Ok, so I want to go to a beach this summer, I just don't know which one.

I want a cheap place to stay - probably $70 - $100 a night

This will either be in the middle of May or end of August

Any ideas or motels/hotels at certain beaches?

Also, I really don't want to pay a deposit for being under 25 :-(

4/24/2006 9:01:51 PM

Carolina Beach is the cheapest I know of

4/24/2006 9:03:39 PM

What do you want in the beach?

Party? Relaxing?

4/24/2006 9:04:01 PM

Go to Buxton, NC on Hatteras Island or go to Ocracoke Island. Not like any beach you have ever been to.

4/24/2006 9:26:55 PM

whats a good destination, for nice beach during the day, and awesome nightlife?

4/24/2006 9:32:02 PM

Myrtle.

4/24/2006 9:40:14 PM

my husband and I just want a vacation - no partying - some shopping, but nothing big - maybe a boardwalk or amusement park but no bars/drinking

4/24/2006 10:00:54 PM

you will fall in love with Ocracoke, I promise you. Its the beach without all the trash. No Wings, no scummy bars.

4/24/2006 10:02:52 PM

I looked at a lot of places at Myrtle, but there are so many deposits and stipulations about credit cards and when you have to have everything paid, and I was really hoping to pay with cash if possible - also a lot of places charge $300 deposits if people are under 25, so thats a bummer

I checked out Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, Carolina Beach - all of their rates are the same as Myrtle, but not as fun of course

Atlantic Beach was REALLY high though, and a few places I called on Emerald Isle that were 2 or 3 miles from the beach were even $100+ a night off season

I want to just go and sit on the beach and play in the waves like a kid again - I need a vacation

4/24/2006 10:05:17 PM

Scuba - are the prices decent for the beach?

4/24/2006 10:06:35 PM

My husband, son, and I went to Topsail Beach last year for vacation. It is a very small beach with few tourists. I mean, there are tourists there, but it's nothing compared to somewhere like Atlantic Beach. If you are looking for a small, quiet place, Topsail is a good place. We stayed in Surf City at Island Inn...it was very very clean and only $70/night. They also had a pool and it was second row from the beach. There are some great places to eat there and several little shops, as well as a few game rooms and putt putt places. We had a great time.

4/24/2006 10:09:47 PM

topsail is friggin swamped now, the traffic at easter was worse than busy summer days.

4/24/2006 10:18:05 PM

Ocraocoke Island is in Hyde County, you will drive through the very sparsely populated rural county through the tiny county seat of Swan Quarter. There you catch a 2.5 hour ferry across the Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke Island. There you will find a charming little village of about 700 residents. The Island itself is 16 miles long, but the village itself only takes up about a mile of it, the rest is protected National Park Service land. You can find a good deal if your search around. Try the Island Inn, or search the internet and call, you can find a good deal. Its probably different from any beach you have ever been too. They have a lighthouse and wild horses and stuff.

The Island isnt that big and there arent that many rooms. I have a pop up camper and camp for about $30 a night with full electric and water hookups at the Beachcomber Campground (warm showers too). Plus its 16 miles long. If you have a 4x4 you can drive out to the inlet and enjoy the view there. If you have a regular car, u can park on the side of highway 12 and walk over at one of the many beach accesses. You can literally find a stretch of beach all your own,with noone around, and not have thousands of people around you. Absolute peace and solitude. At the beach in the Summer. Its amazing.


http://www.ocracokevillage.com/

4/24/2006 10:24:44 PM

i would go to sunset beach and then if you want to shop drive over to ocean isle (about 15 min away)

4/24/2006 10:26:20 PM

PS- It was voted the #3 beach in America, and its #1 in the NC and SC region.

4/24/2006 10:27:32 PM

I spent part of Easter vacation in Ocean Isle, I would recommend it.

4/25/2006 8:04:20 AM

Ocracoke is the nicest beach I've ever been to. I stay at the National Park campground though. Cold showers, but you can camp right in the dunes and listen to the waves when you fall asleep. Its a thirty second walk to the beach. Nothing like it. Plus Howard's Pub is the most awesome resturant/bar ever. EVER. The guy who owns it stays open no matter what- even in the hurricanes.

4/25/2006 11:37:14 AM

Unfortunately Buffy Warner (who owns Howards) died last year in an accident on his boat. I don't know who manages it now, probably his wife. Its a shame, he was such a nice guy.

4/25/2006 11:43:25 AM

and if you're a pervert you can literally go hang out on the nude beach

4/25/2006 11:50:24 AM

Blackbeard met his end at Ocracoke

4/25/2006 11:55:07 AM

my family goes to Ocean Isle every summer...its nice and less touristy than some other beaches


i'd recommend it also

4/25/2006 12:16:19 PM

it might be faster to get to ocracoke from hatteras, only 45 min ferry...depending on where you are coming from

4/25/2006 12:18:34 PM

Its easier to take the ferry from Swan Quarter. It will save you about 2.5 hours of driving, and at todays gas prices, alot of $. Plus riding on the big ferry is fun.

4/25/2006 12:21:18 PM

depending on where you are coming from it may or may not save you time

4/25/2006 2:29:48 PM

Quote :

"and if you're a pervert you can literally go hang out on the nude beach"

more info please

4/25/2006 2:32:39 PM

Pawleys Island

just rent a small house for a week.

4/25/2006 3:05:27 PM

I spent this past weekend on Bald Head Island.

it was cool.

warning: People DO fall out of golfcarts

4/25/2006 3:22:45 PM

haha, how did you manage that?

4/25/2006 3:53:07 PM

driving late at night, unlit curvy roads, unreadable map,

oh yea and alcohol

but my friend fell out when she was sober too...


it was an interesting weekend

4/25/2006 4:13:05 PM

i've always loved Topsail. there are more people there than there used to be, but its still not that crowded and you're pretty close to wilmington if you want a bit more to do. however the local haunts aren't that bad.

4/25/2006 8:25:24 PM

^^ i always have issues w/ those golf carts on bald head....

i think that might be a little bit out of the price range though...

Carolina beach isnt bad bc all of wilmington is around, downtown has restaurants etc, and they are cleaning it up, it looks a lot better than it used to

4/25/2006 8:38:58 PM

Cape Hatteras Beach is the shit!!! Man I could go back now!

4/26/2006 12:30:45 AM

carolina beach isn't bad at all. they have Britt's Donuts at the boardwalk. The best donut ever.

Wilmington isn't but a couple of minutes away so you can shop and eat there if you want to. Carolina Beach has several places to eat at and a couple little stores if you like knick-knacks.

There is Kure Beach which is right below Carolina, you can visit Fort Fisher if you want also the aquarium at Fort Fisher http://www.ncaquariums.com/newsite/

Kure has some nice places to stay at. There is also Wrightsville Beach which is north of Carolina Beach. It's nice also.


Also this time of year I'd just head down to whatever beach and get the room when you get there. In August you may want to make a reservation. I dunno though, I've gone down at the end of July and still found decent places to stay without calling ahead.

FYI, Bike week at Myrtle is May 12-21. That you will need to call ahead and get a place before you go. I've been and it was fun, just not the thing if you are looking for peace and quiet. I think that right after that is Black Bike week, which is also a lot of fun, but not if you are looking for peace and quiet.

4/26/2006 2:12:28 AM

i'm bttting this because i'm looking to plan something for this weekend. the island inn on ocracoke sounds pretty cool. i'm looking for a cheap place to stay for a couple nights with things to do close by that also aren't too expensive. any recommendations?

also, i'm only 19. so places that allow me to rent a room would be fantastic, rare as they are.

[Edited on June 1, 2006 at 1:02 PM. Reason : age]

6/1/2006 1:01:33 PM

or maybe camping one night, and staying in a hotel the next. thatd be sweet.

6/1/2006 1:09:02 PM

ok more suggestions please.

i'm planning a weekend trip to the beach or the outer banks for my birthday in the beginning of august,

i've never been to the outer banks (and i've lived in NC for 6 yrs now) so i have no idea where to go.

Ocracoke sounds nice.

i'll consider camping, hotels, resorts, etc.. nothing too expensive but dont mind paying up to $100/night.
looking for quieter beaches but not necessarily deserted, a few restaurants/bars - nothing to the extreme of Myrtle. plus i've been to Myrtle too many times and lived there for a summer.

6/1/2006 1:21:27 PM

Just go to Bald Head Island

my parents have a place there - I think its cheap, just $15 for the ferry



[Edited on June 1, 2006 at 1:37 PM. Reason : Picture for the loser below...]

6/1/2006 1:28:12 PM

6/1/2006 1:33:14 PM

if you can get a few people to go, there is a state park on the outer banks that has cabins for $100-$170 for 6-8 people. they have a water heater/shower, range/stove, and a sink, but you have to take a generator, b/c there is no power provided.

6/1/2006 1:36:06 PM

my boyfriend and i are "camping" at Friscoe Woods at Hatteras, it's located on the sound with an access for kayaks and boats...for the labor day weekend price was just under $60 bucks a night for a 1 room cabin that includes AC, grill and picnic tables.
it'll be my first time to the outter banks as well...i'm looking forward to it.

6/1/2006 1:37:08 PM

ocean isle is quiet and relaxing

nags head / kitty hawk is great too

atlantic beach is fun

isle of palms is good too

i dont think anyone has mentioned holden beach...for good reason. that place blows. avoid it

6/1/2006 1:41:37 PM

Sunset is also nice - except for the draw bridge to get there... not sure about prices either.

6/1/2006 1:49:06 PM

yea it might be just me and my bf
or i might try and get a group of people together. like 5-6 good friends.

6/1/2006 2:20:43 PM

http://www.catoevilla.com [/thread]

in the heart of myrtle on the beach and pretty cheap

6/1/2006 5:09:21 PM

Quote :

"my boyfriend and i are "camping" at Friscoe Woods at Hatteras"

Tell the bugs I said hello.

6/1/2006 5:22:03 PM

I like the Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills area

and the even farther up north

6/1/2006 5:23:18 PM

^And that where all the fishing is. That why I hate the other NC beaches, the fishing sucks.

6/1/2006 5:25:55 PM

I used to live down towards Atlantic Beach, and I still go on vacation there every year...I think it's about the same price as myrtle, but it doesn't has nearly as much night life. It's more of a family relaxing beach. There are a few amusment parks, but they are mostly aimed towards children: Jungle Land, Treasure Island, and the circle. However there is good shopping in downtown Morehead and Beaufort. It's always fun to walk on Front St. in the evening.

6/1/2006 10:10:15 PM

elkaybie make sure he takes you to "the point" if he has four wheel drive

6/1/2006 10:13:52 PM

frisco woods is an awesome campground, good choice

6/2/2006 3:32:48 PM