Beaches around the DC area?

May 22, 2006 10:50 AM

BeachFilter: My wife has put me in charge of locating a nice beach to go to this August. We live in DC and will be taking our son (he'll be 13 months old in August). We are planning on going over a long weekend, maybe 4 days. We'd like to keep the driving distance to less than six hours.

Of course, Virginia Beach is pretty close, but we were thinking it was a bit too tourist-centric (with the theme parks and all). We mostly just want to plant our fannies in the sand for a couple of days and maybe eat some cheap seafood. Probably be staying at a hotel (bonus points if you know anyplace that'll let you bring dogs).

There has to be a couple of eastern seaboard towns that would be laid back to go to. We just don't know the area that well (we moved here from the midwest).

Anyone with any good experiences?

Thanks in advance!

posted by i_am_a_Jedi to travel & transportation (20 comments total)

There is ocean city MD, however that suffers from the same problems as Va. Beach IMO. However to the north of OC there are tons and tons of smaller beaches that are exactly what you are looking for...quiet, somewhat sparsely populated.

try Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, Rehobeth etc.

If your up for some camping, try assatique (sp?) island.
posted by I_am_jesus at 11:08 AM on May 22, 2006

The Cape Henlopen/Rehoboth/Lewes area of Delaware is great - very laid back, and pet-friendly. Maybe a bit touristy, but not overwhelmingly so. No theme parks or anything like that, but the beach-type stores and whatnot...kind of hard to escape that. Lots of top-notch cheapo restaurants, and great breakfast places. Lewes is a great town to walk through with a stroller, and there's a cool little museum there. Charming, and not too expensive. It's not too southern, so not too hot in August. Cape Henlopen is a state park on the outskirts of Lewes and Rehoboth. You have to pay (it's about 10.00) to go to the beach there, but the beach is pristine and often deserted, and you can picnic and fish there, and you can drive your car pretty much right up to the beach. The waves are tremendous on the Cape, and it just sounds great to hear the surf roaring in your ears all day. And in Rehoboth there are fabulous outlets in case it rains...every store known to man has a factory outlet store there.

The towns of the Outer Banks of NC are more pricey, but again, very pet-friendly (of course, that depends on the hotel), and there are still lots of beautiful secluded beaches for when you want to get away from it all. I don't really care for the actual beach - it's not sand, but more like small pebbles, kind of hard to wiggle your toes in it. Some people think it's great though. Also at night, gadzillions of ghost crabs come out of the sand and you have to wear close-toed shoes if you brave walking the beach, and you have to carry a flashlight, and you scream a lot. Oh and there are literally millions of spiders that weave webs on every available surface, and when you clear the webs and turn away for a second to sip your drink, when you look again, the webs are BACK. But not to worry - the crabs and the spiders only come out after dark, so you'll probably spend your night time hours huddled in fear in your hotel room, counting the seconds until dawn.

Hmm I probably just talked you out of vacationing on the Outer Banks. But Delaware is nice!
posted by iconomy at 11:09 AM on May 22, 2006

Lewes, DE is very nice and is less touristy than Rehobeth and far less rowdy than Ocean City.

We stayed at a B&B nearby that allowed pets, but I don't know if they allow children.
posted by amarynth at 11:10 AM on May 22, 2006

Chincoteague and Assoteague are very nice. Much less crowded, very relaxing. You can camp or stay at a nice hotel, at least in Chincoteague. I *loved* the Island Motor Inn, although it might be pretty pricey. (I went in the winter.)
posted by callmejay at 11:12 AM on May 22, 2006

I've been going to the Outer Banks for years and have never seen the ghost crabs or the spiders. Yes, the sand isn't sugar sand, but it's sand nonetheless.

That said, I highly recommend Duck, on the northern Outer Banks. It's just under your driving limit. The water is warm, the village is cute and not touristy. Duck is very family oriented. You can plant yourselves on the beach and watch the dolphins play just a hundred yards out.

I'm going in August for a week and I can't wait.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 11:19 AM on May 22, 2006

Duck is where I stay too. In August. Right on the beach in a rented house. LOTS and LOTS of crabs and spiders. UGH.
posted by iconomy at 11:23 AM on May 22, 2006

Don't forget Jersey! We have excellent beaches, and plenty of fun. I recommend Seaside Park or Spring Lake. Seaside is touristy, but Spring Lake is nice and relaxing.
posted by Mach5 at 11:30 AM on May 22, 2006

I was going to recommend Lewes and several other people have already beaten me to it. Nth'ing Lewes.
posted by contessa at 11:32 AM on May 22, 2006

Just a quick follow-up on the DE beaches - I wouldn't necessarily recommend Dewey with a baby. It's "party central" of the area beaches. Lewes or Rehoboth sound like they'd suit your needs more.
posted by chrisubus at 11:33 AM on May 22, 2006

We've vacationed every summer for the last 16 years on the Outer Banks at Buxton, right in view of the famous black and white striped lighthouse. It's very secluded. And while there are lots of crabs, we've never been bothered by spiders.

It's worth noting that it might be very difficult to get lodging this late, and also difficult to find it for less than the full week.
posted by cptnrandy at 11:53 AM on May 22, 2006

I'm from Lewes/Rehoboth Beach and my parents still live there (going back in August myself) AND my stepfather is a real estate agent in the area (he doesn't do rentals but he could recommend somebody) so if you want some tips or recommendations, email me!
posted by jennyb at 12:45 PM on May 22, 2006

Another vote for the DE beaches... I lived in the state for two years, and the beaches were one of the very few perks. My personal favorite was Cape Henlopen, for all the reasons described above. The last time I was there a school of dolphins were feeding near the shore and put on quite a show. They swam within 10 feet of me. It was very cool.
posted by kimdog at 12:48 PM on May 22, 2006

Definitely Rehoboth. Very family friendly, with enough to do if you want to seek out adventure, but quiet enough that you can sit on the beach without feeling pressured.

We take our 4 kids 2-3 times throughout the year, and once a year, meet up with other DC-area friends for a weeklong "playgroup at the beach".

Email's in the profile if you want more...
posted by grateful at 12:48 PM on May 22, 2006

This might be too far away for you, but I thought I'd throw it in for your consideration. I live a few miles from Isle of Palms, SC and Sullivan's Island, SC. Isle of Palms (IOP) is more tourist-friendly, in that it has hotels and the like. It's also more dog-friendly (Sullivan's bans them--leash or no leash--from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM). Because of these these features, IOP is also busier.

Sullivan's is smaller and all residential, but the beaches are public. So it's quieter and more secluded. Both IOP and Sullivan's are very close together, so you could stay at Isle of Palms and check out both. There are some good places to eat at both and quite a lot in downtown Charleston (which is close by). Feel free to email if you have any particular questions.
posted by wheat at 12:51 PM on May 22, 2006

You should come up to Fire Island--no house is more than a few hundred feet from one of the world's best beaches, after all, and it's way under a six-hour drive. (Particularly if you come round the right parkway after Staten Island.) The island's prettier, less party-oriented (and heterosexual) towns include Point of Woods, Water Island, Lonelyville, Fair Harbor, and Saltaire, I think. (Possibly Kismet too; never been.) And lots of house and apartment rental availability still, from what I hear.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 1:02 PM on May 22, 2006

Try the Wildwoods in New Jersey. We've been doing this over the years. From DC take the Lewes-Cape May Ferry (it's a great ride your son will enjoy).

It takes about 4 hours from DC to Lewes. Then about an hour on the ferry. Cape May is about 10 miles from the Wildwoods.

The beach is in great shape and family oriented. As a bonus there are many wonderful 50s type "doo wop" motels near the beach (they just made the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of the 11 most endangered places in the country).
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 1:30 PM on May 22, 2006

Ocracoke Island? Might be farther than 6 hours if you add in the (free) ferry from Hatteras. Good place to do nothing, or to eat fish that were swimming that morning.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:50 PM on May 22, 2006

Another vote for the Outer Banks. Check this thread for more.

Dunno what iconomy is talking about, the beaches are indeed sand, I'ven never seen any unusually prolific spiders, and the ghost crabs are fun to mess with at night, but don't require closed-toe shoes.
posted by desuetude at 2:18 PM on May 22, 2006

The southern beaches are quite miserable in August. Intense heat, sun, sand flies, and winds from off the landside. Not suitable for a 13 month old. Stick to Delaware and north of that.
posted by 3.2.3 at 3:54 PM on May 22, 2006

The best vacation of my life was to the Outer Banks. (I was beyond Duck in Corolla and it was lovely.) It definitely has my vote.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 7:46 PM on May 22, 2006