Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Fall Overview: East Coast Vacations

Mountain Foliage in Va

Visit our companion Web Site, East Coast Vacations HERE 

FALL 2012: It's here and presents many wonderful suggestions. The air is comfortable; as most kids are back in school the crowds have diminished and many resorts have cut their rates to off season. This will be an overview.. most of the mentioned areas will have their own pages.

NORTH EAST: Fall Foilage will be a major attraction, starting up in VT and moving south. While there's not as much foilage in the Cape Cod area, it's a wonderful time to visit. See CAPE COD on the left or Click here. While there, a quick trip into BOSTON provides a great vacation with culture and history.

MID ATLANIC AREA: We could think of the Jersey shore, but on south and as we have stressed before, Williamsburg remains a constant favorite. History, golf, access to the beach at Va Beach. Hotels are nice for amenities such as room service, spas, etc. but if you are still family vacationing, there's tons of condos for rent.

NEAR SOUTH AREA: and we tink of the gloires of Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and the entire barrier island area.  Charleston is best thought of possibly for the history, touring the plantations, but as we get to the Myrtle Beach Area, one can not help but think "golf". Again, the crowds are gone and as the temerperature moderates, one can play all day without having to vacate the links by noon due to heat. Check it out in detail. Check out Golf Information central to the left.
While moving toward the south, don't forget Savannah. Still plenty of golf, but also history, great tours, and some wonderful seafood and other delicacies. Think about one of the islands like Tybee to experience beaches, etc.

FAR SOUTH on the East Coast: We'd define this as starting at the Fl line, and while we've featured it again, as we've been going there for over15 years, we still love and recommend Ameila Island just across the  Ga border and before you get to Jacksonville.   Jacksonsville, if you continue is a very hustling, bustling, busy town. Not known so much for its vacation destination, there's still plenty to see and do. Military buffs will find bases to visit, and if elgible, plenty of military accomodations as so much of the PCS season is over.
Just a little south of JAX one encounters the fantastic St Augustine, well worth a couple of days at least.. or more. Don't forget the winery.   Moving south you come to I-4 leading you directly to ORLANDO and "the attractions", but that's not truly an east coast vacation. While Orlando as a city offers much, the main thing is the attractions such as Disney, Universal, and Seaworld.

If you stay on I-95 (US 1 provides a bit more interesting drive if ou are not in a hurry), you come to two places: Daytona  and Daytona Beach and again, it's IDEAL to visit this time of year. Heat is down and so are the crowds. But you drive under an overpass marked "PGA Blvd". What would this suggest?  Naturaly! Think Golf.

Now it's getting warmer! Water is still great and surf it up. Another hour drive south to the signs for Cocoa Beach and this is the location of the world famous RonJOn surf shop, and the reason: Many people still say the surfing at this site is some of the best on the east coast.
Going a little further south, plan a stop in Miami and visit Vizcaya if you have not all ready done so.  But before  you get there, stop at West Palm Beach and see the "railroad museum" which is nothing about the railroad at all. It's also known as the Flagler Museum and again.. it's not a museum but the house Henry built for is wife (and himself). If you are staying over a weekend and have a large budget, plan to take in the Sunday brunch at the breakers!  For most of us, it's a once in a lifetime experience. But then keep going to the Vixcaya.. and see this link: (http://www.vizcayamuseum.org/  ). You'll think you ended up in Italy.. and it's very inexpensive.

Then truck on down to the Keys. Key Largo is first and has some great seafood and scuba diving as well as spectacular sunsets.. and you don't have to go all the way down to Key West.. but even that and the museums, including the shipwrecks are worth it. Enjoy!