First Impressions of Myrtle Beach
My first day in Myrtle Beach ended up being cold & very windy which made it a rough start to my first impressions of Myrtle Beach. I kept making comparisons to my Spring Break I took in college to South Padre. I remember packing for warm weather and only getting clouds & lots of wind. Which is precisely what happened on my trip to Myrtle Beach.
I put on shorts & flip flops to walk on the sand and in the water. Once I stepped onto the beach, my hair instantly whipped around my head and I had to put it up in a ponytail to see. Dipped my toes in the surf and Boy was that cold! I’m glad I got that Gel pedicure before the trip. Walking in the sand filled with crushed shells, my feet took a beating. I did find a nice handful of beautiful shells with some gorgeous colors on them. Each morning I walked on the beach looking for seashells by the seashore (had to do that). One morning I found perfectly formed shells more substantial than my hand, even two conch shells.
The distance between piers is very deceiving. When I finally made it to the first pier (Pier 14), took some pics below the pier. Once I got enough, I headed up and ran into a screaming, crying kid on the pier. My poor ears and that poor dad. Give him a lot of credit for staying calm throughout an apparent tantrum. I didn’t pay the $1 fee to walk down this pier. Instead, I opted out to walk south down the boardwalk.
I did eventually pay to walk down Pier at 2nd Ave. Somebody was removing scales off fish, and there were quite a few fishermen on the end of the pier.
I had dinner one night at Duffy’s Tavern at the Bowery. Their motto is Hot Beer Lousy Food Bad Service. I kept waiting for the bad service but, the wait staff was very prompt, and the food was delicious. My food choice was a bit of home deep-fried pizza rolls & a fried bologna sandwich. Not exactly the healthiest meal but, sometimes it is alright to splurge.
I stopped at the MiniMart on the way back to my hotel, and the clerk asked me if I was from Michigan (I was wearing a hoodie with the Detroit Tigers “D” on it). I said yes, Detroit area. He said I couldn’t be because I was white…What?! People’s misconceptions of Detroit are everywhere even in Myrtle Beach.
Another place I stopped at was The Market Common. I had a completely different idea of what this place was. I was expecting a lot more stores & restaurants than that were there. It was beautifully designed but, there were a lot of empty shops and not a lot of people walking around. It used to be an air force base that was decommissioned and re-developed it into a place where locals could shop and eat. Hopefully, it fills in because I could see this as a great place to shop and hang out.
One thought that keeps running through my head is how cheesy the attractions are here. Instead of focusing on the water, they have added so many other ways to spend your money. From zip lines, Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, haunted houses, and a bazillion miniature golf places. It reminds me of how commercialized Niagara Falls has become compared to how it was 30+ years ago.
Even with not perfect first impressions, Myrtle Beach has taken root. I have been able to move past the gotcha gimmicks and enjoy the beauty and nature that is the Atlantic Ocean. It is quite peaceful in the mornings watching the sunrise. I don’t even mind waking up early to watch this amazing scene appear.
So much so, that I keep returning year after year. You have to move past the first glance and dig a little deeper, and you might surprise yourself with what a place can become.
Have you ever had a rough start at a new place and it took you until going back to find the beauty in it? I would love to hear your story!
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