Our Five Days In Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach is South Carolina’s premier vacation destination. 60 miles of coastline make up Myrtle Beach’s Grand Strand. These 60 miles stretch across 9 communities (Pawleys Island, Litchfield Beach, Murrells Inlet, Garden City, Surfside, Myrtle Beach, Atlantic Beach, Little River, and North Myrtle Beach), each offering something different to visitors. Myrtle Beach, SC is the “Best Family Trip Destination” (TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals 2015), “Best Spring Break Destination” (USA Today 10 Best 2015), “Best Family Beach Destination In The US” (US News & World Report 2015), and “Top Beach Destination” (Trivago.com 2015).
Since I am from West Virginia, I vacationed to Myrtle Beach every summer. When my grandparents bought a condo here, our trips to the area became more frequent. In September, I had the opportunity to visit Myrtle Beach, SC for the blog and take my fiancé (Blake) with me for the first time. I could not wait to show him around!
Accommodations
Blake and I stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites Oceanfront Resort. We could not have been happier with our accommodations! Our room was spacious and very condo like. We had a large living room, kitchen and dining area, 2 bedrooms (one with bunk beds in addition to a queen sized bed), balcony with rocking chairs, and a bathroom with 2 sinks (a huge plus in my book).
The Hampton Inn is home to 227 rooms and suites with private balconies, a laundry facility, fitness center, spa, business center, outdoor children’s play area, free Wi-Fi, and 24 hour convenience store. The hotel provides free breakfast from 6-10AM every morning serving waffles, fruit, cereal, bagels, bacon, eggs, and sausage. If you are looking for a hotel with beach amenities, this is the place for you. In addition to beach access, the Hampton Inn has an outdoor heated pool, hot tub, indoor pool, toddler pool, and lazy river.
Thursday
Croissants Bistro & Bakery: Blake and I started our first day in Myrtle Beach, SC with a bang, as Croissants hosted us for breakfast. Our meal was phenomenal! I am still dreaming about those Dutch Chocolate Chip Pancakes.
Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center: We really enjoyed touring the museum. Some wax people even had props that you could put on to make your pictures more fun. I ended up liking the Mirror Maze, although I was nervous for it. Thrill seekers will enjoy the Entertainment Center’s new Outbreak zombie exhibit.
Ripley’s Aquarium: I love this smaller aquarium. The highlight for us was getting to see sharks up close. Ripley’s Aquarium has a new Glass Bottom Boat Adventure where guests can ride above the Dangerous Reef. It is the first and only in North America! Be sure to check out the Systems Control exhibit to learn how the Aquarium keeps the tanks clean. Fun fact, there are 1.4 million gallons of water in the Aquarium’s exhibits.
Wonderworks: This place was really cool! We definitely learned a lot by being at this mind amusement park. All of their exhibits are interactive and our favorites were the Hurricane Shack (feel 84 MPH winds) and Titanic water (guests see how long they can submerge their hand in water that is 28 degrees). Wonderworks also has a 6D Extreme Theater, Indoor Ropes Challenge, Laser Tag, and Xtreme 360 bike.
Liberty Brewery and Grill: Skip this Broadway At The Beach restaurant. We ate lunch here and it is nothing to write home about.
Flo’s Place: Although I grew up going to Murrells Inlet, I had never eaten at Flo’s Place. The service was not the best, but our food was great. We started with some killer Crab Dip and our views of the Murrells Inlet Marsh were awesome.
Friday
River City Cafe: We started our day with lunch at River City Cafe’s Barefoot Landing location. We had some killer burgers and enjoyed sitting outside on the patio. If you are a sweet tea drinker, River City Cafe’s is awesome!
Alligator Adventure: You can find this Myrtle Beach, SC attraction right beside Barefoot Landing. The Alligator Adventure (opened in 1995) sits on 15 acres of wetland and is home to 900 American Alligators. It is the “Reptile Capital of the World” and when you enter the park, it is easy to see why. Blake and I walked around the park and were surprised to also find Giant Tortoises, Red Kangaroos, a Reptile House, Serpentarium, and Chilean Flamingos. The Alligator Adventure is great for the whole family!
La Belle Amie Vineyard: The La Belle Amie Vineyard is a 15 minute drive from Barefoot Landing, and so worth the trip! Ms. Vicki welcomed us to the vineyard with open arms. After sampling the vineyard’s Twisted Sisters wine, we sat outside and enjoyed some live music. Blake and I left wishing that we lived closer to Myrtle Beach so that we could visit the La Belle Amie Vineyard regularly; it was that much fun!
The Melting Pot: Blake and I had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, The Melting Pot. We have been to Melting Pots across the United States and I think that this is the best location.
Calvin Gilmore Theater: We spent our evening seeing the Calvin Gilmore Theater’s Time Warp show and we loved it! With musical hits from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, everybody in the audience was singing along. The costumes were very cool and we liked the use of technology throughout the show. The Calvin Gilmore Theater is absolutely beautiful and has been producing Myrtle Beach’s #1 shows for 30 years. Our seats were spacious, the staff was very helpful, and there was even a concession stand. We had a great time!
Saturday
ART Burger Sushi Bar: Blake and I had lunch at this beautiful restaurant in Downtown Myrtle Beach. Their menu is full of crazy concepts that end up being delicious (like my Fried Chicken Roll). ART Burger Sushi Bar makes liquid nitrogen cocktails and has an awesome outdoor patio. Definitely check this one out!
Boardwalk: Downtown Myrtle Beach, SC is home to a 1.2 mile Boardwalk full of restaurants, shops, and arcades. Walk along the ocean from the 2nd Avenue Pier to the 14th Avenue Pier. Blake and I spent hours playing in an old style arcade. We had a blast!
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: Prepare to question everything that you see here. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Odditorium is very interesting and full of fun facts. I can see why people visit year after year. Blake and I enjoyed walking around looking at all of the artifacts. Be sure to check out the life size Iron Man and shrunken heads.
Myrtle Beach Skywheel: This newer Myrtle Beach attraction is a must! Take an 8-10 minute ride in air conditioned pods and see amazing views of Myrtle. I was a little scared being so high in the air, but after the first go around I go used to it. I got some great pictures of the area which made it worth it for me.
Burro Loco: This is a popular Mexican restaurant in the area and I am not really sure why. Our dinner was not good and our service was terrible.
Sunday
Salt Marsh Tour with Black River Outdoors: This was my activity during our trip. Blake and I opted for a 2 hour kayak tour of the Murrells Inlet Salt Marsh. It was the perfect amount of time and our guide, Paul, kept us entertained the whole time. Life jackets and kayak equipment are provided; all you need to bring are appropriate clothes, sunscreen, and water shoes. Since our tour began in the morning, our kayaking was very peaceful and it was not too hot outside. We had a great experience and I cannot recommend kayaking with Black River Outdoors enough!
Huntington Beach State Park: After kayaking, we drove around the Huntington Beach State Park. The sites here are beautiful! Whether you are out walking around or just driving through, the Huntington Beach State Park is worth a visit. Note that the park is dog friendly.
The Wicked Tuna: Blake and I had an awesome lunch at The Wicked Tuna, located on the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk. Their food and ocean views cannot be beat. From sushi to seafood and steak, there is truly something for everyone at The Wicked Tuna.
Garden City Pier: I grew up going to the Garden City Pier, so I was thrilled to take Blake. Garden City is a smaller beach town, so the Pier is not overrun with people. They have an arcade, ice cream shop, and live music.
Crabby Mike’s: Since we were at the beach, Blake and I decided to have a classic seafood buffet for dinner. We chose Crabby Mike’s because the exterior is adorable. Although I am not a fan of buffets, I enjoyed our dinner and loved the layout of Crabby Mike’s.
Shipwreck Island Adventure Golf: After dinner, we played putt-putt at Shipwreck Island Adventure Golf. The blue water and hole that is played on a boat made me pick this course. Although Blake beat me, we had a lot of fun.
Monday
Duplin Winery: On our last day in Myrtle, Blake and I went to the Duplin Winery in North Myrtle Beach. Mr. Jonathan took us on a tour of the facility and I even got to help with the bottling process. It was so cool! Afterwards, we participated in a wine tasting. We enjoyed many of the Duplin Wines that we sampled and the crackers and dip provided (opt for the Deluxe tasting). We had an absolute blast and definitely recommend stopping by while in town. It is sure to be a good time!
Captain Hook’s Adventure Golf: Our last stop in Myrtle Beach, SC was to Captain Hook’s Adventure Golf for a putt-putt rematch. We loved following along with the Peter Pan story thought the course. Unfortunately for me, Blake won this time, too, but we thoroughly enjoyed playing here.
Blake and I had a blast visiting Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There are lots of areas to explore and activities for everyone. I loved getting to take Blake to a place where I spent a lot of time as a child. Myrtle Beach has definitely grown over the years, only making it more popular. Make Myrtle Beach, SC your next vacation destination!
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I want to thank the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and CVB for making this trip possible. Although we were given a media pass, all opinions are unbiased and my own.
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Taylor Pittman wrote this article.
Check out Taylor’s Myrtle Beach, SC posts from this trip:
Croissants Bistro & Bakery River City Cafe La Belle Amie Vineyard
ART Burger Sushi Bar The Wicked Tuna Duplin Winery
Autism Friendly Surfside Beach
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