Rising up, my household traveled to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for one week each summer season. It was the quintessential household trip: solar, sand, surf, a lot of meals, and too many issues to do to ever get bored. However you understand how it goes — I obtained older, moved away, had youngsters of my very own, and life simply sort of took over. So, many years after my final go to, I not too long ago headed again to North Myrtle to see if it nonetheless holds up as a traditional annual journey vacation spot.
Fortunately, I wasn’t upset. In reality, North Myrtle overdelivered in two key areas: nostalgia and, maybe most significantly, finances.
As a result of whereas I’ve all the time beloved the seashore, many seashore holidays at present don’t essentially seem like they did once we had been youngsters. Between reserving overpriced resorts and spending means too lengthy trying to find one sq. foot of sand that isn’t overcrowded, so many locations simply really feel like they fail to ship on the hype. They really feel like work, which is the very last thing you need on vacay.
North Myrtle is the antithesis of that.
Nestled just some miles north of its louder cousin, South Myrtle (IYKYK), this Coastal Carolina city feels how summer season used to really feel: sluggish, candy, a bit of retro. It has all of the makings of a traditional coastal escape, from diners with neon indicators and all-you-can-eat seafood eating places to miles upon miles of sentimental, sandy seashores. Nevertheless it isn’t a very sleepy seashore city, both, due to a powerful array of leisure choices.
The underside line is, it’s not making an attempt to be the fanciest seashore on the East Coast. It’s making an attempt to be your loved ones’s favourite seashore. So, when you’re searching for a trip that feels equal components nostalgic and new — and that gained’t break the financial institution — it is perhaps time to plan a visit to North Myrtle Seaside.
The place to Keep in North Myrtle Seaside
You’ve obtained loads of choices right here, so your greatest wager is to do a little analysis based mostly on what your group is hoping to get out of your trip. Is an ocean view vital to you? How about lodge facilities like a continental breakfast? Lodging in North Myrtle embody seashore homes, condos, resorts, motels, motels, campgrounds, and RV parks. So, really, there’s one thing for everybody.
The place We Stayed in North Myrtle Seaside
Our residence base throughout our go to was the Bahama Sands Luxury Condominiums. These models is probably not essentially the most up to date within the space, however you get loads of bang in your buck: a number of rooms and loos within the suite, a kitchen, an oceanfront balcony, a personal parking storage, and a pool and scorching tub space tucked simply off the seashore boardwalk.
Plus, the proximity to the very best of North Myrtle (Barefoot Touchdown was so shut!) can’t be beat.
What to Do in North Myrtle Seaside
The obvious reply right here, in fact, is to hit the seashore. You may simply construct a super-budget-friendly household trip by planning your days round being in, on, or close to the ocean. However past the sand and solar, North Myrtle presents sights and actions for each curiosity and age.
For the outdoorsy amongst us, there’s kayaking, fishing, and horseback using. Received a sports activities lover within the household? The realm is a big golf vacation spot (and there’s loads of putt-putt for the remainder of us). Thrill seekers can velocity round on a jet boat or fly excessive whereas parasailing, and your entire household can get in on the enjoyable at arcades, dwell music venues, or dinner exhibits.
And when you’re touring with grandparents who can present child protection or on a grown-up journey, there’s a reasonably vibrant nightlife scene (Home of Blues was hopping each single night time we had been there).
What We Did in North Myrtle Seaside
Seaside, Seaside, Seaside
One thing new I discovered on this go to was that North Myrtle Beach consists of five well-known beaches: Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive Seaside (or O-D, if you wish to sound like an area), Crescent Seaside, Windy Hill Seaside, and Atlantic Seaside. Every space has its personal distinctive vibe, so I extremely advocate doing a bit of beach-hopping once you’re on the town.
Kayak to Waties Island
If you happen to solely e-book one tour whilst you’re in North Myrtle Seaside, make it the Waties Island Eco Tour and Shelling Journey with J&L Kayaking. It’s two and a half hours of pure Lowcountry magic, and I’m not exaggerating after I inform you I’ve thought of it day by day since I obtained residence.
We paddled via a glassy inlet, recognizing egrets and herons, whereas following our information till the inlet opened up right into a three-mile stretch of undeveloped seashore often known as Waties Island — South Carolina’s northernmost barrier island. We walked the shoreline and pocketed a couple of excellent shells earlier than begrudgingly heading again.
Your entire expertise was so pristine and peaceable; I might advocate it to anybody. We hadn’t kayaked in, like, 15 years earlier than this journey, and we fared positive. Simply be sure to put on a hat and produce sunscreen.
Take a Nature Stroll
I can’t inform if that is some form of native secret they’re making an attempt to maintain below wraps, however North Myrtle Seaside has some really beautiful pure surroundings past simply the seashore. At Heritage Shores Nature Preserve, we took a simple one-mile stroll via seven acres of marshland with elevated boardwalks, interpretive indicators, and lookout factors that assist you to recognize how particular this ecosystem is.
See a Present
We selected to see ICONIC, a new show at The Alabama Theatre at Barefoot Touchdown. Consider it as, like, child Vegas: Cirque du Soleil meets comedy present meets live performance spectacle meets beach-town nostalgia, however you will get tickets for below $50 an individual. When you’ve got tweens or teenagers, you may get a couple of eye-rolls, but it surely’s excellent for a multigenerational journey with grandparents and little ones. They’ve a snack bar the place you will get popcorn and drinks for a steal to get pleasure from in the course of the present, too.
Tip: Take a look at the plaques within the corridor to be taught extra about every performer.
Get Wild at Alligator Journey
Alligator Adventure at Barefoot Landing is form of a ceremony of passage for anybody visiting North Myrtle, particularly when you’re visiting from someplace that doesn’t have these reptiles within the wild. You’ll see a lot of alligators (I imply, proper?), however this out of doors park is full of every part from totally different croc species to unique birds and extra. Stick round to observe the feeding — it’ll thrill the entire fam.
Sail Into the Sundown on a Dolphin Cruise
We boarded a catamaran with Southern Shores Cruises for a two-hour dolphin-watching journey alongside the Intracoastal Waterway and felt virtually instantly that our whole nervous methods had been being regulated. You could not really see any dolphins — the wind was a bit of too sturdy throughout our go to for that — however you’ll undoubtedly see marine birds, fish leaping, and dusky skies that make for the proper image backdrop.
Be taught to Shag (or Simply Watch)
The shag is South Carolina’s official state dance, and North Myrtle Seaside is the “Dwelling of the Shag,” so it’s not stunning this dance custom is alive and properly within the space. Fat Harold’s Beach Club on Important Road is residence to the Ocean Drive Shag Membership, that means you’re certain to see some shaggers when you cease by — and, in our expertise, loads of individuals are blissful to take you for a spin across the dance ground to show you.
The place to Eat in North Myrtle Seaside
Belief me after I say you’ll eat good. We barely scratched the floor of all of the native eating scene has to supply, however what we did style didn’t allow us to down.
The place We Ate in North Myrtle Seaside
- Blueberry’s Grill at Barefoot Landing: This spot got here extremely advisable by our kayaking tour information, and I’m so glad we determined to comply with via and test it out. Suppose Southern consolation meals with a artistic twist, like Florentine broccolini benedicts and crab cake sandwiches. Inside feels cozy and trendy, like one thing out of Joanna Gaines’ playbook, and I swear I might drive again proper now for one more serving of their blueberry hushpuppies.
- Hoskins Restaurant: This Important Road staple has been round since 1948 for good motive: It’s consolation meals at its most genuine. Locals actually line up across the block for the seafood platters, fried rooster, and each day specials served “meat-and-three” type. Please do your self a favor and don’t skip out on considered one of their handmade cream pies.
- Souffles: The morning of our nature hike and kayaking tour, we knew we’d want a hearty breakfast that felt mild and wholesome sufficient to not drag us down. So, Souffles it was. We picked the beignets (hey, we had been carb-loading) and a “flock your means,” aka build-your-own, omelet that got here loaded with veggies.
- Nacho Hippo: File this below unintentional finds — we stumbled upon this spot and loaded up on their Tree Hugger Nachos and candy tea. These nachos had been next-level with piles of contemporary greens for simply $14. We cut up them and, between the portion dimension and the free limitless refills of chips and salsa, we had sufficient for a full to-go field.
- Melt on Main: Soften is a tiny little ice cream store proper on Important Road, serving house-made ice cream churned each day. The road exterior the door just about tells you every part you should know, however I’ll say this too: We had lavender honey and pumpkin roll, they usually had been each A++.
- Cooper’s Tavern: That is really positioned in Little River, only a quick drive from North Myrtle. Nonetheless, a number of NMB locals advised us it was a favourite spot, so we needed to test it out. We ordered the fried mac and cheese (crisp on the surface, completely gooey inside) and the mahi bites, which had been contemporary and flaky. The restaurant’s namesake, Cooper, is a canine, so every part inside is dog-themed, with footage of pups everywhere in the partitions. It’s perfection, and undoubtedly the sort of spot locals hang around.
Why You’ll Love North Myrtle Seaside
Fingers down, North Myrtle Seaside was one of the vital inexpensive trip locations I’ve traveled to in years, but it surely by no means felt like we had been lacking out on something. We discovered easy pleasures and top-tier leisure. It simply has the sort of easygoing rhythm that’s laborious to come back by today. It’s the sort of place you go to to breathe and reboot. To eat one thing fried and scrumptious after a protracted day on the water. To chortle till your abdomen hurts whereas taking part in board video games on a glass-top seashore home desk.
In different phrases, it’s the very best sort of seashore trip: unpretentious and made for recollections.
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