Review of Shem Creek Park and Boardwalk in Mt Pleasant, SC: A perfect seaside destination near Charleston

 

Shem Creek Park/Boardwalk, Mt Pleasant, SC

By the third month of our pack’s (my wife, myself, and our Pomeranian) 3 months long stay in Murrells Inlet (South Carolina), we had visited just about every popular destination within a 3 hour driving distance.  In my search for another suitable place to visit, I had come upon Shem Creek Park and Shem Creek Boardwalk in Mt Pleasant.

Shem Creek Park and Boardwalk is located in the town of Mt Pleasant, about 82 miles south of Murrells Inlet.  Shem Creek is a popular waterfront dining/drinking district, and features the aforementioned Shem Creek Park and Boardwalk.  

After reading up on the area, we decided to do a takeout from one of many waterfront restaurants along the boardwalk.  One particular one, Vickery’s Bar & Grill, jumped out at me during my search due to its closest proximity to the boardwalk and a 4.2 star" Google rating.

On a sunny morning, mid-February with temperatures expected around 68 degrees, we took off on a new adventure!  When we left our temporary home in Murrells Inlet, it was sunny with clear blue skies.  All that changed after about 20 minutes of driving south towards Mt Pleasant.

When we approached the town of Pawley’s Island, I saw ominous, black clouds towards the southern skies.  I was hoping it would just turn out to be a cloudy day, but boy, was I wrong!!!

Usually we check the weather of our destination prior to us leaving, and that day was no exception.  We saw that Charleston area weather looked fantastic, with mostly sunny skies.  Meteorologists were completely wrong about that particular day!

It started to rain after about 25 minutes, then it didn’t let up.  What started as a slow, light patter on our car’s windshield, became heavier and faster as rain got heavier, the further south we went.  I had the windshield wipers running intermittently at first, but I had to switch to a low setting eventually.  The headlights came on automatically as it got darker all around us.

We were a bit bummed out about the weather, but like we always do, we said, “let’s make the best of it.”  We arrived near Mt Pleasant via Highway 17 South, then turned left at Houston Northcutt Blvd.  We turned left on Coleman Blvd. until we saw a sign for Shem Creek Park to our right.  

We turned in but noticed there was construction going on at the parking lot.  We instead parked directly across from the parking lot, then decided to wait until the rain died down a bit.  We didn’t want to head back home because of the rain, and we did want to eat some good seafood…

We had arrived around 11:00 a.m., and we decided to stay put and watch the rain fall inside of our car.  It was actually romantic sitting in a car on a rainy day.  I always enjoyed the sound rain makes when it hits the roof and the windshield of the car.  

We played some soothing Hawaiian music while we sat, intently listening and watching the rain.  I decided to take a nap to the sound of rain pattering the roof.  My wife on the other hand stayed awake, going through her cell phone organizing old photos into neat categories.  Toby joined me in taking a nap!

I woke up around noon with the sound of rain still prevalent, while my wife was still going through her cell phone photos.  We decided then to pick up lunch, then eat inside our car.  We hoped rain would end by the time we finished our lunch…

We drove less than a quarter mile to arrive at Vickery’s Bar & Grill.  We parked outside then called the restaurant for takeout.  We ordered calamari for appetizer, mahi mahi sandwich for myself and fried shrimp platter for my wife.  

We waited about 15 minutes, then went inside to pick up the food and to use their restroom.  The restaurant’s interior was more upscale than I had imagined.  It features beautiful views of the Charleston harbor, the marsh, and boats.

Vickery’s Bar & Grill, Shem Creek, SC

View from inside the bar area

After picking up our food, we headed back to the same parking lot we had just come from.  We parked, then wolfed down our food.  Calamari was bit salty and small, compared to other places, and it was just about average in taste.  My mahi mahi sandwich on the other hand was very good.  Mahi mahi was perfectly grilled on a nice soft bread and with lettuce/tomato.  It honestly didn’t need any sauce.

The French fries it came as a side, had huge portions, and it was crispy.  More importantly, it was tasty.  My wife’s shrimp platter was also very good.  That came with two sides: cole slaw and fries.

My mahi mahi sandwich was a club sandwich, so it came with bacon and cheese.  I decided to give Toby some real bacon, and he went totally nuts!  He kept coming forward from the backseat, begging us for more!  We cut the bacon into little pieces then fed him one by one until he had eaten at least one slice of bacon.  

All of us were fully satisfied with our lunch.  We decided then to walk the boardwalk area despite the rain.  We put on Toby’s raincoat/jacket, locked our car, then walked towards the park.  

The rain had gotten heavier by the time we started our walk.  My wife asked if I wanted my hoodie, just as we were getting ready to walk, but like a typical stubborn ass that I am, I declined.  But after walking not more than 100 feet, I realized my decision had been a bad one.  

Admitting my mistake, I walked back to get my hoodie, then I used it to cover myself from the rain.  By the time I came back to my wife and Toby, Toby was soaked.  He looked like he had just taken a bath!

At the entrance to the boardwalk, we saw a cute crab art piece painted in bright colors, and we were greeted by a statue of a pelican.  Views were certainly awesome!

Shem Creek Park, SC

At the entrance, the pelican statue

Beautiful boardwalk!

Crab art piece at the entrance, Shem Creek Park

After walking a bit on the boardwalk, my wife decided to put Toby inside of her bag pack, so he would at least be warm.  We continued our walk on the boardwalk, which is about half mile long.  We loved the scenery, including various sea birds along the marsh.

Along the boardwalk, we saw restaurants, hotels, and homes out in front of us.  Many homes were absolutely beautiful and new, with incredible views of the Charleston harbor.  We walked past the restaurant where we had picked up our lunch, then continued on.

As the boardwalk ended, we came upon a short dirt path surrounded by palmettos and other trees.  We continued on to pick up the boardwalk again.

Fantastic views along the boardwalk

Shrimp boats and tour boats

Short dirt path between boardwalks

Shem Creek Park, SC

Beautiful homes along the waterfront

The second boardwalk got closer to all the boats, hotels, and homes.  We stopped at a covered observation deck to dry ourselves for few minutes.  Views were awesome despite the rain.  We were going to enjoy the day, come rain or shine!!!

Observation deck where we stopped for few minutes 

View near the observation deck, Shem Creek Park

View of shrimp boats, Shem Creek Park

We realized rain wasn’t going to end, so we got up, then pushed on until we got to the end of the boardwalk, with another observation deck.  We made it in no time, then sat there enjoying a little respite from the rain.

We looked at Toby and he showed his displeasure at the situation.  He looked like a rat, with hair completely wet around his head.  He was so cute…

At the second observation deck, Shem Creek Park

Second observation deck 

View of marsh area from the second observation deck 

Toby wet and showing his displeasure 

View of Charleston harbor, Shem Creek Park

While we sat, we enjoyed pelicans flying, with their wings fully opened, as well as cranes/egrets foraging for food near the waters.  It was a great idyllic scene and worth the hassle of walking in the rain, getting completely soaked!  We also saw a small group of kayakers slowly gliding on the waters towards the harbor, led by a guide.  We watched them move effortlessly through the waters…

We noticed after several minutes that the rain had stopped momentarily.  We decided it was good of a time as any to start walking back to our car.  Just as we did, the ever friendly rain came back to say hello, yet again!

Oh, well.  We were following rain, or is it the other way around???

We got soaked all over again as we made our way back to our car.  We dried Toby using his towel, then we  turned on the heat in our car to dry ourselves.  This was not a good weather day, but we made the best out of a not so good situation.  

Would we do it again?  Surely!

In conclusion:

There are times when things just don’t turn out the way you want it to.  We expected a sunny day, but that wasn’t meant to be.  That’s ok though.  Sometimes, we tend to remember difficult times better than we do normal times.  The same is true when traveling.

If a trip is average, then it might be forgettable, but if a trip is one hardship after another, then it would be remembered for a long time…We have no regrets we took this trip.  We will definitely be remembering this trip as it was memorable and fun, looking back at how Toby looked all wet, like a rat who just came out of the waters!

Shem Creek Park/Boardwalk is a great destination for a day trip when visiting the Myrtle Beach area.  Drive time is under 2 hours, and it is well worth that drive.  Seafood is awesome and the views are second to none.  We certainly enjoyed it!

Thank you all for reading!

Jake

Wandering Money Pig 

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