Fell in love with South Carolina, the “Palmetto State”: Our trip notes and observations…

 

Murrells Inlet, SC (morning view of the golf course)

When my wife and I booked our 3 months long stay via AirBnB to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we were stoked.  It had been 18 years since our last visit to Myrtle Beach, and we had always talked about wanting to go back there again.  When the opportunity came up to book this stay, we jumped at the chance.  

Even though this particular rental was over our normal monthly budget of around $1,000 - $1,200 at $1430 per month, we couldn’t pass up the chance to stay at a spacious 3 bedroom/2 bathroom condo located within a beautiful golf community.  Even after we booked the stay, we weren’t sure the booking would stay that way, as we had read reviews of the property, where some reservations were cancelled at the last minute.

We didn’t get our hopes up until it got to the month of November, one month prior to our scheduled stay.  We were ecstatic when the rental didn’t cancel our reservation at the last minute.  We definitely didn’t want to have to go through the search for a rental again, so close to our departure date…

As usual, we got our belongings prepared for the 3 months stay few days prior to December 1st, our departure date.  We got our winter clothes ready with 2 coats, boots, plenty of sweaters, and loungewear.  We prepared toiletries, our own bedsheets/pillowcases, Toby’s (our Pomeranian) stuff, and provisions like instant noodles, rice, and potstickers (I certainly don’t like going hungry!).

We left at around 7 a.m. from my parent’s home in New York City, taking the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), Williamsburg Bridge, then to New Jersey, via Holland Tunnel.  We were lucky to not hit much traffic on our way.

After filling up on gas right over the tunnel in Jersey City, New Jersey, we headed for New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) South.  My parents prepared lunch so we can eat on our way down, and we really appreciated that.

The drive was uneventful, as we had driven the same road multiple times within the past year and a half, since our early retirement in August of 2020.  When we crossed over into the state of South Carolina, we were feeling good, as the sun was starting to set, revealing ever more glowing orange Sun, with every mile we would take.

We took SC Route 38 South, which would become SC 501.  As night fell, we breached the borders of Myrtle Beach area, then headed south towards Murrells Inlet.  As we drove into the golf community, we were greeted by a beautiful gate and by festive Christmas decorations.

It felt great to finally make it to our destination after a long 12 hour drive!  When we turned right to go into our condo subdivision, we drove slowly to find our condo building.  It took no more than 2 minutes to locate it!

I opened our AirBnB rental using the keypad.  It was dark, so I started to turn on the lights in the foyer, kitchen, and then the living room.  I was totally satisfied with the condition of the condo and with the beautiful decorations.

Living room

Dining area

I also turned on the lights in the bedrooms and bathrooms as well, and I was again very happy with the condo.  Unit was very clean, new, and smelled nice!

Master bedroom 

En suite bathroom 

First guest room

Second guest room 

When we finished unloading our stuff, my wife also got to look at the condo for the first time, and I could tell she was very happy with it!  Toby also liked it, as he started to sniff everywhere and walk around the condo, exploring the place, to make sure there weren’t any hidden dangers lurking in the corners!

Exhausted from our drive and loading/unloading of our stuff the same day, we retired to the bedroom to get a good night’s rest in the huge, king-sized bed.  We were tired but very excited and happy about the condo!

The next morning we got up to enjoy the sun slowly rise up from the east.  We sat on the covered porch to enjoy the morning with a hot coffee in our hands…Great way to start the day!

Mysterious fog enveloping the golf course

View from the back porch

The same day, we discovered the condo provides a free South Carolina “All Park Pass”, which allows entry into all state parks in the state.  We couldn’t believe our luck!  I had planned on buying this pass myself when we arrived, but this certainly saved me money, exactly $99!

We thanked our lucky stars, then set out exploring the area, starting with Huntington Beach State Park and Myrtle Beach State Park.  We got to explore Murrells Inlet area first, with places like Murrells Inlet Marshwalk, Freedwoods Farm, Wacca Wache Public Boat Landing, and Myrtle Beach area attractions.

We explored Congaree National Park, Swan Lake/Japanese Iris Gardens, and our absolute favorite place, Charleston!  Charleston was unlike anything we experienced in a southern city.  The city has beautiful parks, history, restored historic homes, and friendly people.  We immediately fell in love as soon as we saw the Charleston waterfront area…

We ventured far and wide (within 3 hour driving distance) and we were totally blown away by all the great attractions in the state of South Carolina.  We loved the fact that where we stayed, Grand Strand area, has so many convenient places to eat, shop, and play. 

Even within the Grand Strand, plenty of natural beauty exists.   A bird lover’s paradise, we saw so many fascinating birds during our stay.  During our visit to Swan Lake/Japanese Iris Gardens, we saw 7 different  species of swans, all in one place.  It was an unbelievable experience.

When we wanted something different than what nature had in store for us, we ventured out to many charming towns like Georgetown, Conway, and Pawley’s Island.  We never ran out of things to do.

South Carolina has unique flora that is absolutely charming, including palmettos, bald cypress trees, and humongous oak trees!  The natural habitat is really unique compared to what we experienced living in the Northeast most of our lives.  Of course, the alligators also added to this newness for us northerners!

What we loved the most about the state is the people living there.  Every day interactions with locals are usually very pleasant, with most people greeting each other with pleasantries.  Even when traffic is bad on some days, drivers are much calmer compared to drivers in the Northeast.  

We became good friends with our neighbors upstairs in our rental, as well as their friends who wholeheartedly opened up their home to us when we stopped by uninvited.  We got to listen to stories of living and growing up in the Palmetto State, and how the state has changed throughout the years.  The fact that our neighbor’s friends has a tangerine tree made me even happier, as the tangerines they picked for us to take home, were so sweet!

We will never forget these good friends we made in South Carolina.  Our regular get togethers with our neighbors upstairs to play cards and games will never be forgotten, as well as their good company!  We will always be grateful they took us to different places during our stay.  

One other great thing about the state is that my ex-colleague, who I worked with at my last job, retired in South Carolina.  We met up to catch up at her home.  It was great to see her, as she was like an aunt, who I never had.  She always took good care of me…

In conclusion:

We knew Myrtle Beach area was a gem 20 years ago, and we expected this to still be the case.  What we didn’t expect, were all the other places in the state we explored, that made this stay so much more rewarding!  

Within a 3 hour driving distance, so many great places made for a joyous stay:  Swan Lake, Charleston, and Congaree National Park are just some of the places we fell in love with…

The beautiful AirBnB condo certainly added to this great trip, as we absolutely loved everything about it, including the extra bedrooms, extra bathroom, and the nice views out back. 

What made this trip even better, above all else, was meeting great people who became our friends…We are so lucky to have met them during our stay.  They looked after us like family!

After staying for 3 months in South Carolina, we now have a real good reason to revisit.  It almost feels like a second home, where we have friendly smiles waiting for us to ‘come home’.  

Thank you South Carolina!  We really had a great time there.

Thank you all for reading!

Jake

Wandering Money Pig 

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