naked anyway; we never have). We've been in May and the water was warm enough, if I remember correctly. Seriously, the most crowded I've ever seen that beach was in June and there were maybe, maybe, 10 other families/couples, all scattered so far apart I could barely hear kids when they were yelling.
posted by cooker girl at 1:29 PM on April 22

I would personally recommend the Carolinas for your criteria, also the Chesapeake bay has some nice beaches as well. I can vouch for Captiva in FL, as I was there around new years and I was able to swim then (it was fairly cold), but it should be a lot warmer now.
posted by BobbyDigital at 1:32 PM on April 22

Seconding Topsail Island; we went there for Memorial Day weekend last year, and it was not at all crowded. We were able to swim comfortably. The high season doesn't start until June, so the rates are still pretty low in May. And it's a gorgeous beach.
posted by ahdeeda at 1:33 PM on April 22

I consider the US to include "anywhere JetBlue flies", so:

JetBlue to St Maarten, taxi to Grand Case Beach Club on the French side, lie on private empty beach, swim in warm water, have pina coladas brought to you.

For extra points, rent tiny car in the beach club office for $30, drive to French Cul de Sac, ferry to tiny Îlet Pinel, lie on beach, swim in really warm water, have pina coladas brought to you, eat langoustines at Karibuni for lunch.


Or, if you don't have passports and really have to stay in US territories, your best plan is Vieques or Culebra, off the east coast of Puerto Rico.
posted by nicwolff at 1:49 PM on April 22 [3 favorites has favorites]

siesta beach in sarasota has the best white sand and warm water you can imagine and it's not too crowded for being one of Dr. Beach's top ten american beaches
posted by Redhush at 2:07 PM on April 22

Go to Honeymoon Island on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
posted by sickinthehead at 2:11 PM on April 22

Another vote for North Carolina. I'm really only familiar with Emerald Isle (aka Bogue Banks). It the community of Emerald Isle itself it's all individual cottages (some duplexes), the other areas have bits that are crammed with condos or hotels, some camping or RV areas. It doesn't feel all that crowded even in the middle of summer except maybe on the beach in front of the more dense condos/hotels. The aquarium in Salter Path is worth a visit, as is Fort Macon and Beaufort (walking on the dock, good seafood).

Oh, and Ocracoke is very nice too, but I've only ever camped there a very long time ago.
posted by K.P. at 3:06 PM on April 22

If you're not dead set on seeing the ocean, then may I humbly suggest the Great Lakes. Swimming is fresh water is way better anyway, and that's going to be the only effective difference- you won't be able to see the other side of the lake, so it'll look just like the ocean. There are all kinds of great vacation spots all along the shorelines of all of the lakes. Happy to suggest specific spots if you decide the ocean isn't a literal requirement.
posted by PhatLobley at 3:59 PM on April 22

Go to Pensacola, Florida

Do not do this. I went to Pensacola a few years ago for a long Memorial Day weekend. There is a huge festival there every year on that weekend (it's a gay pride event, if that matters) and everything is TOTALLY crowded. The beaches were packed with festival-goers and a spattering of protesters. The nightclubs and restaurants, even in downtown Pensacola away from the beach, were always packed. We ended up driving to Orange Beach every day just to get away from the insane crowds.

Other places along the gulf coast may be less insane, I cannot say. But if you want to avoid crowds, avoid Pensacola.
posted by tryniti at 4:31 PM on April 22

Nthing Ocracoke or one of the other places on Hatteras Island - Avon, Buxton, Waves, Salvo. It looks like the Tower Circle Motel in Buxton is still around, and it's literally just over the dune from the beach.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 5:27 PM on April 22

Seconding Cape Canaveral (and yes, some of Playalinda is clothing optional but the people are cool and you can choose whether to hike down to that section or not), as it isn't so crowded and it's a pleasant beach. Plus, the Merritt Island wildlife refuge is a neat place to visit, it's right there, and you can see some Florida gators.

I'd actually recommend going further south just a bit to Melbourne beach. I live really close, so MeMail me if you want any help on the area or to meet-up. I'll treat you guys to lunch at the best pizza place around.

But I also came in to say that the Gulf Island Nationa Seashore in Pensacola is the most amazing beach in Florida. Rajahking is right about everything he says about the awesome. I'm mostly not a beach person, but I'd go there in a heartbeat--the sand really is like sugar under your feet, and it's just amazing.
posted by misha at 5:28 PM on April 22

These are the water temperature charts. From experience I know that on the East Coast, the water doesn't get warm until August; the West Coast doesn't look much better on that front. Whoever suggested the Great Lakes is part polar bear.

I would suggest the Gulf in a non-Florida location. It seems like there are a bunch of places in Alabama that are trying to sell themselves as resort opportunities - you can also look at the state's tourism websites.
posted by cobaltnine at 6:35 PM on April 22

May I suggest Dauphin Island, Alabama?
My group of friends spent a week there in March, and while the water was kinda cool, it was still nice. As far as i know it's not subject to heavy traffic.
It might be a bit pricey for just 2 people, and you have to drive through the bayou of Alabama to get there, but it is a wonderful place to spend some time. It's in the Gulf of Mexico, so the water is fairly calm, and even calmer on the mainland-facing side. There's a Civil War fort and a bird sanctuary (if you're into that. the sanctuary is very lovely...), and Mobile is just 30-45 minutes away if you need some city.
Highly recommended, sir! Enjoy!
posted by photomusic86 at 6:51 PM on April 22 [1 favorite has favorites]

I'd HIGHLY recommend Casey Key, FL

"Just to the south of Siesta Key lies Casey Key. You won't find any chain hotels here. This is "old Florida" at its best. A quaint collection of inns is a stroll away from the public beach access and marina rentals. Covered in a canopy of tropical trees, the winding Gulf-front street will make for an unforgettable Sunday drive among some of Sarasota's most luxurious homes. The twisty curves and light traffic also make for a great bike ride. "

and - not only do you have white sandy beaches and fancy schmancy homes out that way (Stephen King has a place on Casey Key, John Gotti did as well, and Andre Agassi back in the day) - but my favorite past time was finding sharks' teeth on the beach. I've got a whole collection! Get up at the crack of dawn and take yourself down to the Gulf and watch the dolphins feeding right off shore.

anyway . . . you have bay on one side and Gulf on the other. There are some little inns/hotels/motels at the beginning of the key and there are quite a few homes that are rentable or that have little cottages that you can rent.

ENJOY!
posted by Sassyfras at 7:12 PM on April 22

oh, and while you're there . . . take a short drive over to Nokomis Groves and get yourself some freshly squeezed orange juice!
posted by Sassyfras at 7:15 PM on April 22

We have enjoyed Johnson Beach at the far west end of Florida, just a couple miles from Alabama. It is west of Pensacola. Of the about five mile of beach, two is reachable by road. The rest can be hiked to. You can be as uncrowded as you want by driving and walking to where the people are widely spaced. The water is clear, the sands are white, and the jellyfish stings are mild.

For tacky, you can go to the Florabama Lounge, Orange Beach, or Gulf Shores. All of these are within 25 miles of Johnson Beach.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 7:42 PM on April 22

The Outer Banks of NC are good (Duck, perhaps for more space), but a bit further south is better. Go to Wrightsville Beach, NC. BIG sandy beaches; busy some days, but never crowded. You're definitely not competing for for postage-stamp-sized bits of territory. Plus, you're close to Wilmington (large college town) if you want to drive 15 minutes for shopping or a nice meal on the waterfront.

Also, make sure to hit the NC State Aquarium; it's super cool.
posted by speedo at 8:07 PM on April 22

Nthing Topsail Island (which consists of Surf City, Topsail Beach and North Topsail). It's a fairly narrow island, so there aren't huge crowds coming from inland. Most accommodations are houses/duplexes rather than condo complexes, which is a plus in my book. We rent an oceanfront house every summer and it makes me feel like David Geffen when I see people sitting in front of our house because there is plenty of room for people to spread out. Prices should be pretty competitive this year, as I assume they're expecting economic disaster. We use Bryson for our rental but there are others you'll find on Google.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 8:22 PM on April 22

Seconding Dauphin Island, AL. Quiet, beautiful, and a couple decent spots to get dinner and a beer. And Biloxi's casinos are only about an hour away if you get the itch.
posted by shopefowler at 8:30 PM on April 22

Vieques, Puerto Rico.

Far enough south that you basically don't get any tourists this time of year (my parents just left their winter home down there, and said the towns were ghostly). Beautiful weather pretty much at all times. Loads of beaches (rent a car or rent a house that comes with one) that are abandoned during high season, nonetheless springtime. When I was down there two years ago in December near New Years, we had an entire mile-long beach to ourselves for an entire day. If people happened upon our beach, they would just move on to the next one to allow us all our privacy.

As for the sleeping aspect, you can be assured that any level of comfort can be found (aside from super top end Ritz-style....that's still under construction). I suggest The Hacienda Tamarindo, a lovely B&B run by a few close friends (and not just cause they're my friends-it's a clean and beautiful place to stay if you don't have kids).
posted by nursegracer at 3:27 AM on April 23 [1 favorite has favorites]

Ended up deciding on the Bahamas. Hopefully we'll avoid the crowds. Thanks for all the advice, we'll likely try some of these others out in August!
posted by davebug at 7:33 AM on May 8