Kat’s Myrtle Beach Vacation Recap

I just returned from a family vacation from Myrtle Beach and I have some serious thoughts abut it.

Shawn and I took our 3 girls on our first big vacation. Everyone did great on the 12+ hour roadtrip there and back. The condo was excellent. The beach was beautiful and the waves were perfect for the boogieboards we packed with us. This was our first ever experience at Myrtle Beach and it was a little less than spectacular. Again, the beach was great and we saw some cool things and ate some good food, but comparing it to the vacation that Shawn and I took to Florida, Myrtle Beach was just not a good fit for us.

Everything was so spread out. A lot of the attractions and places we wanted to eat were 20-30 minute drives. Broadway at the Beach (home of the Hard Rock Cafe) wasn't even at the beach. It is a 220 acre complex full of things to do and see and places to spend lots and lots of money. The evening fireworks were cool, but it was just too touristy for our taste.

Barefoot Landing was another place we visited. It's where we ate at Dick's Last Resort. The restaurant was a ton of fun and a great experience full of lots of laughter, but again, no where near the ocean.

We did make it down to the Boardwalk at Myrtle Beach. We rode the Skywheel. That was a pretty cool experience too although, if you're going to do it, I would recommend riding during the day. I think the view would be better. The Boardwalk was it's own special beast. There was a great deal of debauchery on the strip, including people hanging out of car windows as they went down the road. The gift shops offered plenty of Myrtle Beach wear along with "tobacco" paraphernalia and many were advertising "CBD edibles" - because nothing says "family vacation" like pipes & edibles.

One of the highlights of the trip for me, was going on a sunset dolphin cruise. We boarded a boat, traveled through the intercoastal waterway and out into the Atlantic Ocean where we saw dolphins swimming in their natural habitat. It was beautiful and the first time I had ever been on a boat on the ocean.

All and all, we had a good time, but it definitely was not what we were expecting. I think in the future we'll stick with Florida for our beach destination.