Emergency vacation filter. Difficulty: next weekend.
June 25, 2011 2:12 PM   Subscribe

My wife desperately needs a vacation. Plans have changed, our budget has changed, and now the only time in the next six months that we can get away is on or about the Fourth of July, which also happens to be our anniversary. Where do we go?

Ideally this vacation would be:
- Relatively cheap (maybe under $500 total?)
- Involve lots of beach time (bonus: walk-up bar). We don't want to do anything, just sit on the beach, relax, maybe get our feet wet.
- Not crowded

I know this is kind of unrealistic. But maybe Metafilter will have some ideas. We live in Baltimore but aren't native to the region; are there hidden gems on the Eastern Shore? Is there some way to swing a cheap last-minute Caribbean vacation that nobody knows about?
posted by postel's law to Travel & Transportation (15 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Response by poster: Just to be clear, we're only looking for two or three days away. A week or more would be awesome, but doesn't fit our schedules.
posted by postel's law at 2:14 PM on June 25, 2011


Call a travel agent, tell them what you're looking for. This is what they are best at.
posted by KathrynT at 2:19 PM on June 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


Talk to a travel agent if you want to look for any last minute deals. Consider Mexico, not just the Caribbean.

If they have any openings, I would strongly recommend The Inn at Mitchell House in Chestertown, Maryland. they are not right on the water, but a great place otherwise. If they are booked, this is still an option for you for a weekend getaway sometime.
posted by gudrun at 2:38 PM on June 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


Also consider maybe the Florida Keys -- subtropical but domestic!
posted by KathrynT at 2:44 PM on June 25, 2011


Play around with Kayak Explore. You can put in the time and even that you want 'beach' and it'll tell you how much it costs to go basically everywhere!
posted by grapesaresour at 2:48 PM on June 25, 2011


I think Ocracoke Island might suit. Wiki and tourist board.
posted by likeso at 3:00 PM on June 25, 2011


Rehobeth and Bethany in Delaware are the quieter, more relaxed beach communities.

Steer clear of Ocean City, Maryland, unless you like puking teens and "Coed Naked ____" t-shirts.*

*Baltimore native who spent my formative years downtheocshun.

posted by drjimmy11 at 3:06 PM on June 25, 2011


Chestertown is a great place!
posted by jgirl at 3:10 PM on June 25, 2011


Do you have enough time to do a drive, maybe six plus hours or so depending on traffic? If so you might look into Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks. There are relatively less expensive beach houses there than the more upscale and crowded areas a bit north, and there are miles and miles of un-built-on federal parkland beaches where you can go and not see a soul and watch the dolphins cavort ... The primary rental companies are Sun Realty, Outer Beaches Realty, Hattaras Realty and (I think) Midgett. We go to Rodanthe/Waves/Salvo area but there are other towns scattered down the island as well.
posted by Cocodrillo at 3:26 PM on June 25, 2011


Lewes beach, just north of Rehobeth, is also nice. You can also take a ferry from there to Cape May.

If you guys like cooking and wine, you might also consider this LivingSocial Escape for a B&B in Virginia.
posted by amarynth at 3:28 PM on June 25, 2011


Cutty Sark Hotel, Virginia Beach. It's cheap, you can walk or take the bus everywhere, there are lots of great restaurants (and walkup bars), it's beautiful, not overly crowded, and just nice.
posted by hydropsyche at 3:42 PM on June 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


Look on vrbo.com or homeaway.com for Fenwick Island, Bethany Beach, Lewes, all in DE. Maybe there is a last-minute deal.
posted by rabidsegue at 4:26 PM on June 25, 2011


Here is another option for you, a bit further afield, and near a lake, not the ocean, but I would still recommend trying The Mount Gretna Inn, Mount Gretna, PA.
posted by gudrun at 5:16 PM on June 25, 2011


Try Booth House in Manteo, NC. It's on Roanoke Island, in the middle of the sound. There's no bar, but there's a kitchen you can usually use, plus a gazebo, and the rates are quite nice. The lawn goes right down to the sound. You can also go to the Manteo docks and go on a dolphin cruise, or drive to Nag's Head island, where there are plenty of bars, for beach/ocean experiences.
posted by amtho at 5:53 PM on June 25, 2011


July 4th weekend may make it hard for a reservation. Here's something you may like: go to Wildwood, NJ. It's a great beach with a boardwalk (not sure about a walk up bar). But the whole town (actually there are 3 towns) are full of wonderful 50s and 60s motels with incredible neon. (There's a neon museum there that even offers a cool bus tour). Take to the Lewes-Cape May Ferry to Cape May and the Wildwoods are about 10 miles north.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 7:31 AM on June 26, 2011


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