Searching for Myrtle Beach threads while planning my trip, I noticed that it doesn't get enough attention. Here's my contribution:
It all started with $50 pp vouchers Spirit awarded us with. I figured we’d use it during Chanuka vacation for a one day getaway. Since we were doing just one day, I needed someplace close (we’re in NY) but I also wanted to tap into a bit of sunshine. Myrtle Beach fit the bill. Turns out, some December dates were blackout dates for the vouchers. However, tickets were $40-50 round trip a couple of weeks out, and it was tempting enough of a deal even without the vouchers.
My only concern with the tickets was that us still being a couple of weeks away from D day, I wasn’t sure how the weather would play out. Being that we were going for only 1 day, I didn’t want to risk getting hit by a storm and being stuck doing indoor activities. (I felt somewhat vindicated later on, when a storm ripped through MB 2 days before our trip, enroute from Florida to Maine, with MB being hit by extremely heavy rains.) The main attraction for us was the off-season beach. By the time we were close enough to Chanuka for me to feel comfortable with the weather reports, ticket prices had shot up. We ended up waiting until 2 days before our trip to decide on the lucky day so that we could choose the sunniest predicted day of Chanuka.
We left early evening, drove through a deserted DC at midnight to see some landmarks, sighted our first snow of the season in North Carolina’s welcome center, and made it to Chabad of Myrtle Beach at 7:30am-just in time for Shacharis.
Right after davening we met a glorious sun on the nearly deserted boardwalk, where we simply enjoyed strolling on the beach. Being that it was off season, we had no issue finding parking, but everything close to the beach was metered.
Our next stop was Warbird Park, where we met some veterans and a handful of decommissioned Air Force aircraft. My kids enjoyed the fact that they were next to real Air Force aircraft, but they did not want to do any reading next to the exhibits, and 5 minutes was more than enough for them. They were more interested in the adjacent airport (MYR) where they were able to get super close to the runway and watch the action.
After that, we went for a helicopter ride. I hadn’t been able to find any outlets that offered reservations, so we simply followed signage to an office near a landing pad right near MYR. I was curious about airspace restrictions (MYR is a tiny airport, but it's international), but the noise of the copter drove away the opportunity for meaningful conversation. In the image below you can see a barbed wire fence. That's all that separates the few feet between the airport and the landing pad.
Trips started at $20pp for 5 minutes, and went up in price according to the duration of the trip. The signage only gives the number $20, of course, neglecting to mention surcharges, but it was still comparatively cheap. I love commercial flying, but I did not feel very safe in the copter. I’m not sure if it was that particular ‘bird’ or the fact that I was seated next to the pilot. As much as I enjoyed the view, I couldn’t wait for it to land. There were many twists and turns, and I didn’t have anything to hold onto. My kids behind me did want to stay up in the air for longer, so either the backseats feel more secure, or they are braver. Not sure.
Then, we headed back to the beach. Between Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach State Park, online reviewers gave Huntington preference. Looking at images on Google, though, I didn’t see much of a difference and we chose Myrtle Beach State Park which was closer. Perhaps during a busy season, Huntington might be a bit quieter, but that’s just a guess based on reviews I read. For our purposes, of simply enjoying the beach and the sand and the shells, I think we would’ve been just as happy staying on the boardwalk.
After a couple of hours on the beach, it was pretty late in the day and chilly, and we could do just one more stop. We had been to Niagra’s ferris wheel a couple of month’s prior, so although MB Sky Wheel is a bit taller, it didn’t hold that much of an allure. I had wanted to do mini-golfing, of which there are plenty options, and which would be a first for my kids, but we were short on time so we went to The Track, which features a 3 story elevated go kart track. The place was deserted, and my kids enjoyed ‘owning’ the place. I didn’t find it that exciting, but my teenagers vote it 5 star.
I had really wanted to stop by Beach Hobbies, but they close at 6pm, and we missed it. We joined the Chabad Chanuka parade for a bit, and then went to a super cheap hotel, Gazebo Inn, I had booked to light Chanuka candles and warm up our food. At that price, I knew it wasn’t ritzy, but with a 3 star rating, I wasn’t expecting it to be so run down. The only redeeming factor was that there was a balcony overlooking the beach. And that the fire alarm didn’t go off from our Chanuka candles.
Although I hadn’t wanted to use the beds, we were too exhausted to drive home in such a state, and we ended up catching a couple of hours of sleep before heading back home shortly after midnight. In retrospect, driving 2 consecutive nights really wasn’t safe. Though I love the empty roads at night, I regret not staying overnight (in an upgraded hotel), enjoying some more of the beach in the morning, and then driving home during the day. There’s always next time!
