Myrtle Beach....
Golf galore
And putt putt, even more
Kids never run out of things to do
Even fun for Mom and Dad too!
I have to admit that our first impression of the place was "Miami Beach circa 1986". The hotels painted in colors that we surmised must have been on the sale rack at Home Depot. Nice ones mixed in with dingy ones, resorts mixed in with motels, definitely something to offer for every type of budget.
Our resort, Compass Cove, was certainly not the Ritz-Carlton but it could easily pass as a Marriott. Made up of 3 buildings containing rooms, suites, one, two and three bedroom condos, the resort offered 6 swimming pools, 2 lazy rivers (and at least as many Jacuzzis), on-site restaurants, arcade, shuffleboard and oceanfront balcony views.
Days included walks on the beach, driving or walking down the "strip", shopping, activities and lots of food. We didn't get to go into the ocean because it was still too cold, although we did see some brave souls taking a dip and swimming in the outside pools (must have been from Alaska or Canada). We did use the indoor pools, the lazy rivers and the hot tubs though. My husband escaped briefly for some real golf (can't go to Myrtle Beach and not play golf) but I don't have any of that info. Some family fun things to consider if you visit...
Putt-Putt Golf - There's one on every corner and they are relatively inexpensive. The one we liked the best was
Mt Olympicus. Huge place, 2 courses, very nice design. Another good one was
The Dragon's Lair at Broadway at the Beach. Almost all of the places offer an All Day play pass, some for as little as $5.
Helicopter Rides - I bought these tickets on-line before we got there and I must say that when I saw the tiny helicopters at
Huffman Helicopters, I was terrified at the thought of going up in one. They only seat 3 people plus the pilot so we had to split up. My mom and daughter went in one, and my husband and I went in another. It was a windy day so when we took off it felt like we were in one of those remote toy helicopters that someone as controlling from the ground, wobbling back and forth. Hard to imagine we were going 170 miles an hour. That said, the view was beautiful and I got some great pictures. The prices vary depending on how far you want to go but they range from $20 for a 2 minute ride to $200 for a 25 minute ride. The most popular ride is $40 for a 5 minute ride, which takes you up to the end of the strip and back.
Nascar Speedpark - Again, I bought these tickets on-line ($24 for an unlimited day pass) and we were not disappointed. The pass gave us access to 5 race tracks, rock wall climbing, putt-putt golf (of course), and the kiddie rides. The lines were not long because they had plenty of cars on the tracks and we all had a blast!
http://www.broadwayatthebeach.com/myrtle-beach-attractions.aspx
The Boardwalk - It's not a real boardwalk like Ocean City or Atlantic City but they do have a place to walk that runs between two piers that is made up of concrete walkways and a wooden boardwalk. Lots of souvenir shops, beach food places, arcades, and a large Skywheel which overlooks the whole beach. We all spent an afternoon in the arcade like little kids, trying to get as many tickets as we could to win a prize and snacking on the junk food the beach had to offer.
Broadway on the Beach - This place has something for everybody. The atmosphere is great and you can easily spend a few days here.
Wonderworks is a giant fun house with all kinds of things to do, plus on the outside there is
Soar & Explore, a ropes course and a zip line over water. I was too chicken to try it but my daughter wasn't. Also to be found there are a 3D movie theatre, Ripley's Aquarium, a comedy club, a Las Vegas type magic show, kiddie rides, concerts, every restaurant you can think of, speedboat rides, shops, and lots more.
http://www.broadwayatthebeach.com/myrtle-beach-attractions.aspx
Our only disappointment was the food choices we made. I think the best food we had were the french fries we had by the arcade and the Blue-Bell ice-cream at
Kirk's (6101 N Kings Highway). The biggest disappointment was a place called
Damon's. From the outside, the place looks very nice, it's right on the water so you expect an awesome ocean view and from the website and the billboards, we certainly expected a great meal. The ocean side of the restaurant is all glass but we couldn't see out of them because the lighting was so horrible that all we got was a glare on the glass. We couldn't even see the water! The furniture, china and flatware felt like we were in a cafeteria, the drinks were watered down and the food was average. Our waiter, however, was extremely nice and polite. Would not recommend going there if you're looking for ambiance. It might do for a family day out for lunch. The other places we ate are not even worth mentioning, but they say there are over 500 restaurants there so I guess it's just a luck of the draw.
Overall, prices there were very reasonable, both for the activities and the food. There's plenty to keep you busy and most hotels offer indoor pools if it's too cold outside. There's something for everyone in Myrtle Beach.
Kid's View: "I wished it was warmer so that I could have gone into the water. I put my feet in there and it was freezing! I liked the arcade and the Nascar Speedpark the best. I liked racing against my mom, dad and grandma. Putt-putt was lots of fun and I think my dad wanted to play all of them. I wish we had gone on the Skywheel but the night we went it was already closed. Kirk's ice-cream was the bomb! I give Myrtle Beach three C's.....cool, creative and COLD and I had a great time with my family."
