Well this years vacation was crazy! Several months ago we made the decision to go to Gulf Shores for vacation. We’d been to Destin so many times that the kids were rolling their eyes. So, me being the sneaky one thought we’ll go to Gulf Shores, still much like Destin but in a different state. Jeff and I would still get the beach time and the kids would be satisfied that we were going somewhere different. Well, you obviously know that the oil spill ruined that for us. By the time it hit Gulf Shores, we switched to Destin, but just two days before we were to arrive in Destin, the Heath Department issued a warning not to get in the water. So, we scrambled to find a new vacation destination.
We chose Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and let me tell you it was awesome! It’s almost twice the distance of Destin but was worth it. We broke the trip down into two days ( something I strongly encourage especially if you have kids) spending the night in Atlanta and driving the rest of the way the next day. For the return home we went through North Carolina. It was the most magnificent place I’d ever seen. Beautiful mountains!! We literally crawled through the highest mountain terrain due to rock slides that crews were cleaning up, but it was the most amazing scenery. From North Carolina we drove all the way across Tennessee, also beautiful. All in all we were in 8 states during our trip. The kids loved that because they got to mark off more states on their list of the U.S.
Everyone has been asking me where we stayed, suggestions on where to eat, what was the beach like, etc. So here’s my take on it.
The Drive- IS LONG!! But worth it! ( See above)
The Beach- Not white like the Gulf Coast, it’s a light gray, still soft but tons more shells. We loved that. There’s also more beach, meaning you can walk way out to get to the water. The sand is firm, people were riding their bikes on it. Very cool.
Restaurants- Take lots of money! Average dinner at night $100 plus. We were encouraged to stay away from the seafood buffets, wish we’d have listened. One of the worst meals we had was at one of the ” buffets”. Our favorite restaurant in North Myrtle Beach was Fire Island.
Things to do: Go to Broadway On The Beach. It’s really cool, there is a kiddie amusement park if you have little ones, boardwalks connecting everything. There’s an I-Max Theatre, Ripleys Acquarium, shops and restaurants including Margaritaville. Google Broadway at The Beach in Myrtle Beach to see everything.
The Tanger Outlet Mall was great too. Of course I have teenage daughters who love to shop. My husband….not so much!
We stayed at Atlantic Breeze Ocean Resort. Great for families with little kids. The pool was only 4 1/2 feet, but it has a lazy river, two hot tubs and is right on the beach. I went totally blind in booking this. But we lucked out and found it to be a really neat place. I would also suggest you order a visitors guide. It’s free and shows you all the great resorts to choose from.
If you have any other questions feel free to call me. I’ll tell you what I know.
870-933-8800 ext 42.
