Fun in the sun in Myrtle Beach
What a wonderful change of scenery to get to spend an entire week oceanfront at Pirateland Campground in Myrtle Beach. My campsite was on the beach behind the dunes. The entire area is chock full of activities for all ages and capabilities. There was so much to explore!! Outside of a couple rainy days the weather held up nicely in the 70s inviting us to take advantage of all that the beach has to offer. And at the same time this week was an opportunity to slow down and enjoy morning and evening walks and sunset watching seaside.
We started Sunday with exploring Myrtle Beach State Park. The trail was short but super welcome to unwind from a day of driving. I especially loved the pier and all the signs pointing to different wildlife on the trails. We continued with a tour of downtown Myrtle Beach. I spent the afternoon getting a massage first then walking down the boardwalk. Being able to see an aerial shot from the beach from the Skywheel was amazing. I took the opportunity to walk Ziggy along the 1.5 mile boardwalk and we stopped multiple times to just enjoy the views. We made sure to stop and take a photo by one of the many city signs.
The rest of the week was spent getting breakfast early at the various Pancake houses (special shout out to Omega and the Family Barn) as well as getting ice cream at Meyers Ice Cream Parlor. And the rest of the work week we took the opportunity to spend as much time on the beach.
A few nights I went out of the campground to check out Broadway at the Beach - a large entertainment district as well as listen to some live music at Sundown Sports Pub. The band was playing 80s Rock Music and it was so fun to watch everyone let loose and dance on the dance floor.
When the weekend came again, I went to the highly recommended Huntington Beach State Park. There, Ziggy got to stare with awe at the turtles and baby alligators. And I got to check out Atalaya Castle. The castle was built in 1931 and it was the winter residence of industrialist and philanthropist Archer M. Huntington and his wife, the sculptor, Anna Hyatt Huntington. It was named Atalaya, Spanish term for watchtower and designed after the Moorish architecture of the Spanish Mediterranean Coast. On our way out, we also got to see the marsh walk at Murrells Inlet. I was in constant awe of all the wildlife being so close interacting with humans around. The salmon at J Peters Grill and Bar was delicious!
Myrtle Beach is truly a fun destination and I could totally see myself coming back in the summer to spend my time sunbathing and swimming on this beautiful coastline. Next stop - Raleigh and Durham, NC.
