Best Weekend Trips

Best Weekend Trips In Virginia And South Carolina

Are you searching for the best weekend trip options in Virginia or South Carolina? The key to planning the best weekend trip and finding a good deal, is doing your research ahead of time on the popular travel websites.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

A top coastal destination that offers numerous activities for singles, couples, and families. Sixty miles of beautiful beaches that provide endless opportunities for fun and excitement in and near the ocean. Aside from activities on the actual beach, the city offers golf, amusement parks, live entertainment, restaurants, shopping, and much more. It is one of the top getaways for an entire family, because you will never encounter a shortage of activities in this lively area. There is truly something for everyone in Myrtle Beach, which makes it one of the Best Weekend Trips in the area.

The Dunes Village Resort is a top option here, but it is in North Myrtle Beach so not central to all of the excitement in the area. If you are able to drive, you can normally find 3 and 4+ star hotels and vacation rentals in the entire area from $69-125+ per night in April and May. Of course during peak season prices tend to go up a bit. In terms of booking a hotel, it is advisable to check on www.orbitz.com or www.expedia.com. During the busy beach season in July I have found excellent deals on www.hotwire.com. I once booked a great hotel right on the beach for around $60 per night. As I checked into the hotel, the guests in front of me were paying $225 per night. When you are looking at hotels on the Hotwire website you are only shown the star rating, amenities, and the general location. With Hotwire, you do not know the name of the hotel until after you pay for it, but if you are willing to take a chance, and you know what to look for it is definitely worthwhile. For general information on Myrtle Beach you can check out - www.visitmyrtlebeach.com.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Colonial Williamsburg is one of the Best Weekend Trips, because it is educational, and also a fun place to visit with countless things for families to do. Williamsburg offers interactive tours where you can see how people lived in an 18th century colonial community, and also on plantations. You can visit the separate Jamestown Settlement which is considered to be the first English settlement. It is a reconstruction of the colonists' fort from the 1600s, a Powhatan village, and a seasonal waterfront area that provides insight into the economics of the period, and how the waterfront was utilized. The area also offers, museums, amusement parks like Busch Gardens, wineries, shopping, golf, and dining. In terms of accommodations, Colonial Williamsburg and the areas around it offer inns, bed and breakfast options, as well as hotels. For a nice hotel in this area the Marriott's Manor Club at Ford Colony is a nice option offering plenty of space, that is reasonably priced.

Around April and May you can normally find 3 and 4+ star accommodations in the range of $59-250+ per night. Often you can book your hotel and activities together and get a great rate. Booking a hotel or package online is the best option for this getaway. For general information on Williamsburg - www.williamsburg.com.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

For years Hilton Head Island has been known as one of the best weekend getaways. Known for its excellent golf courses, the island is only 12 miles by 5 miles wide, but it offers plenty of activities for couples or families who are on vacation. While Myrtle Beach is a casual beach spot, bustling with activity, Hilton Head tends to attract people who are wanting more of a low key vacation. You rarely see a lot of children on the beaches here (compared to Myrtle Beach). For the most part it is a little more upscale, probably due to the fact that it is a more expensive place to visit and to live. Unlike Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head is not a place that students would normally go for spring break, so it is a true resort getaway, with a totally different vibe that is more adult. It offers an abundance of excellent restaurants, water sports, and tours to nearby places like Daufuskie Island. Of course if you are wanting to go play miniature golf, go shopping, or to find a lounge to listen to live music you can do that as well. Hilton Head Island is home to beautiful beaches, great restaurants, and so much more. If you are seeking a romantic weekend destination this getaway would be one of the top choices in Virginia and the Carolinas.

Accommodations are numerous in the form of B&Bs, inns, hotels, and vacation home rentals. In April and May you can find 3 and 4+ star accommodations here for $125-400+ per night. If you do bring your kids here you may want to stay at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort. For an adult vacation (one without kids) the Hilton Oceanfront Resort is one of the best options available that is not ridiculously priced. I like this hotel because unlike the Westin, this is a true beach hotel where most everyone is here on vacation. At the Hilton you do not have to walk a mile to get from your room to the beach. The rooms are extremely comfortable at the Hilton, and designed like spacious studio apartments with a kitchen, dining area, couch, and also a bed. By the time children are out of school in May the prices are higher relative to all of the accommodations, but you can still find good deals on sites like www.hotwire.com. For general information take a look at - www.hiltonheadisland.org.

Sources:

www.visitmyrtlebeach.com www.williamsburg.com www.hiltonheadisland.org