Looking for Family Friendly Beach Vacation

If you do Myrtle--try North Myrtle Beach.
MUCH more family friendly!

We LOVE Destin, FL. We went for 3 or 4 years in a row and then the year of the oil spill, we went to Myrtle Beach instead. HUGE difference between the two. Myrtle Beach is dirty brown water and so, so, so touristy. Destin is crystal clear Gulf water with some tourist attractions, but not so close together- it is more spread out. Destin is super family oriented- you definitely won't find the groups of partying teenagers there like you do in Myrtle Beach (or Panama City for that matter). We are going back again this summer and can't wait! We have 5 kids and we're going with another couple that has 1.
Another very family oriented place (this is where I spent my vacations as a kid) is Hilton Head Island, SC. Their beaches are clean, but again, it is brown Atlantic Ocean water. There also isn't a ton to do except golf and the outlets. I would definitely pick Destin over HHI as well.
We wanted to stay at Villa Coyaba in Destin, but it was more room than we really needed and more than we wanted to spend. We ended up booking at Silver Beach Towers. It is RIGHT on the beach and relatively new (built in '04 I believe). Our unit is newly remodeled and it is centrally located on the strip. http://www.thesilverbeachtowersresort.com/?gclid=CPSvg9qB...
Have fun on your vacation!

In FL, I would recommend Destin or further south in Clearwater beach near Tampa. Two beautiful and definitely family friendly areas.

We loved Myrtle Beach...we've been twice. The Boardwalk on the Beach was my personal favorite, because there was so much to do in and around the area. We stayed at a nice hotel with a water park and it was on the beach so we had the luxury of either.

Not sure what reviews you saw, but I would reconsider...we honestly loved it, and I'm pretty picky.

We went to Myrtle Beach for the first time last year. We had 4 kids, and I was pregnant with our 5th.
We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort, and the rooms were very generous in size, completely beach front, and had a fully functional kitchen. The pools were fabulous. I wasnt all that impressed with MB as a town, but the beach was clean and so was the hotel. There was an awesome indoor/outdoor mall about 1 mile away, and it reminded me of the Downtown Disney area.
We ate almost all our meals in our room (or picnicked outside with food we made in our room). We made oatmeal, cereal, spaghetti, hotdogs and mac n cheese, bagels and fruit, wraps and chips, etc. You could easily take food with you or grocery shop once there.
We would definitely go back, and definitely stay at the same resort.

We are going to Chincoteague. It is family friendly but outside of your requested geographical area.

I've been to Myrtle beach many times (usually stay North Myrtle) and I would consider it very family friendly. I'm not sure what you read or who wrote it.

That said, I have friends who rent a house every year at Topsail and they love it there. If you think you'd like a house, check out VRBO.com

I have some family that vacation every year in the Outer Banks - specifically the town of Duck. They love it! We've been in Myrtle Beach twice and have really enjoyed ourselves. Some other family of mine have vacationed at Folly Beach and they loved that too.

St Augustine, Fl....the oldest city in the U.S.,just south of Jacksonville,historic, great beaches, family friendly!

I've had a few friends rent through VRBO.com (vacation rentals by owner). I think it would be perfect for your larger family. It's usually a furnished house with a full kitchen, etc. My friend just did one near Disney and it was in a gated community and had a swimming pool in the back yard. She said it was much cheaper than renting a hotel for a week--and much more spacious! Another friend did one in NYC. Check it out and let that dictate where you go:)