Growing up in places like Hawaii and south Florida (and Guam even though I have no memories of that), a beach was never considered a vacation to me. It was just a place we went whenever we wanted to! We didn’t have to pack a suitcase, just a cooler for our food and a beach bag to carry our towels and sunscreen (we did use sunscreen, right mom?). But now that I am an adult and no longer live within a half hours drive from a beach…a trip to the beach takes, well…planning! And being married to a Danish guy that loves to be near water, we try to have at least one beach getaway a year. Even though our favorite beaches are in the Caribbean, there are times we need to escape to a beach a little closer to home. Here’s five of our favorite East Coast beach getaways just a days drive from Washington, DC…in no particular order!
Tybee Island, Georgia
Let’s start with the beach furthest from Washington, DC. Located less than an hours drive from Savannah, Tybee Island is a quirky little barrier island packed with a lot of charm and some of the best sunset views. One of the things we liked the most about Tybee Island is that there are no large resorts or high-rise hotels, and everything from the restaurants to shops are locally owned. We rented a house for a week on the north end of the island, known as the quieter end of the island and our days were spent waking up and taking a walk to Tybean Coffee Bar, swimming in the calm waters, finding little treasures in some of the local shops and art galleries and ending each day watching dolphins frolicking in the ocean around sunset. And no visit to Tybee Island would be complete without a visit to the islands famous lighthouse built in built in 1736. And since we were there a week, we spent a couple of non-beach days walking around Savannah (including a ghost tour!), Fort Pulaski National Monument and Bonaventure Cemetery (a must-do if you are ever anywhere near Savannah!).
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Nicknamed “America’s Summer Capital,” Rehoboth Beach is one of the most popular family-friendly beach destinations on the East Coast filled with great food and tons of fun things to do. And the funny thing is if it weren’t for fostering puppies it would never have been a location I’d have chosen for family vacation. A family that adopted two of our dog Taco’s siblings has a vacation home on Rehoboth and offered us use of their home whenever we wanted to use it. We took them up on their offer and have been back several times since for extended weekend beach getaways! When we aren’t enjoying the beach, our favorite things to do there each time we visit are strolling up and down the the boardwalk (the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach is an institution, and you simply can’t miss it if you’re planning a vacation here), playing a round of mini golf at Shell We Golf, grabbing pizza at Grott’s Pizza and taking classically cheesy family photos!
Oak Island, North Carolina
If you are looking for a quiet island with a mix of relaxation and gorgeous nature, Oak Island is the place to go! We love going there and renting a house right on the beach. The sunrise, the sunset, morning coffee with a view, evenings sitting on the deck with a glass of wine listening to the waves make it all worthwhile!
What I like best about Oak Island is that it’s never crowded. The long stretches of beach are perfect for strolls and beach combing! It’s also the perfect place to grab a chair, a book and unplug from life for a few hours.
And if you want to venture off the island, Southport is less than a half hours drive and is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. Many movies and television shows have been filmed there.
Holden Beach, North Carolina
Are you looking for a quiet beach with great shelling? Then Holden Beach just might be for you! Holden Beach is another one of our favorite North Carolina beaches. It’s a quiet, family-friendly town between North Carolina’s more popular destinations of Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. Recently named the calmest beach in North Carolina by Travel & Leisure magazine, Holden Beach holds a special place in our hearts simply because it was our very first family vacation after our daughter was born (and Peter’s first trip to an American beach!).
Just like when we go to Oak Island, when we go to Holden Beach we rent a home right on beach! You just can’t beat the views!
And if you want to take a break from the sun and sand, Holden Beach is just a short drive away from Myrtle Beach and one of our favorite shopping destinations Barefoot Landing. On the island there are several shops, restaurants and ice cream parlors to keep you busy. And if you need some souvenirs Beach Mart is the place to go! If you visit Holden Beach and have leftover food that you don’t want to take home, consider dropping it off at one of the Second Helping 3-G Food Ministry collection stations. Just be careful that you leave the right bag. A few years ago my parents took Emma and my nephew on a week-long trip and as they left to dropped off a bag of food. When they got home and unloaded their truck, they realized that the bag of food was still in the truck…and the bag of beach shoes was not.
Chincoteague, Maryland
As a kid I was absolutely obsessed with books about horses such as Black Beauty and Misty of Chincoteague. Then Emma was born and she was even more obsessed with horses (eventually talking us into letting her take riding lessons) and so it only seems natural that we’ve vacationed in Chincoteague a couple of times over the years. We absolutely love it. Many of our friends and neighbors do as well. In fact, during one trip we were sitting in a restaurant eating lunch and we saw one of our neighbors walking by!
As nature lovers, we spend a lot of our time birdwatching and looking for other wildlife in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. There’s a really great 3-mile Wildlife Loop that’s perfect for walking or biking (just remember the bug spray!). Even though we rent a house on the Chincoteague side, we make a point of visiting Assateague National Seashore as well.
Now obviously a lot of people go to Chincoteague and neighboring Assateague Islands to see the famous ponies, but there is so much more to do on the island to keep you busy for a week! Downtown Chincoteague is great for shopping, and don’t miss the famous Pony Tails candy shop. The Museum of Chincoteague Island will keep you busy for an hour or so. For the best pony and dolphin sightings, book a boat tour with Captain Dan’s Around the Island Tours. And if you time your vacation just right, you can see a rocket launch from nearby Wallops Flight Facility. We tried one year, but unfortunately the launch was cancelled due to weather.
So there you have it, five of our favorite beach getaways along the East Coast! We are always looking to add to our list of favorites and create new beach memories. Take a moment to share your favorite beach town with us in the comments!
