Hellobee Boards

I stayed in a condo in Cape Cod for $550 for the week and it was a quarter mile from the beach. So they aren't all expensive. Have you considered giving a travel agent your budget and desires and seeing what they come up with?

@Mrs. Pen: we used to do this every summer on the gulf. We found a small single story place that had a good pool and was right on the gulf that rented small apartments. It was SO much fun!! It was in Vanderbilt Fl but I know Sanibel has similar places.

Wrong side of the country, but Long Beach, CA is super affordable and a fun place to visit!

@Mrs. Pen: There are also places along the Gulf Coast of Florida and Alabama that are super close the water and not terribly expensive. I am thinking in between Gulf Shores and Pensacola, between Pensacola and Destin, and between Destin and Panama City.

@artbee: I went to Clearwater last year before Lo got here and I would totally go back! It was so nice!

I would suggest Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard but both can be pretty expensive!

@Mrs. Pen: as far as hotels go, im not totally sure. I usually stay with family. I know my parents have rented a couple places via vrbo that were within walking distance to the beach.

@MsLipGloss: Yes! The Gulf coast! Orange Beach, Perdido Key, Seaside, Grayton Beach, and SanDestin are my top picks. Headed to Seaside at the end of the summer.

@MsLipGloss: I love the Red Bar! The food is so yummy, and the band is always great. Sunday afternoons there are the best, though, it's a different kind of fun when you have a baby with you

Where ever you decide, try Airbnb! Its a site that people can list homes or apts for rent. Might be a cheaper option than renting a beach house through a company, and most likely would have some smaller options. Its a really popular site to use! Cup Of Jo uses it a lot.

ETA: Also Dustin Beach FL is an amazing vaca spot and really family friendly!

@Mrs. Pen: come to NY!!!!

There are a few beaches near NYC. You can also drive upstate to Hudson Valley which is beautiful. If you decide that route I have a bunch of recommendations for places that revolve around eco friendly, all locally grown foods, experience, etc.

Finger Lakes region is beautiful as well. Tons of great wineries.

I would love to visit Nags Head.

Portland, Oregon for food

Boston, MA is only 3 hours from NYC.

And of course there is also WNY *ahem*. I mean there's me. What more do you need? I promise to cook you a home cooked Chinese meal and full use of pool!

You could always do a lake rather than an ocean. There are tons of large lakes with cute resort communities in the Midwest (ex. Lake of the Ozarks).

We've done the Gulf Coast too and it's really pretty and not horribly expensive. DH was stationed in Fort Walton Beach, FL (between Pensacola and Destin) for a year and me and my BFF did Spring Break there to visit him for a week. I think we paid less than $100/night for our hotel right on the beach.

If you go there, eat at McGuire's! It's a must!

California (San Francisco/Sonoma/Monterey/Big Sur/San Luis Obispo - really can't go wrong) Is our favorite US vacation hands down. We've been back three times in the past four years for various events and there is ALWAYS something new and exciting to do. So much nature, culture, everything!

@BananaPancakes: I am mentally filing that tip!

@Mrs. Pen: we stayed in indialantic, Florida for our honeymoon and it was amazing. I don't think the condo we stayed in allowed kids, but there were other options. It's a nice little town and the ocean was right there at our doorstep. It was a 45 min drive from Orlando so we rented a car, but it was very reasonable!!!

@BananaPancakes: New Years Eve is the second busiest day of the year at Disney Parks . . . second only to the Fourth of July!

@kml636: central and northern coast of California is beautiful. I used to live in SLO!

@zippylef: hurray for a Midwest suggestion! Lake of the Ozarks and table rock lake really are beautiful, we go there quite a bit. Silver dollar city is kind of a hokey place but has fun stuff for all ages and is VERY family friendly

Just an FYI, it can much harder to find a place to rent if it's for less than a week. Most vacation rentals do Saturday afternoon to Saturday morning. Especially in peak season.