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| Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
John F. Kennedy: “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.”
When I started to write about attractions in and around Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), I must admit I had a very hard time doing so. The reason for this is because Myrtle Beach area has so many attractions to write about.
I could’ve written a mini book on all the attractions my pack (my wife, myself, and our Pomeranian) visited from December through February, but I decided against it as I didn’t think anyone would want to read a blog post that is 50 pages long!!! Instead, I chose to break up the attractions into several posts.
One post (this one), would deal with places we like right around Myrtle Beach boardwalk area. Another would deal with best places to shop. These two posts would be on top of posts written about best parks near Myrtle Beach, as well as exploration of other cities like Conway, Georgetown, Sumter, and Charleston.
In our pack’s close to two years worth of slow travel since our early retirement in August 2020, we’ve not seen a place with so many things to do! This was obviously a blessing for us, as we got to enjoy our 3 months stay in Murrells Inlet, which is about 8 miles south of Myrtle Beach.
Myrtle Beach has gotten so much bigger and busier since we last visited the place back in November of 2003. We practically didn’t recognize the place due to so many new residential/commercial developments, cars, and people!
When we visited back in 2003, we had stayed at a high rise condo overlooking the ocean. It felt quiet when we arrived at our condo and checked in. There weren’t too many cars on Ocean Blvd, and the beach area was also quiet. Admittedly, we only stayed a total of two nights at the condo, but the feeling we got was that Myrtle Beach was really quiet during the winter.
All that perception changed when we arrived in Murrells Inlet (8 miles south of Myrtle Beach) on December 1st. We had taken Route 501, then Route 707, and noticed even around 8 p.m. on a Wednesday that traffic was brisk. By the time we arrived at our condo around 9 p.m., we realized the area had grown so much since our last visit!
There were brand new subdivisions being built and new home communities being built on our way in. We found out after few weeks that Horry County, where Myrtle Beach area is part of, is one of the most booming towns in America. That explained everything!
We understand the lure of Myrtle Beach area, with its miles of beach, shops/restaurants that rival any of the biggest destinations in the United States, and so many attractions/things to do. With its temperate climate, it is and has always been popular with snowbirds, who travel south from the north or the northeast states like New York, Ohio, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, etc. during the winter months.
During our three months stay, we did have our share of cold days (below freezing) in the early mornings, but by afternoon, the temperature would climb into the 50’s and higher. During December, we got mostly nice warm weather hovering into the high 60’s and low 70’s. We lamented why we didn’t bring some shorts and short sleeve shirts (or summer clothes)!
We felt like idiots and obvious out of towers who dressed like we just came down from the north!!! Oops…
I can count using my fingers, the number of days when temperature did NOT go higher than 40 degrees all day. These were usually the rainy or snowy days, and these were by far, the exception, rather than the norm. We did get snow on two different occasions, but it would all melt by the same or the next day when the sun would come out.
Warm weather, besides the things we discussed, is one of the most popular draws about Myrtle Beach area, and the south in general. As humans, we long for summers with its radiant sunsets and carefree, long days, to rejuvenate our body and mind. We tend to move around more, get more vitamin D, and are generally happier during warmer months.
As long as this human characteristic of loving summers doesn’t change, Myrtle Beach will always remain popular. And with this introduction out of the way, please see our recommendations for top attractions in Myrtle Beach.
- Boardwalk/Promenade/the Beach
When we had visited Myrtle Beach back in 2003, the promenade was not in existence. We found out it was built in 2010, and we were pleasantly surprised to see how beautiful the promenade is. The promenade traverses from 14th Avenue to 2nd Avenue, and it is 1.2 miles long, and it is a must see attraction.
We arrived on a chilly morning in January near the promenade/boardwalk and looked for parking near it. We found out parking is free along side streets leading up to the promenade, from October 1st until end of February. We sure lucked out!
After parking, we walked up to where boardwalk and promenade meets. We decided to head right first and walk along the promenade. We loved it even though it was a chilly and a nippy morning!
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| Myrtle Beach boardwalk/promenade |
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| Toby at Myrtle Beach promenade/boardwalk |
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| At the beginning of the promenade, heading south |
Immediately we appreciated the condition of the promenade. It looked brand new and the shrubbery along the promenade was being maintained by several work crews. The views where we turned right were phenomenal, so we stopped to enjoy the beautiful ocean on a winter day.
We took a good whiff of the ocean air and we loved it. It felt great to be alive and it felt awesome to have the ability to visit the ocean on a winter day. I say this often, but we must enjoy these little moments before they all pass us by. Things we take for granted everyday, like the ocean because it’s always there, is something we should cherish and enjoy every chance we get…
Toby, our Pomeranian, kept up well, and seemed to enjoy the walk along the promenade. We gave him treats to entice him to continue his walk, as we knew both human (my wife) and beasts (Toby and myself) need exercise!
We walked along, enjoying the promenade and stopping often to take a moment to enjoy the views. The elevated walkway over the sand dunes allowed for a nice vantage point for photos. We had to take some of those!
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| View south along a raised walkway over sand dunes, Myrtle Beach |
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| Famous promenade, Myrtle Beach |
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| View of palm trees along Myrtle Beach promenade |
We continued our walk until we got to the end of the promenade going south, then turned around to go back the same way, so we can check out the boardwalk area and the shops/restaurants along it. We couldn’t resist stopping few more times to take in the incredible views.
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| Views along promenade, Myrtle Beach |
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| Atlantic Ocean, Myrtle Beach |
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| Boardwalk area, Myrtle Beach |
As we got back near where we started, we saw big beach volleyball court to our left and the beach to our right. We kept on going towards the famous Ferris wheel straight ahead.
Boardwalk reminded me of Atlantic City, or Ocean City, but it seemed better maintained and cleaner than those two. There was a bench facing the ocean, so we sat briefly taking in the ocean’s sights and smells…
Ah, what a great day!
- Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chaplin Art Museum
This is one of our favorite hidden gems in Myrtle Beach. Being that my wife is a painter, we try to look for art museums so my wife can get inspiration. This museum was just that!
Housed in an unassuming turn of the 20th century building, the art museum is a must see attraction when visiting the area. Opened in 1997, it showcases a rotating schedule of Southern artists and well as other artists.
We drove along Business Highway 17 north from our rental in Murrells Inlet, and we arrived right around 10:00 a.m. There was plenty of parking early in the day, so we parked and headed inside the museum.
We were surprised to see it does not charge an entrance fee, so we donated $5 while speaking to a friendly front desk person. She was so happy for the donation! She explained the two exhibits that was going on that day, and she also explained little bit about their work. After thanking her, we turned left to view the works of the first artist, Reynier Llanes, on the main level.
The exhibit hall was not big, but it certainly was the right size venue for the artist’s work. We got to read about his work, about him, and his inspiration. My wife seemed to really enjoy his work, and so did I!
We stumbled upon a tea room, where you can buy refreshments and to rest. The tea room was really cute so we stopped to look around, and to enjoy the views of the ocean way out in the distance.
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| Tea room at the art museum |
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| Reynier Llanes’ work |
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| Another piece by Llanes |
We continued on admiring his work, then went past the reception area towards the second level, to view the second artist, Chellis Baird. Her exhibit was called “tethered”, and it showcases her love of fabrics and paint.
We walked through the exhibit commenting on the 3D artwork. It was not our cup of tea, but it was definitely something unique, and something we had not seen before.
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| Chellis Baird’s work |
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| Entrance to her exhibit on the second level |
It was a perfect art museum, as we were able to see the entire museum in under an hour. We checked out the obligatory gift shop (we’re such suckers, but we didn’t buy anything!) then headed back to our car to head home. On our way out, we both jokingly commented on how smart and civilized we were, visiting an art museum!
Warbird Park is home to aircrafts of the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. The Air Force base was the home of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, which saw action during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.
Warbird Park is located about a block away from the art museum, and the park features retired aircraft used during actual sorties. I was fascinated with fighter planes as a child growing up, and I remember our family’s trip to view planes when we lived in South Korea, all those years ago.
I still had fascination with fighter planes as an adult, and our trip to the Intrepid Museum in New York City was a treat. Against that backdrop, I had to check out this park!
Our pack was itching to go outside after a couple of rainy days near the end of December, so we set out for this park from our temporary home for 3 months, in Murrells Inlet. From our rental, the drive would take us via Business Highway 17 North towards Myrtle Beach.
It took less than 25 minutes to get there, and we found plenty of free parking spots when we arrived. After parking, we let Toby out to do his usual business of marking his territory, then getting to know his surroundings.
He seemed happy to get some fresh air, and so were we! We were impressed by fighter planes neatly displayed on raised platforms. They were an awesome sight.
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| Warbird Park, Myrtle Beach, SC |
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| View of the plane from below |
There are several planes displayed at the park, and we stopped to admire each and every one of them. We read about the pilots who flew these wonderful machines, as well as the sorties they flew. It was wonderful to learn a bit of history.
After examining the planes, we walked the rest of the park via nicely paved walkway. The park has beautiful landscaping and other memorials to the men and women who served at the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base as well as the US Military. We stopped to read those placards and continued on.
Toby was in good spirits walking in a new environment again. He had his mouth open, looking for treats, and in full exploration mode!
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| Toby wishing he can fly one of these planes! |
One of the walkways led to the runway views of Myrtle Beach International Airport. We saw planes taking off nearby. Being so close to the runway amplified the noise of planes taking off, and we thought we felt the vibration of the the air around us.
It was kind of cool to be paying attention to something like this as adults. As jaded adults, we forget how fascinating planes are and we fail to appreciate their brilliant feats of engineering. It was nice to revisit parts of my childhood when everything seemed to be magical and amazing…
We backtracked to walk the other parts of the park after admiring the runway (and the planes), and after about 5 minutes, we completed our loop around the park. Park is not big, but it has so many interesting features that is totally unique. We loved the memorials and the planes. Walkway is awesome too. We highly recommend this place!
In conclusion:
Myrtle Beach is a popular destination for good reasons. It has world class attractions, restaurants, beautiful nature, and the famous beach/boardwalk/promenade. We never ran out of things to do or see, and we were never bored.
Myrtle Beach is arguably cleaner and safer than when we last visited in 2003. It is a great destination for just about anyone, as you won’t run out of places to eat, shop, or have fun. Add to that, for those looking for a bit of culture, the art museum will be the way to go.
What we loved the most about Myrtle Beach area is the people. Whether it’s because most visitors are on vacations and that generally means they’re happy, or it’s because locals who make their home near the area, are just happier thanks to warmer weather, there’s something very appealing about the area.
We felt the famous ‘southern charm’ from locals we met during our 3 months stay, that is so welcoming, that we will always have a special place in our hearts for South Carolina, especially around Myrtle Beach area!
We thank you all for reading!
Jake
Wandering Money Pig
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