Travel Q&A: Exploring the East Coast with elderly parents, dog.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Q. I would like to plan a motor trip to the Carolinas. My parents, who are in their 70s, and my dog will be traveling with me. My dog is well-behaved and has been accepted at motels and hotels. However, we are interested in renting a cottage or home where we would have kitchen facilities, located near an area where we could do some sightseeing.

We are thinking in terms of heading north along the coast from Florida. Do you know of any such accommodations? _ D.W., Pembroke Pines, Fla.

A. Heading up the coast, I picked out three areas that should have plenty of vacation rentals, especially now that summer has ended.

Starting in Georgia, three barrier islands _ Jekyll, Sea and St. Simon islands _ known as the Golden Isles, and Brunswick on the mainland have plenty to keep you busy, such as the tourable millionaire "cottages" on Jekyll. Contact the Brunswick-Golden Isles Visitors Bureau, 800-933-2627. If you prefer an inland stay, contact the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, P.O. Box 1776, Atlanta, GA 30301, 800-847-4842, for a free state guidebook and map. Georgia also has nice state parks with cabins and/or lodges: For parks information and reservations, call 800-864-7275.

In South Carolina, the 60-mile Grand Strand anchored by Myrtle Beach is a popular summer resort and in winter attracts northerners who come to spend a month or more in the sun at low rates. There are many musical theaters with Nashville-style shows, dozens of golf courses and scads of restaurants and discount shopping. The Grand Strand also includes Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island. Contact Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, 800-356-3016, or the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, 803-734-0122.

In North Carolina, the Outer Banks are a long, narrow strip of beautiful barrier islands where man first flew a powered airplane at Kill Devil Hills and the first English colony was established on Roanoke Island. You're not likely to find as many visitors here in fall as at the other two suggestions, but I think it would be a treat to stay in a beachfront cottage and watch the waves roll in. There are several rental agencies: Contact Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1757, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948, call 252-441-8144; or the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Division, 800-847-4862.

Web sites were not too satisfactory. Tourstates.com (the Web site of the National Council of State Tourism Directors) provides access to information on all states.