My Top 5 Favorite Beaches (Generally Speaking)

1. North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

2. Emerald Isle, North Carolina

3. Topsail Island, North Carolina

4. New Smyrna Beach, Florida

5. Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

The Best Beach Close to Attractions:

Hands down - New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Located just an hour away from Disney World, NASA, and hundreds of attractions in Central and East Florida, you can't beat staying in New Smyrna Beach. The sands are gorgeous, the weather positively balmy and the town is small enough to be accessible and friendly without too much commercialization.

The Best Beaches for "I don't want to go anywhere but lie on the sand and soak up the sun and spend time with my family":

Ok, you want remote and small town. Good local food, friendly people? Not too much commercialization... not much of anything... just sun and sand? Topsail Island or Emerald Isle is your choice then!

The widest beach with calm waters for kids:

North Myrtle Beach has a gorgeous wide expanse of beach. Stay in the Cherry Grove Section for the best beach!

Lighthouses, wild horses, breath-taking drives:

Outer Banks, North Carolina. The Outer Banks has 6 lighthouses dotting the length of the Banks, wild horses in some areas (you need 4 wheel drive to access the beach in some areas) and a breath-taking drive down the coast!