My Vacation to Myrtle Beach

Two years ago, my boyfriend and I visited Myrtle Beach, SC. We went in late September, which is out of season and offers great hotel rates and fewer people, but the weather is just as beautiful! We had temperatures in the mid to upper 80's and the water temperature was very warm! We had a great vacation and we will definitely be going back there sometime soon! Here's a guide to what our vacation looked like.

How Did We Get There?

We decided that driving there would be cheaper, and since we were sort of on a budget that worked for us. We made the over 1,000 mile drive from Central PA to Myrtle Beach, SC in 11 hours. We took his truck, so we didn't get the best gas mileage, but my car was too small for all of our stuff so we had to! Along with the normals; clothing, boogie boards, etc., we took along a case of bottled water, sandwich stuff, snacks, and cereal. That way, we could eat lunch in the room instead of going out and buying lunch. We could also snack during the day because when you're out on the beach, you work up an appetite when you're riding waves and boogie boarding!

Where Did We Stay?

We did some research and found a great deal on a condo right on the beach! We even got an oceanfront room! The hotel we stayed in was called Monterey Bay Suites and is located right on the beach and offers ocean front rooms. We only paid $89 a night during the week and then $109 on the weekend. You can't find a better deal than this when booking an ocean front room in a condo. When we arrived, we were taken back by the tight parking garage. There was literally only enough room for the truck to fit with no room for error! That was fiasco all in itself! It took us forever just to get to the 5th floor! The staff was very nice, respectful, and helpful in answering all of our questions. We even got into our room early.

The hotel offered a free continental breakfast which was absolutely great! They had pancakes, waffles, cereal, and muffins daily. They also had eggs and fresh fuit. This is always a great option to look for when choosing a hotel. We were able to go down each morning for breakfast, eat, and then leave! There was no mess to clean up and no bill to pay for!

The hotel also offered 2 pools and hot tubs. One of the pools is on the bottom floor while the other one is up near the top of the hotel (see 2nd picture). It was really neat becaus the hotel was cut out in the middle and the remaining few floors went up alongside the pool. It was an outdoor pool and was pretty secluded. It was really nice to go up there at night to see the stars while you swam.

I was very satisfied with our hotel choice, and if we'd ever go back I would definitely stay there again. I would also recommend the hotel to anyone wanting to stay in Myrtle Beach.

Where Did We Eat?

The options for food down there are very broad and the amount of restaurants are endless. There's food to please everyone's diverse palate. They offer everything from seafood to steak, fast food to fine dining. Eating on a budget? There's restaurants there to leave you satisfied without hurting your wallet.

We chose 4 different restaurants for the 4 nights we were there. I had been to Myrtle Beach when I was younger, and remembered eating at Captain George's Seafood Restaurant. I remembered that it was spectacular and had a wide variety of seafood. I love seafood and so doe my boyfriend, so we decided to eat there the first night. Here's the scoop on the restaurant.

Captain George's Seafood Restaurant
This is an all you can eat seafood buffet with dozens and dozens of seafood items on the menu. The offer clams, crab legs, and different types of fish. The also offer a wide variety of other foods to choose from for the non-seafood lover. Pizza, french fries, and chicken are among some of the other items to choose from. When your stomachs are full, go take a glance at the dessert area, offering cakes, pies, cookies, and everyone's favorite: ice cream! You'll be sure to leave happy and satisfied just like we did when we ate here!

The next night, we decided to eat some more seafood and went to Broadway at the Beach to Joe's Crab Shack. They had a great menu of seafood platters as well as other foods for those without the seafood tastebuds.

Joe's Crab Shack
Located at Broadway at the Beach, Joe's Crab Shack is a great place to go for the seafood or non-seafood lover. The location of the restaurant was ideal, overlooking the water at Broadway at the Beach. The conditions were perfect for us to sit outside on the deck and enjoy the good food, sunset, and people around us. The staff was very nice, and our waitress was actually raised 50 miles from where we live! We had a great night talking to her and enjoying the food and surroundings.

The next night we decided to go for an all you can eat seafood buffet again. We looked through the visitors guide and found a restaurant called Giant Crab. We figured to give it a try and see if it was good!

Giant Crab Restaurant
When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was that the atmosphere was more family-like than Captain George's. It was very relaxed and had a lot of chatter. The menu was very similar to Captain George's, offering seafood and non-seafood. You could also top off the meal with ice cream, cakes, or cookies from their dessert bar. What more could you ask for? It was a great place to go for families and couples alike, as you will definitely be please with the menu!

The last night, we went back to Broadway at the Beach and went to one of their restaurants. It wasn't a chain restaurant or all you can eat, but rather just a regular restaurant serving different types of foods. It was called Key West Grill.

Key West Grill
This restaurant was an OK place to eat, but not somewhere we would need to go back to. It was almost our most expensive meal, it wasn't all that impressive, and we got more and better food at the other restaurants for only a few dollars more. It was an experience and we know we don't have to eat there again!

What Attractions Did We Visit?

As I stated before, we stayed for 4 nights at Myrtle Beach. 2 of the nights we went to Broadway at the Beach, one night we went to Barefoot Landing, and another night we went to Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson before supper and then came back after supper and walked on the beach. Here's what to expect from each place.

Broadway at the Beach
This was a great place to go to. There were plenty of shops and attractions to see. They have many "beachy" shops and shops that have everyday items and clothing in as well. There's places for food and dessert, and there's even a dinner cruise that sets off and sails around the broadway while you eat! It's also on a boardwalk which is really neat! At night, everything is lit up for your enjoyment. It's really something to see!

Barefoot Landing
Barefoot Landing is for the shopper in us all. It's made up of many different shops including Ron Jon Surf Shop. You can find lunch or supper while there, and even grab a bite for dessert. Like animals? There's swans and there was even a lion exhibit the last time we were there! There's plenty for eveyone to experience when visiting Barefoot Landing.

Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson
Basically all Harley Davidson shops are the same, and this one was no different. They offered a variety of Myrtle Beach Harley clothing, as well as the general knick knacks and accessories offered by Harley Davidson. The staff was very friendly and made it a great trip there!

All in all, our trip to Myrtle Beach was fantastic! We stayed at a wonderful hotel with an oceanfront room, ate at great restaurants, and saw some interesting nightlife. We also enjoyed our walks on the clean beach, in the morning and at night, and were happy with all of the nice people we met. I would recommend visiting Myrtle Beach to anyone, especially if they're planning on staying in Monterey Bay Suites. Food and activity choices are very widespread and will please anyone who ventures out and needs to make that choice. Hope this helps you to make your vacation planning a little easier! Have fun!

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