 |
| Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach, SC |
When we last visited Myrtle Beach area some 18 years ago, we remember eating some great Japanese food for dinner at one of the many restaurants around Route 501. Even back then, this road was incredibly busy with all kinds of traffic even during early November.
We remember waiting about 20 minutes before we were seated at that Japanese restaurant, which was jam packed with diners. We had some great memories of Myrtle Beach area thanks to excellent food and shopping centers sprawled all over the area. *Back then, we loved shopping centers!
Unlike many places we had visited, we never ran out of places to eat, shop, or do…
These days, Myrtle Beach area is even busier, with more developments (commercial and residential) that seem to constantly change the landscape with each passing month. The popularity of Myrtle Beach area as well as Horry County, which Myrtle Beach is part of, is well documented.
In fact, Horry County is one of several counties in the United States with a booming economy and a population growth. We saw and felt that during our 3 months stay from December 2021 until February 2022. Traffic was constant (even during the so called ‘off months’) and we saw plenty of locals/visitors everywhere we went.
In short, Myrtle Beach area is so much bigger and better than what we remember from 18 years ago!
For lovers of eating and shopping, Myrtle Beach is an awesome destination. It has the usual malls, outlet malls, strip malls, but what we found unique about Myrtle Beach are the outdoor, combination shopping centers that feature more than just shops and restaurants.
We loved these unique shopping/entertainment complexes where you can shop and eat, but which also offer things to do besides just eating and shopping. To that end, these three places are our favorites!
Barefoot Landing is located along popular Highway 17 in North Myrtle Beach. It borders Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway on one end, and also features Louis Lake, at its center. Sitting on 64 acres, Barefoot Landing (the current, expanded form) was opened in 1988.
Our pack (my wife, myself, and our Pomeranian) set out to explore this place on a chilly morning in February. We bundled up with heavy winter coats and Toby (our Pom) also wore his cute jacket for warmth.
We arrived after about 35 minutes from our rental in Murrells Inlet, and we found plenty of free parking everywhere. After slowly driving around the large complex and passing the Alabama Theater, we chose a parking spot near the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.
We all got out and let Toby first do his business and to let him acclimate himself to the new environment. He was busy sniffing around and exploring the place!
We walked first towards the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, cutting across the nicely laid out grass area to get there. We loved the views of the waterway, the condos across the waters, and the boats of varying sizes. As chilly as the morning was, we already loved the place.
 |
| Barefoot Landing, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway |
 |
| Barefoot Landing |
We got near the waterways and started to walk on the paved concrete walkway next to the waters. We loved the scenery, especially the bridge and the beautiful boats moored across the waterways on the other side.
Along our walk, we saw several seagulls, cranes, and egrets enjoying their mornings. Against that serene backdrop, we continued our walk, stopping frequently to take in the wonderful scenery. As we walked, we wondered what kind of people live in those fancy condos across the waterways, but more importantly, who own those expensive yachts!
We made our way to the end of the paved walkway (Greg Norman’s Restaurant), then turned right to go deeper into where the shops were. We absolutely loved the layout of the place, with its lake as the central focal point, surrounded by a park, and various shops/restaurants.
We walked along the edge of the lake and made our way into a pet store called Faux Paws. The lady at the front counter was super welcoming and she offered a tasty, soft treat for Toby, which he gulped it down. Thanks to that act of kindness (or a savvy marketing), we couldn’t resist not buying more of those treats!
We ended up buying two of those treats at $11 per bag. My wife and I commented how we’re eating $1 potato chips from a dollar store, but we’re buying Toby expensive treats!!!
After purchasing Toby’s treats, we continued on towards other stores. My wife, ever the sweet tooth fairy, saw a store called Byrd’s (of Savannah, Georgia) that sells cookies. We asked the store clerks if we can bring Toby inside the store, and they said that was fine.
We all went inside then my wife went to work! She was given free samples to try before buying, and she loved them, especially these two: gingerbread and chocolate chip. After making our purchases, we came out to check out other stores and the lake.
 |
| Louis Lake, Barefoot Landing, SC |
 |
| Boardwalk to cross over the lake, Barefoot Landing |
 |
| Beautiful, paved walkways at Barefoot Landing |
 |
| Byrd’s where my wife bought cookies! |
The lake features a boardwalk that crosses over to the other side, so we took it. We loved seeing different birds out on the lake. We stopped at the midpoint of the lake to observe the beautiful birds.
We crossed over after few minutes to walk around the other side, adjacent to Highway 17, the road we had used to get there. There were many stores, bars, and restaurants on the other side as well. We used a clean public restroom then proceeded to explore the rest of the place by walking around the lake.
Along the way, we saw some cute little turtles sunbathing in the morning sunlight atop one of the rocks in the lake. We had to check them out! Few moments spent watching nature is a treat and it’s one of those simple pleasures of life…
After continuing our walk towards the park/children’s playground, we stopped to view this huge oak tree, which is known to be over 200 years old.
 |
| 200 year old oak tree |
 |
| Cute turtles! |
 |
| More nature! |
We started to head back to our car after enjoying several minutes of viewing that tree. What a sight, and what a beautiful shopping complex!
The Market Common is a beautiful designed village that features landscaped/tree-lined walkways, shops, restaurants, and a park. Situated on over 114 acres in Myrtle Beach area, what makes the Market Common unique is its perfect combination of residential homes/condos, within a small village, where residents can walk everywhere to eat, shop, exercise, and be entertained.
We were initially introduced to this place thanks to our neighbors upstairs. After our initial visit, we knew we wanted to take Toby there with us on our next visit. So, on a nippy January morning, our pack set out to introduce the place to our spoiled rotten prince, Toby.
We parked on one of many available parking spots along a side street near Farrow Parkway. We wanted to stop by to look at the Valor Memorial Garden, and to read more about the history of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, which was home to the 354th Tactical Fighting Wing. ***Note: The Market Common is sitting atop the now defunct Air Force base.
 |
| Valor Memorial Garden, the Market Common, SC |
 |
| 354th Tactical Fighter Wing placard |
We found the Market Common quite lovable, and so did Toby. For us, the Market Place Commons Park was one of the best things about the shopping complex. The park, with a lake at its center with trails that loop around it, makes for an awesome place to dawdle away an hour or two.
 |
| The Market Common, Myrtle Beach |
 |
| The Market Common, at the park and the lake |
 |
| Beautiful landscaped walkways |
The playground isn’t too shabby either, as along the looping trail, many interesting features exist, including a mini climbing rock for kids, electronic exercise game, as well as a children’s playground and sports fields.
We absolutely loved the park! We tried our hands at the mini climbing rock, and the electronic exercise games ourselves. I was successful at crossing between two rocks using a rope, while my wife was just able to hang on for few seconds on the rope. We had a good laugh that we were playing children’s games at our age! Hey, it’s not the age, but the state of mind!!!
 |
| The Market Common, view from the bridge |
 |
| Mini climbing rocks and the rope we had a blast on! |
We walked towards one end of the lake to the other, but realized Toby was getting tired. We decided to start heading back the way we had come, so we can head back to our temporary ‘home’ for some lunch. Overall, the Market Common turned out to be one of our favorite places in Myrtle Beach!
Broadway at the Beach is a gigantic shopping/entertainment complex at over 350 acres! It is perhaps the most popular attraction in all of Myrtle Beach, as the place hosts several well known attractions like Ripley’s Aquarium, Topgolf, Myrtle Waves Waterpark, and Legends in Concert. We’ve heard so much about Broadway at the Beach, so we decided to pay a visit on a warm December day.
After parking our car in one of many gigantic parking lots, we made our way in. We immediately noticed a sign posted at the entrance that said dogs are not allowed. We were debating whether to go in or not, but decided to push our luck. It was a quiet morning, and didn’t see many people walking around the complex.
We figured if someone asks us to leave, then we would. Besides, we saw other dog owners with their dogs walking in, so we pushed on ourselves…
As we walked in, we immediately realized how big the place is! The set up is similar to Barefoot Landing, but it was as if Broadway at the Beach was on steroids! Everything is bigger, including more shops, more restaurants, more attractions, more Christmas decorations, and even a bigger lake in the center of the complex.
We took a moment to enjoy the warm sun and the surroundings near the lake. We marveled at the humongous Christmas tree and numerous restaurants hugging the lake.
 |
| Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach, SC |
 |
| One of the most iconic buildings in Myrtle Beach! |
We crossed over to the other side using the wide boardwalk to check out the other side. Again, more shops/restaurants! Even the sizes of the stores seemed bigger than typical stores we’ve seen!
We walked around the complex until we’ve had enough, then headed back. We understood WHY this place is so popular with locals/visitors alike. We certainly enjoyed our time at the complex!
In conclusion:
The uniqueness of open air shopping centers is what make these places very enjoyable. It combines the ability for visitors to walk around, to enjoy the outdoors, and to shop/eat at numerous options available at these complexes.
We certainly took full advantage of these shopping/entertainment complexes during our 3 months stay in Myrtle Beach area. We wish Broadway at the Beach would be pet friendly, but we also understand why some places would prohibit pets on their property.
In any case, we still got to enjoy all three places, which were similar, yet unique in their own ways. We hope you get to experience all these venues for yourself as well, when you’re visiting Myrtle Beach!
Thank you all for reading!
Jake
Wandering Money Pig
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Ocean City, Maryland’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Bushkill Falls and Grey Towers.’
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 natural attractions in Las Vegas’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Zion National Park’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Vdara Hotel’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Chateau at Coindre Hall’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Oyster Bay’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Ocean Casino Resort’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Wildwood Park and Fort Hunter Mansion’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Ottawa’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Fiore Suite and classic room at the Borgata’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 places with awesome views near Harrisburg, PA’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Quebec City, Canada’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 quintessential places to visit in New York City’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Ricketts Glen State Park, PA’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Beaufort, NC’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Vernon, NJ’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Harrisburg, PA’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Montreal, Canada’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Falls Lake Dam Recreation Area, Wake Forest, NC’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 parks to visit in Bogue Banks, North Carolina’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Niagara Falls State Park’.
Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Claysburg, PA’.
