Take It Easy This Holiday Season

How many movies have been made about family get togethers at Christmas? All include a plot filled with stress.

This year, grab the family and de-stress in a beach community. Whether it's Myrtle Beach in SC or North Carolina destinations like Carolina Beach, Kure Beach or Wrightsville Beach, the vibe will be laid back, the free activities will be many, and the cost will be a bargain. It's winter at the beach and, as the temperatures go down, so do the prices.

Spacious condos can be had for a bargain and Mom won't feel she has to pick up after everyone and keep the house neat in case some random holiday guests drop in.

Dining is as simple as picking a restaurant. In Myrtle Beach alone there are over 1400 to chose from. Have everyone pitch in and cook a simple meal. Or order pizza.

Bring along the grands, the cousins and friends. Rent a great big beach house.

Take in the salt air. Watch the waves crash the shore. Look for shells during the day. Or play a round of golf at winter's bargain-basement prices.

The Carolina beaches are within a day's drive of most major cities in the Northeast or Midwest But they're a world away from the hectic pace of life in the city, the stress of hosting crowds of people in your home, and the need to keep that driveway shoveled.

Bring the family to the beach for just one holiday season and it just might become a family tradition.