Travel Plans

We were supposed to go to Cape San Blas in Florida the first week in August. However, the oil spill has hit one of the beaches about an hour from where we're going so we are pretty sure that it will hit Cape San Blas. Therefore, we are going to back out of our plans and look for another place to stay. We're travelling with friends (3 families) and usually travel with them, plus 2 other families each summer. We're sad to cancel this trip, but we don't want to risk going and then find out the beach is closed due to the oil spill.

We've decided that we're going to head up north and we're thinking about North Carolina. I've heard it's beautiful there! We're thinking about renting a house off of Lake Lure. Has anyone stayed there before? If so, what are your thoughts? We plan to stay one or two nights in Nashville, TN on our way up there too. We love to go river rafting too so we're going to try to do that there as well. We also plan to bring our boat up there, but I'm trying to convince my husband that it is too long of a drive to drag along a boat and that we can just enjoy the scenery from the docks or beaches there. We'll see...he and his buddies are avid fishermen so I may not be able to convince them.

Hey, Pauline,
We live in Northern Virginia and go to the Outer Banks (in NC) every other year or so with my family (22 of us). You have the ocean and the sound there. The fishing is great in the Outer Banks, so your husband and his buddies would love it, but who knows - the oil may come up that far by summer.

I've never been to Lake Lure, but I've heard it's beautiful. Wasn't the HGTV dream house built there a couple of years ago? We love going to lakes also - there's a big one in Southeastern Virginia (Smith Mountain Lake) that we go to sometimes - it's beautiful but probably too far for you.

SOrry - I'm not any help, but thought I'd still respond. Good luck on rescheduling your trip - the whole oil spill is so sad! I'm sorry you had to cancel your Florida trip, but it will be fun to explore a new area!

Beth - mom to Brady (age 13, diagnosed 1/18/02)

I am so sorry that you had to cancel your plans. The oil spill is so catastrophic. I feel for the people and animals and vacationers affected by it. It just SUCKS! Kind of like ITP. As Beth said, the outer banks are a great vacation spot. So is Emerald Isle in North Carolina. Of course, you could always visit Charleston, SC. There are many beaches here and the city of Charleston is tons of fun for families. Also, Hilton Head Island is a great beach spot to go to as well. There is also Myrtle Beach, but just be advised that it is very touristy and crowded during August. (But anyplace will be probably). If you like being outdoors, riding bikes and being able to walk everywhere Charleston and Hilton Head would be good choices Of course you know I am partial to these places

Natalie

We go to NC every year; Topsail. We love it so much that we never go anywhere else. I don't know about Lake Lure.

I'm hoping NC isn't affected by the spill.

I hope NC isn't affected by the spill either! I can't imagine that it would go that far up and if it does, that would be beyond devastating to have the whole east coast beaches ruined!

The outer banks and Top Sail sound beautiful! It is a little too far for us. It will be about a 16-17 hour drive to get to Lake Lure and that was the same distance for us to drive to Cape San Blas. (Might take longer due to bringing along the boat.) Since we will be driving, it might be an option for us to leave early one morning to drive out to one of the beaches for the day and then drive back to the house we're staying in that night.

Caitlin was telling the dr about us having to change the plans and she was all excited about hearing about North Carolina because she grew up in Virginia and loved visiting the beaches in NC. Her parents have a house in the Outer Banks and she said the scenery in NC is nothing compared to what you see around here. So, I guess it is good to force us to get away from the South and have a taste of the North for a few days! (Sure would love getting out of the triple digit heat coupled with the humidity here!)

Ha, this post made me laugh - although not the bit about the oil, that is tragic.

No, the bit that made me laugh was about driving 17 hours to get somewhere. I forget how small the UK is sometimes. I think unless you went from Cornwell to Northern Scotland, you would be hard pressed to drive anywhere that took you 17 hours to arrive.

My youngest son is going to the Isle of Skye with a friend and his family for a week when school breaks up in July. His mum reckons it is about an 8 hour drive, and we were saying this morning what a mammouth drive it was going to be!!! From where we live it is about 3 hours to the border, maybe another 2 to Glasgow and 3-4 from there - you could no doubt do it faster but maybe not with two 9 year olds.

Having read your post Pauline, I am going to tell her to get real when I see her next - she is clearly whinging about nothing!

Ali

It's a 9 to 10 hour drive for us. Looong trip, but well worth it!

I've heard that they did expect the spill to travel up the east coast. That was a few weeks ago though. Sounds like they have it partially contained now.