Calling East Coast PS''ers - urgent vacation advice

[kweet]

I am hoping someone can provide some vacation advice. My BF and I are flying in to NYC this weekend for a few days. After that we were hoping to drive to Rhode Island to relax by the ocean. However I have just checked the weather forecast for RI and its not good...

We are thinking of canceling the accomodation we booked in RI and choosing another beach spot, perhaps further south so that we can get some sunshine and avoid the rain (it rains a lot where we come from). I am wondering whether anyone can recommend somewhere within a 4 hour driving radius of NYC for us to go? All we need is a beach and some restaurants. Somewhere upscale but not ultra exclusive like I''ve heard that the Hamptons can be. We are thinking of Cape May NJ ...any thoughts.

With many thanks in anticipation...

 

[mayachel]

Hey there, so far it is sunny, hot and humid here. Though they are predicting storms for the evening it''s supposed to mostly clear out by Saturday and be gorgeous on Sunday...

Cape May, NJ is a great alt. beach front spot. Very quaint, cute and old timey beach front feel to it.

 

[radiantquest]

I am thinking either the jersey beach or Maryland. I have not been to the one in MD for a few years so I cannot really speak for it and I have never been to the one in New Jersey.

 

[kweet]

mayachel, many thanks. RI is our first preference, the architecture and New England vibe is irresistible. You are lucky to located in such a nice corner of the world. We were just worried that the weather would be very chilly and rainy, but perhaps we''re worrying unneccessarily. Sporadic thunderstorms, we can handle. Is the weather typically ok for the beach around Labor Day?

radiant quest - thank you very much for your input, much appreciated. Maryland is another good option if the weather forecast isn''t looking good....

 

[beechezz]

Come to the Jersey Shore! In about an hour you can enjoy the white, sandy beaches and the warm, clear water (it has been really warm lately). Point Pleasant Beach is one I''d recommend....good beaches, good restaurants, and great night life! There is a boardwalk with lots of arcades, shops, food, bars, etc. If you would like suggestions for where to stay let me know!

 

[beechezz]

I just read that you said upscale...so in that case I would head to Spring Lake, NJ or Sea Girt, NJ. They are still only about an hour away. Beautiful Victorian Homes, bed and breakfasts, and nice restaurants.

You won''t be disappointed, I promise!

 

[princessplease]

Cape May is very quaint and pretty. Sunset beach is lovely.

Wildwood is the teen hangout. Lots of good food, but the games, rides, arcades, etc attract 18 and under. It's loud, and there is a lot of hustle and bustle.

Ocean City is really nice. There are a lot of pretty places in OC, and it tends to be more 'calm' then Wildwood. OC is also a dry town, and you need to pay to go on the beach.

Sea Isle is really nice too. The boardwalk is pretty small in comparison to Wildwood and Ocean City, but the beach is free.

Atlantic City...well, only if you want to gamble. The beach in AC actually is crappy. There is really good shopping in AC at the outlets, the Quarter at Tropicana and The Pier at Ceasars.

Avalon is really pretty and an upscale beach town. The homes are beautiful, and there is a lot to see there.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

 

[Clairitek]

I grew up in RI (right next to Newport, where most tourists go to visit the state) and my experience with the weather in the summer is that the forecast is almost never really correct. I panicked a lot about my wedding weekend since they were predicting a 70-80% change of thunderstorms on my day even up to the day before. I didn''t see one drop the whole weekend! I just checked the forecast for Newport and it only says 30% chance. If it does rain, I bet it will move through quickly. I have also found that in the southern part of the state the weather is less severe than up near Providence/Mass.

I''ve spent a good amount of time on the Jersey Shore as well with DH''s family (we live near Philly now so its close by) and I find RI and New Jersey to be quite different. I''ve been to Sea Isle and Ocean City. They are nice places and all (and of course I am terribly biased) but I think RI is worth the effort to get there.

I know you didn''t solicit advice on where to go in RI but if you''re interested here are some suggestions. In Newport, I highly recommend checking out the Top of Newport at the Hotel Viking for a delicious cocktail and great view of the town. Best coffee can be found at the end of Bannister''s Wharf (past the Black Pearl and Clarke Cooke House) at a place called the Coffee Grinder. They have nice Adirondack chairs on the deck and its right on the harbor, literally. The deck outside of the cafe is part of a dock. As for beaches, I personally prefer 2nd Beach (town beach of Middletown) to 1st Beach (aka Easton''s Beach, town beach of Newport) but 1st Beach is sorta walkable from downtown Newport which is a plus. Then again, if you''re not staying there then I suppose this information might be pretty useless!

Either way, enjoy your vacation on the East Coast! I''m sure you''ll have a great time no matter where you decide to go!

 

[kweet]

sorry about the delay in responding - I''m in a different time zone. thank you all for your responses.

Beechez and Princessplease thank you for the whistlestop tour through NJ that''s really helpful.
Clairitek thank you for your insight into the forecasts. I have been to the east coast one other time at this time of year and it was hot and sunny so I was puzzled at the weather forecast. Am very reassured that it tends to be on the pessimistic side. Far from being useless the information you have provided is terribly useful and you have really set my mind at ease about RI so we''ll stick with our plan!
New Jersey another time definitely though!
thanks again

 

[Clairitek]

Date: 8/20/2009 7:10:47 PM
Author: kweet
sorry about the delay in responding - I''m in a different time zone. thank you all for your responses.

Beechez and Princessplease thank you for the whistlestop tour through NJ that''s really helpful.

Clairitek thank you for your insight into the forecasts. I have been to the east coast one other time at this time of year and it was hot and sunny so I was puzzled at the weather forecast. Am very reassured that it tends to be on the pessimistic side. Far from being useless the information you have provided is terribly useful and you have really set my mind at ease about RI so we''ll stick with our plan!

New Jersey another time definitely though!

thanks again

I really hope I haven''t steered you wrong! They have a saying in RI (though I suppose this can be said for a lot of coastal areas) "If you don''t like the weather, just wait a minute!"

I hope you have a great time in RI.

 

[Clairitek]

Oh good grief kweet. Its raining all over the East Coast! I really hope you are able to find something fun to do in RI. Silly Hurricane Bill!