My Happy Place ll: Surfside Beach, SC

We always come to Surfside Beach in April (see previous post), but we’ve never come in the summer.  As many of our friends said when we told them we were coming in July, “Why would you go to SC in July…it’s not hot enough at home?”  Well…we came for several reasons.  #1 – We love it here!!!  #2 – My son can golf for FREE with an adult.  #3 – Rentals across the street or on the beach are so much cheaper than driving 1-2 hours from home for a vacation.  The ONLY drawback is the drive…it was 18 hours, but we stayed over night and it really isn’t that bad when you break it up.

We found our rental through a realty agency and were disappointed with their customer service.  We decided that we were going to come to SSB late so when I checked VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) most rentals in our price range were gone.  If we decide to come again next summer, I will definitely book earlier.  The rental we chose was great…I have no problem with the rental.  It was the service from the rental agency that was not acceptable.  We were directly across from the beach with an ocean view and it cost less than if we drove to a place 2 hours from home.  So worth it!!!

Another perk when coming in the summer is that many of the activities that aren’t available in April are open.  For instance, water parks, water sports (including parasailing and banana boat rides) and there are more  frequently scheduled boat trips.  We took advantage of the dolphin watch out of Crazy Sister Marina in Murrell’s Inlet.  It was a brand new boat with a knowledgeable staff.  It took us a while to find the dolphins, but when we found them…there were quite a few.  The boat ride itself was awesome.  Be sure to put sunscreen on your face.  Even though it is cool and breezy out on the water, you are getting a ton of sun.

Golf is everywhere down here and my husband and son were in their glory.  Many of the courses are free for 16 and under with a paying adult.  My husband paid $54 for both of them plus a cart which is cheaper than paying for just himself and a cart at home.  I gave him a round of golf at a course where he wanted to play.  Unfortunately, it was not included in the juniors golf free program…Prestwick Golf Club.  It was still cheaper than most of the courses at home if he had to pay for both of them and a cart.  I used  MyrtleBeachGolf.com to book the tee time.  Very simple and you can sign up to get emails about special deals.

Okay…yes…and you have to eat…right?!  There is no shortage of restaurants and cafes.  It is crazy how many places there are to eat.  Most of them are busy too…if you go to a place at dinner time and it isn’t busy, you should probably rethink going there:)  I have a favorite restaurant in Myrtle Beach and a favorite restaurant in Murrell’s Inlet.  My favorite in MB is Margaritaville.

Yes it is a chain and yes it is one of the millions of products from Jimmy Buffett, but I LOVE it and we have to go every time we are in this area.  The dinner wait was ridiculous, but  if you go for lunch or go early for dinner there is usually no wait or a short wait.  The Cheeseburger in Paradise and Volcano Nachos are yummy.  I am partial to the Margarita Flight.  If you do have to wait, you can take a walk around Broadway at the Beach.

Lastly, there is Creek Ratz in Murrells Inlet.  It is a fun little place that has live music just about every night.  They have seafood, salads, sandwiches and raw bar.  Their hush puppies are yummy and the view is second to none.  If you like a place with a great atmosphere, this is your kind of place.

Where is your go-to vacation spot?