Myrtle Beach South Carolina a Great Vacation Spot

Just returned from a great vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. With all the fears about flying and terrorism how about a great vacation right here in North America. It was reasonably priced and as a hub the airfares and hotel rooms are reasonable. The beaches are relatively clean and there is almost every vacation activity available to you that you could possibly want. As with any great vacation spot you just have to know when to travel there to get the best bargains.

We went the week before Labor Day Weekend. We arrived that Sunday and departed on that Thursday prior to the last big summer weekend. When researching hotels along the coastline we were able to stay in a southern location that wasn't more than 15 minutes from "Broadway On the Beach" which was a "shopping center/restaurant" hub full of restaurants and activities that we wanted to be near. Going to Margaritaville was on our list of things to do and it's located there. We also spent an afternoon at the Aquarium. If you are a native New Yorker and have been to the Aquarium at Coney Island most other aquariums don't compare. The two exceptions might be Mystic in Connecticut or the one at the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas. So we weren't expecting much. To our surprise they had a good show in one of the tanks and the tank with a moving sidewalk that allows you to walk under the tank and see the sharks and sea animals from below.

Also located at "Broadway On the Beach" which by the way is no where near the beach, was the Hard Rock Cafe. As a traveler I like to check out Hard Rocks, Planet Hollywoods and other places that are pretty consistent worldwide when I travel. Sometimes we eat at them and sometimes we just explore. It's always interesting and a walk around the joint is free. This Hard Rock is shaped like a pyramid with two huge sphinx right at the front door. It looks absolutely fabulous. Inside as always they have the best memorabilia. There was a picture of Stevie Nicks pre Fleetwood Mac. And a host of other items from a variety of different artists including the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson.

Walking through the square we passed a stage where they offered free concerts a few nights a week. So we just had to bring our beach chairs to enjoy jazz one night and rock and roll another. They also had free fireworks one night in the manmade lake in the middle of the plaza. Since it's South Carolina the "mall" was not enclosed. I usually prefer indoor window shopping but since they have never seen 12 feet of snow like Upstate NY did more than once last winter they don't worry about temperature fluctuation. It was almost 100 degrees one day while we were there so we ducked into a restaurant we found offering Jamaican beer for $3.

Key West Grill turned out to be our place for the length of our stay. My s/o asked about this elusive she crab soup he had in Charleston five years or so previously and guess what was on the menu. We had promised a friend we would meet her for dinner at Margaritaville later so we just had an appetizer with our beers and the bartender brings us a cup of soup on the house to taste. He became our vacation buddy and that became our vacation spot to eat. They had great appetizers and a $14.95 menu for two before 5pm. Add the she crab soup and the great service and we were hooked.

We would be remiss not to say how great the food and the atmosphere is at Margaritaville. A shout out to my two favorite servers and our waitress. The live music was fabulous and it had a great family type atmosphere. Having been to the one in Montego Bay in Jamaica West Indies this site was more family orientated. We enjoyed the Jerk Salmon which came highly recommended. You feel transported to the islands while you are inside. They also have other attractions and activities going on while you are there. You can call ahead for special seating in the interior and posterior (port and bow) of the ships located inside the restaurant.

I can't forget to mention that there are walkways crossing over to the opposite side of the mall. They pass over the lake located in the center. They have vending machines, like bubble gum machines and you can purchase fish food. The sign lists at least a dozen different fish in the lake. They were the biggest fish I have ever seen outside of an aquarium. I could recognize the carp, koi, sea bass and catfish. Some of them had to weigh over 50lbs. We got to feed them for fifty cents and that was one of the highlights of the trip. Every time you walk over the cross walk you had to stop and feed them and it was all everyone was talking about. As they say the simplest things in life can often be the greatest.

I work part time as a travel agent so I refuse to travel unless it's on a budget. I want the most "bang for my buck" so I have learned a few steps to help me get more for my money. Whenever I get where I am going I immediately start to pick up the local travel guides in restaurants and on the way to South Carolina we passed a million visitor welcome sites. Those usually are pushing a 90 minute tour of a vacation home. It's worth your time when you negotiate for free tickets to attractions, theater, plays, and other local exhibits. You can also go online prior to your trip and print out coupons and places of interests prior to getting on the road.

Out of the books we glean for the restaurants and attractions we like and are interested in. Buy one get one free buffet coupons, a discount for the aquarium, $10 off my Hard Rock store purchase and a free item at the souvenir shop are just some of the discounts I used. We forgot our ID for the 90 minute spiel but they still gave us a discount coupon good for 50% off their hotel chain that's good for one year (Marriott). We can use it at any time at any of their properties.

Having stayed in Myrtle Beach before off of the boardwalk we decided to enjoy a place right on the beach. I selected oceanview over oceanfront (can mean a difference of up to $100 in your pricing) and at the Seamist where we stayed we were not disappointed. Every room had a balcony and we sat out there daily. The package we purchased included two breakfast coupons, two $15 off off dinner coupons, two drink coupons, a $20 gift card for the gift shop and two waterpark coupons. The theme at alot of the hotels seems to be to keep you on site so they provide you with almost everything that you are going to need. Most of them also offer great family packages so if you are traveling with the kids you can have a great vacation for a decent price. They even had free movie night in their theater with a movie that was less than 6 months old. Also one of the restaurants had a kid themed night with clowns and face painting, noise and excitement if that's what you were looking for.

Myrtle Beach boasts over 465 hotels. We saw places advertising rooms for $39 a night. So it all depends on what your needs are. You can just rent a room with the bare minimals and stay on the beach and outside on the go all day. Or you can get an efficiency like we did with a full refrigerator, full stove, sink, microwave, free wifi, table for four, two beds and a balcony with a view for under $100 per night ($25 per person with 4 in a room). Then of course there are the luxury resorts for those who just don't care about the price. Did find out that the room we rented can be rented during the off season for the same price, for an entire month for the same price as 5 nights low season (that's $500 for four weeks). That room includes daily maid services.  We may have to go back to see if you truly only need a sweater in the evenings in December or later in the year. Right after storm season of course.

A vacation should be an adventure but it should also be a place and time that allows you to recuperate from the daily grind of life. It shouldn't break the bank or be so expensive that you worry about paying for it the entire time you are supposed to be enjoying yourself. In South Carolina we enjoyed southern hospitality and some of the best food. We met a lot of people who moved there from New York and encouraged us to consider moving down to a warmer friendlier climate.

You know that you are truly relaxed and comfortable when you start to think, "I could live here."