Three-day beach vacation in September
July 6, 2011 11:05 AM   Subscribe

Vacation filter: My wife & I would like to take a three-day-long weekend trip for our fifth anniversary the second weekend in September (not Labor Day). Want to do nothing but laze on a beach within either a 3-4 hour drive or flight (non-stop only) from NYC. Looking for suggested destinations & hotels/resorts. Some more details inside.

• We are in our early/mid-30s and have no kids. Would prefer a place that caters to this demographic (more or less).

• Beach is our #1 priority, Not interested in any activities other than relaxing. So quiet is good.

• Good food is also important. We keep kosher, but will eat out at any restaurant, so this means vegetarian or fish, though not shellfish/crustaceans.

• Thinking about doing something "all-inclusive" (though not a cruise). Never done this before. Any suggestions along these lines?

• One friend recommended the Florida Gulf Coast. Definitely open to this. Any particular cities and/or vacation properties you'd suggest?

• We'd be taking off work on Friday, so we could leave Thursday evening. We'd come back on Sunday.

• No Hamptons.

Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell to Travel & Transportation (13 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
September is the height of hurricane season, so the "ABC islands," Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, have an advantage; unlike Florida and most of the Caribbean, they're outside of the hurricane zone.
posted by Paquda at 11:19 AM on July 6, 2011


Can you provide a rough budget?
posted by mauvest at 11:23 AM on July 6, 2011


Bermuda?
posted by Perplexity at 11:25 AM on July 6, 2011


I'd suggest Cape May, NJ if you want to drive and dont need tropical. The September weather will occassionally work against you as far as the beach goes.

A ocean view room at Congress Hall. Breakfast at the Mad Batter. Dinners at the Ebbit Room and 410 Bank.

We spent our 8th and 10th anniversary at Congress Hall and we always have a great time. Cape May is definitely quieter and adult than the rest of the shore down that way. It's a great couple's place. We also tend to spend a weekend around Mother's Day down there.

Tons of restaurants in walking distance. Nice walks in any direction. Just a really nice place in general.

I can offer more details if it makes the first cut....
posted by Barnsie at 11:30 AM on July 6, 2011


Response by poster: mauvest: "Can you provide a rough budget?"

I'd say roughly $2K (incl. airfare), though we are flexible.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 11:46 AM on July 6, 2011


I'd second Bermuda. It's the shortest flight from NYC and yet it still feels very different from the U.S.
posted by 2bucksplus at 12:27 PM on July 6, 2011


Montauk.
posted by spicynuts at 1:46 PM on July 6, 2011


North and South Carolina beaches are awesome in September. The weather's still warm, the water's still warm, and the crowds have gone back to school/work. I've had good experiences at Wild Dunes near Charleston, SC.
posted by Daily Alice at 2:00 PM on July 6, 2011


Thirding Bermuda!
posted by jgirl at 2:26 PM on July 6, 2011


Bermuda or Puerto Rico could be great.
posted by mauvest at 3:11 PM on July 6, 2011


Do Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. There are 4-hour direct flights from JFK.
posted by msk1985 at 4:33 PM on July 6, 2011


Response by poster: We decided to go with Cape May, so that we could avoid the hassle and expense of flying. (Of course, that means the hassle and expense of renting & driving a car, but so be it!) We booked the Virginia Hotel, which apparently is a sister property to Congress Hall mentioned above. Will report back after our trip. Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 5:05 PM on August 13, 2011


Response by poster: Cape May was very nice, and also easy to get to from NYC. The weather had threatened to be bad, but it turned out to be mostly sunny and pretty hot. The Virginia Hotel was lovely—very close to the beach, and to the pool at Congress Hall, as well as the main outdoor mall. We were able to walk everywhere. I will say that the high-end restaurants seemed a bit pricey for the quality, and I say this as someone used to NYC prices. Not certain I'd go back, just because of the cost of getting there (as I mention above, we had to rent a car), but if you're looking for a short beach vacation within reach of NYC that isn't the Hamptons, Cape May is a pretty good bet.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 6:29 PM on October 28, 2011


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