Spending a month in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Our return trip to the Grand Strand in 3 years
The last time we had visited the famous “Grand Strand” area, encompassing roughly 60 mile stretch of beaches along the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina ranging from the town of Little River down to Georgetown, it was with our Pomeranian Toby. We stayed at a golf course community in the town of Murrells Inlet, several miles south of Myrtle Beach, for a duration of 3 months.
After a veterinary examination that revealed a serious kidney condition in early December, we realistically knew we only had maybe several months left with our fur baby. It was some of the toughest times we had ever experienced, knowing our time together would come to an end, very soon.
Knowing this, we strived to make the best of the situation, and decided to make as many good memories together as we could. We went everywhere: local parks, state parks, community parks, scenic spots, city of Charleston, Myrtle Beach boardwalk, and many others.
We knew Toby was having a hard time keeping up with us by that time, but on several occasions, he seemed good as he ever was, enjoying himself and fully acclimating himself to new surroundings. We were so happy when he was happy. We loved him as much as we could, and we cared for him as best we could.
Maybe it was because we had these sometimes good but mostly sad memories that we hesitated to revisit the area since we lost Toby. But after going on our first cross country road trip back in the winter of 2022, we knew we had to, and felt we could finally move on with our lives without him.
It took all of 3 years to get back there, to finally get over those sad memories of our beloved dog, but we knew it was time: Time to let go of those sad memories, time to accept our new chapter in our lives without Toby, and time to finally enjoy the beautiful Grand Strand area once again.
When an opportunity came to revisit this area in December, we took it wholeheartedly.
So, why December? Well, the Grand Strand area in the busy months (anytime that is not winter) is really expensive for long term rentals.
In the winter months, there are bargains to be had via any of the accommodation booking websites like AirBnB or VRBO. We found a $1200 monthly rental in North Myrtle Beach area that we couldn’t pass up!
This particular rental beachfront property has 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms, a washer/dryer, fully stocked kitchen, and a balcony. It was also AirBnB’s “Guest Favorites” rental, which means it’s one of the top 5% of all rentals in the area.
When it was time to check in to our new temporary home in early December, we were ready! We had bunked over at my work colleague/friend nearby in a town called Conway, South Carolina, and we stayed there until it was time to check in at around 3 o’clock.
We left Conway, drove about 30 minutes to arrive at our rental. By then, we had checked in at so many Airbnb/VRBO long term rentals that we knew what to do.
We got the passcode to enter the rental unit, located on the second floor, then walked in, greeted by the beautiful ocean views of the majestic Atlantic Ocean! It was an awesome first impression.
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| View from our rental |
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| Nice sized living area |
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| Fully equipped kitchen |
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| One of the two bathrooms |
We got to check out the rental unit, and we were pleased. We liked the two bedrooms with two bathrooms. Of course my wife got the bedroom with the nice ocean view but that’s just the way it is. Better to keep the peace in our household and this is one way I can do that.
We also liked the washer/dryer in the unit, which meant we didn’t have to look for a nearby coin laundromat, saving us time, money, and hassle. This small convenience is something we don’t take for granted. We’ve had to drive over 15 minutes to get to a coin laundromat when we stayed in a town called Ellicottville, New York. That was a major hassle!
Of course the absolute best thing about this unit was the balcony, and that awesome ocean views. We were less than a hundred feet away from the ocean, and it had to have been one of the closest oceanfront hotels/rentals we’ve ever stayed in.
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| View from our balcony |
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| Sunset on the first night there |
We couldn’t believe how amazing the views were. We were so grateful we got this unit for $1200! Wow…
We settled in for the night, enjoying the mighty sunset right from the balcony. That sunset would be first of many from our rental unit, along with always changing views of the ocean.
We got to spend a month in popular North Myrtle Beach in this fantastic oceanfront condo. Because we had been everywhere with our Toby on our first trip, we didn’t feel the need to venture out. Instead, we enjoyed the simplicities of a beach life, like these listed below:
- Ocean, ocean, and that beautiful ocean
There’s a reason why so many people gravitate towards a large body of water, like the ocean, lake, river, reservoir, and others. I know, as I loved going to the ocean growing up.
I would swim on Memorial Day (end of May) at the Jones Beach State Park, or Robert Moses State Park with my buddies, to mark the beginning of the summer. It was good times, playing beach volleyball, taking a dip in the water, then taking naps on the beach. Summer really seemed to last forever…
We also lived on the island of Oahu, Hawaii for over two years, spending plenty of time on the world famous Waikiki Beach, Ala Moana Beach, Kailua Beach, and the North Shore. Then and now, a large body of water always seemed to make me feel whole. I love to sniff the air, to see the horizon, and/or to see the changing scenery of the ocean and the surroundings.
I thought I had seen it all from my days of hanging out at different beaches all these years, but nothing prepared me for what I had been missing out. Visiting for few hours is not the same as living, day in day out, at the beach!
Scenery always changes: on sunny days, the bright glimmer of the seas would sparkle signaling the beginning of the day, in the mid afternoon, the colors of the ocean would change constantly, from steel blue, blue, green, and in the evening, the colorful sky would turn orange to crimson red, signaling the end of yet another beautiful day at the beach.
On partially cloudy days, the skies would seem more dramatic, especially at sunset, as the sun and the cloud would compete with each other to see who would win out. Some of the most epic colors were seen when there were some clouds in the sky, brining a sharp contrast to the colors of the sunset.
We were just enjoying ourselves like true retirees living right near the ocean. This to us, is one of our favorite ways to spend our days, just enjoying the slow pace of the beach life while fully being truly immersed in the ocean…
There’s a sense of freedom, contentment, and ease that comes from living by the ocean. We truly understood then, that our favorite place to live is by the beach.
We did just that for over 2 years in Hawaii, and we thought we got our fill of the ocean. We were clearly wrong. Just going back to the ocean made us miss the wonders of the ocean, whether it’s Hawaii (Pacific Ocean), or it’s Myrtle Beach (Atlantic Ocean).
- Animals, birds, and sea creature watching…
We’ve always been lovers of animals and all things cute, and out by the ocean, there are plenty of creatures that are absolutely adorable. On top of the list are the adorable dolphins that love to swim right near the coast.
We must’ve seen something like 10 different dolphins, usually in a pod, and sometimes if we’re lucky, see cute babies swimming alongside their mothers. That, is why we love the ocean.
Besides these dolphins, there are so many waterfowl and seabirds frolicking around and sunbathing. It’s a magical wonder to see majestic birds gliding near our condo, their wings fully opened to show off their softer undersides.
With ever changing array of animals, birds, and sometimes dolphins to keep us busy, we were never bored. We didn’t need to go outside much, except to do some grocery shopping or to pick up prepared foods.
We truly enjoyed sitting out on the balcony, breathing in the briny, fresh air while seeing nature play right in front of us. What more can a humble retiree need?
Life is a beach, for sure…
- Excellent location of North Myrtle Beach
Unlike Murrels Inlet, which is a popular gold course destination that is on the quiet side, North Myrtle Beach is best of both worlds: it has everything you can possibly want like various cuisines, shopping, entertainment options yet it’s not crazy busy, like Myrtle Beach can be.
Being away from the boardwalk area of Myrtle Beach makes the North Myrtle Beach area popular with families, couples, and for anyone who is looking for some solitude and peace. Our condo was exactly that.
We were close enough to be near the action of Myrtle Beach, yet felt worlds away, tucked away in our little condo with barely a neighbor near us. We really appreciated that.
Even walking on the beach right in front of us, was a treat, as the crowds thin out the farther away you are from Myrtle Beach. It sometimes felt like we had the beach all by ourselves.
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| Our condo |
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| Looking towards northerly direction |
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| Quiet beach during sunset |
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| Just after sunset with a moon visible |
In conclusion:
It took us a long time to return to Myrtle Beach area but we’re glad we did. It was definitely time to move on with our lives after Toby, and we think the time was right. Although we miss that bugger, we realize it’s better to reminisce about the good times together, about the love we shared and of the memories we had, rather than dwell on the bad times.
Spending a month at Myrtle Beach brought back our good memories of the beach and the surrounding areas. We had forgotten how beautiful and clean the city is, by the ocean.
We barely got out (only to buy foods), yet we feel we had a great time. There’s something magical about living near the ocean with its constantly changing weather and environment that make things interesting.
We now realize how much we enjoy the ocean. We were always going back and forth between the virtues of the mountains vs the oceans, but in the end, the oceans won out. We are definitely ocean lovers, at least right now.
Who knows what’ll happen later in life, but we reserve the right to change our minds, right?
Thank you for reading and happy trails!
Jake
Wandering Money Pig
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