It was a really nice week of golfing in Myrtle Beach with my buddies. We all enjoyed ourselves, got some sun and of course rehashed our rounds every evening. The only somewhat complicated aspect of the trip was that everyone arrived separately since we were coming from different places. Things seemingly got even more complicated when we shuttled to the airport and my flight was canceled, keeping me in Myrtle Beach alone for another day. I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t want to just sit at the airport and we had already checked out of our resort, so I decided to see what I could find for myself so that I could enjoy this extra day in this beautiful place.
I logged onto HotelTonight and within seconds, I had booked a room from their many choices for Myrtle Beach hotels. It was so easy I wondered if I had missed something. I went and rented a car for myself and drove to the hotel. When I arrived, I realized I hadn’t missed anything – the process with HotelTonight was just that easy. I wanted to do what locals do in Myrtle Beach, as the people we met while on our golf outing were so friendly I wanted to find out how they live as opposed to what tourists do. With some help from my friendly hotel staff, I came up with a plan to explore the area.
I started my adventure by heading south from the city to a little place known as Pawleys Island. Barely more than 100 people live here, but it still attracts some visitors even though it’s a bit off the beaten path. There are gorgeous and historic homes here, including plantations, and you can walk through a few of them to get a glimpse of what life was like in the Deep South in the past. It’s a throwback area that will have you wondering what year it is by the time you manage to thank all the friendly people for their time.
The Myrtle Beach area sits amidst several different bodies of water. As such, this is an area known for its seafood and its fishing. Perhaps no place is more wed to the fishing industry than Murrells Inlet. I stopped here and walked the length of the MarshWalk, which spans about a half-mile. It’s a wooden boardwalk that lets you get up close to the marshes that surround it. The entire time involved me wondering what those wonderful smells were, and of course they were restaurants preparing all different types of local seafood. I had lunch here and it was unforgettable. There’s nothing like eating seafood that is as fresh as possible, prepared by people who know what they are doing.
I drove north towards North Myrtle Beach, which is technically a separate city from Myrtle Beach. I stopped in a neighborhood that was much more than that known as Cherry Grove Beach. Families live here and locals were milling about as they always do. What was astounding was that this neighborhood also included a stunning beach that is about as Atlantic Ocean as a beach can get. Perfect fine sand, the smell of saltwater, fencing in front of properties and some green plant life all combined to form a setting that I’ll never forget. You could get lost here and never wonder where you are.
North Myrtle Beach is a good choice for people who want to visit the area but who want a place that’s a little less overrun by tourists, particularly during the busy season. This is a smaller place of around 15,000 people, but it offers all of the scenery you could ever wish to enjoy. The city has only existed since 1968, when a group of municipalities got together and decided to organize into one entity. You’d never know it, though, as the locals here exude everything you’ve ever heard about that legendary Carolina hospitality.
I had time and was enjoying the area, so I drove back down towards where I started and spent some time on Sandy Island. This is a place that’s about as “old school” as it gets. It didn’t even have electricity until 1965. You’ll see a lot of fishing boats here along with a classic general store and some eating options. The island itself is a wildlife refuge, and it’s easy to see why as this is a place that seems to have never been touched by anyone who ever wanted to build condos or a mini-mall. It was really something to see.
As I pulled back into my hotel, I knew that I would board my flight the next morning a happy camper. I had seen what I wanted to see of the area and now had a better idea of how the folks around here live. It’s a happy life and one that would likely make me inclined to be friendly to visitors as well. As I enjoyed the comforts of my room, I also realized that HotelTonight had been a big part of this very fun day. There are all sorts of choices for someone searching for Myrtle Beach hotels, but HotelTonight made a complicated process easy and very quick. I’ll come back here someday to see more of the area, and I’ll do so with the help of HotelTonight.
