Suggestions for a beach trip?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Megan Saulnier MacGillis on March 11, 2010 at 11:03am

We took Corbin to the beach last year and my best advice is be flexible and patient with your little princess if she has a tough time adjusting to the new bathtub, new room, new bed, etc. while you stay at a house/hotel. After a day, we figured the best set-up and Corbin settled down and trusted we weren't going to leave him somewhere unfamiliar. As far as baby gear goes, those swim diapers don't hold much while they are dry. What I mean is, they only really work to keep the mess inside the diaper by being snug and stretchy in the pool. But if you leave your child in a dry swim diaper while on the way to the beach, on the way home, or they fall asleep and you just let them nap in one, THEY DON'T HOLD ANYTHING LIKE A REGULAR DIAPER!!! We discovered this 2x, we are that gullible. Once I picked up Corbin from his car seat and his bum was wet (with a swim diaper on already), and I just thought his juice cup had spilled. Nope, I later figured out it was tinkle leaking out of his perfectly dry swim diaper and bathing suit shorts. Then once we came back from the beach and put him in his sleeper with a dry swim diaper (he hadn't gone in the water that time), after his nap he had pooped everywhere and the lack of water collection from the stupid swim diaper made it spread all through his pajamas. Those swim diapers are ONLY good for pools essentially and only put them on right before your kid is about to jump in. HOPE THAT HELPS!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by LeAnn Lane on March 11, 2010 at 11:20am

My family loves Hilton Head. It is just nicer then Myrtle Beach. We usually stay at the Disney Resort there. It is AWESOME! Of course with Disney, it is very family friendly. I had a business trip last October, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Beachfront on Coligny Beach. It is nice, and there is a great shopping area just across the street from the hotel. Lots of fun shops and places to eat, most all being family friendly. There is a little plaza area with dancing fountains that my kids just loved.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Katie Myers Hill on March 11, 2010 at 11:35am

Megan is right about the swim diapers! The first time I ever put Nathan in one, he was about 10 months old. He woke up from a nap and I went ahead and put him in it and waited for my friend to come over with her little one. We were going to put them in a little baby pool in my backyard. Well, I let him sit and play for just 30 minutes inside waiting on them. I went to pick him up and he was soaking wet! So they are only really good for the pool. Don't put them in one for the car trip to the beach or pool!

My family goes to the south Myrtle area every year, like Garden City. I think it is much less crowded there than North or main Myrtle Beach. We stay in condos on the beach. We have to do it that way since there are so many of us. I'm talking my parents, brother and sister and their families, my aunt and her family. I think there are 16 of us total ranging in age from 2-72! With all the kids and teens going, they like the Myrtle area for all the extra stuff to do. But if it was just me, my husband, and son going, I'd love to pick a much quieter, smaller area like Litchfield or Edisto. Those are probably much more expensive though. For me, I just love the beach. i don't have to have all the extra stuff like nightlife, putt-putt, etc. but it is all about compromise with the family! We have golfers, so they love the Myrtle area for golf too. And the restaurants are great there too - Murrell's Inlet is awesome food!

And as for the hotel, I suggest trying to keep her on her schedule, napping and bedtime. I know my son does best with routine so we do not do any of the late night things at this age. He still went down for naps and bedtime at the same time both years we went to the beach. I know some people who throw everything like that out the window on vacation, but for us, routine works best. I think we all enjoyed it better that way! We shared a 3 BR condo with my parents and gave Nathan his own room. He is a light sleeper. We shared a room for him for 2 nights when he was 11 months old and after that, we slept on the sleeper sofa! It was miserable trying to get him back to sleep when he woke up a zillion times hearing us come to bed, get up to pee, my husband snore, etc. So last year, at 23 months, he got his own room!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Katie Myers Hill on March 11, 2010 at 11:44am

Oh yea, we love HH too! I didn't even mention that! My in-laws have a time share there, but they go in the off season. We are going there for a long weekend with them next week. Too cold for the beach then, but it is still nice there. There is a cute little Children's Museum there near the plantation where their condo is. I grew up going to places where we stayed ON the beach, so where they stay is different, but still close enough to ride bikes for a walk on the beach. I hope it is warm enough to at least get some beach pictures of Nathan there since we probably are not going to the beach this summer.

LeAnn Lane said:

My family loves Hilton Head. It is just nicer then Myrtle Beach. We usually stay at the Disney Resort there. It is AWESOME! Of course with Disney, it is very family friendly. I had a business trip last October, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Beachfront on Coligny Beach. It is nice, and there is a great shopping area just across the street from the hotel. Lots of fun shops and places to eat, most all being family friendly. There is a little plaza area with dancing fountains that my kids just loved.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Megan Saulnier MacGillis on March 11, 2010 at 1:55pm

We've been to HH before about 5 times (my aunt lives there, but the youngest I started was age 9, so I am unsure about baby things).
I also love Isle of Palms!!! Mike and I went there (Charleston and Folly Beach too) and just loved it.
Good luck in your search!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by amy williams on March 11, 2010 at 9:07pm

We usually go to St Augustine FL every year, but that's a pretty long trip with a little one (7 hours)...so this past summer we went to Isle of Palms and LOVED it. Its very similar to St Augustine where you have the beach and condos and seperate from that you have downtown, Waterfront park, Aquarium, etc. We plan to go back to Isle of Palms this year, actually, instead of St Aug. We really felt at home there and our kids LOVED it too. Tyler (my husband) surfs and the surf is pretty good at IOP. Sydney even surfed last year! Stood up on the board and everything. It was a last minute trip for us last year though, so we just stayed in hotel and it was ok, but we are looking for a condo this year. But I would for sure suggest IOP as a destination!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Marsha on March 13, 2010 at 11:02am

We have been to the beach every year since our little one now three was born. We wanted to stay in SC as well. We found Litchfield Beach. It is quiet and for families. You can stay in condos or suites. They have great pools for children. You can stay on the beach or off. If you stay off the beach they have shuttles that run about every ten minutes. They drop you off at the beach house which houses bathrooms and things the resort customers can use only. Each little complex has a pool to use. We have stayed at many different places with in the resort and love it!
It is not to far from Merills Inlet where we love to go eat at Nance's and the Hanser house is right next door. It is a little drive to Barefoot and Broadway but we do visit in the evening when we go! We usually go around the 4th of July. We love to go to the boat parade and to see the firework displays hosted in different areas.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nichole on March 13, 2010 at 2:09pm

My advice, if possible, is to have a separate sleeping space for your little one. We have shared a hotel room many times with our daughter and it can get pretty boring when you put your little one to bed and then have nothing to do until they fall asleep. We have spent plenty of time sitting in the bathroom with the door closed reading a book until she falls asleep (my kiddo wont fall asleep if there is any action going on in the room, TV, etc).

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Erin Morgan on March 16, 2010 at 10:55pm

We absolutely love Seabrook Island. We rent a one bedroom (full kitchen, living area and 2 baths) condo in Pelican Watch. The great thing about Seabrook for families with young kids is that it is quiet and the kids can run/toddle along the beach without having to worry about a million people around. We usually go the week of Memorial Day and have, at times, during that week been one of only about 10 families on the beach. It is wonderful. It feels like having your own private beach - and it feels so safe and secure with little ones. There is also tons of wildlife - you see dolphins every day, several times a day. There are crabs, even deer throughout the Island, and shells galore. You do have to watch for an occiasional shark, however, the ones I have seen are only about a foot long or so and are more afraid of us, I think! If you want some more excitement or a day off of the beach, Charleston is only about 30 minutes away so you can always take time to venture there. I could go on and on........... I'm kind of sad because we aren't sure that we will make it there this year, with my leaving my job to become a SAHM. We might have to save up for next year.

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion