Try Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC - great unit, orientation, and facility. Raleigh and Chapel Hill are a stone's throw and are good places to raise a family with exceptional schools. Not exactly near the coast, but you can get to the beach in 3 hours to the east or to the mountains 3 hours to the west.
I started nursing school at 49 - finished at 52. Never too old! As a matter of fact, the average age in my class was 34 with many of us in my age group. We had all raised our children or had unsatisfactory first careers and sought to fulfill a lifelong dream. Incidentally, we "old" ones did the best in class! Go for it - you'll be glad you did!