Myrtle Beach

One of the benefits of having boys playing college sports is the opportunity to travel to watch their games. Fortunately many of the conference games for both Wofford Football (SoCon) and for GWU Basketball (Big South) are relatively close to home. We have really enjoyed getting to visit places we might not have visited for any other reason.

But last week for the Big South Tournament game at Coastal Carolina, we were going back to a place of our roots. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Grand Strand.

Most everybody in our neck of the woods grew up going to the coast somewhere near Myrtle Beach. From Ocean Drive to Garden City and all points in between, the place to be was the Myrtle Beach area. But, we hadn't been to Myrtle Beach recently because the drive to the Charleston area is so much easier from where we live.

Gameday was Tuesday March 1st which was also my birthday. Birthdays are always a time of reflection and we had plenty of things to reflect on as we pulled in to the heart of Myrtle Beach.

Like most anywhere some things at Myrtle Beach have changed, but lots of things are still the same. The Pavillion area is gone, but replaced with a really awesome 1.2 mile Boardwalk. The Boardwalk stretches along the wide beach and the dunes from the 2nd Avenue Pier to the 14th Avenue Pier. There are restaurants on both piers. One local told us that he and his wife park at one pier, walk the boardwalk to dinner at the other and then walk back to the car after dinner.

The Boardwalk is a really nice addition and they have an area for outdoor concerts there. They are adding a Sky Wheel right beside the ocean which will have a neat view of the beach.

The Gay Dolphin, Peaches Corner and Marvin's are all still there. And so is the Driftwood Motel. My family usually stayed in houses because there were so many of us and because we always needed a full kitchen for massive cooking, but David's family stayed at the Driftwood. We called Sister to tell her we were walking around the Driftwood and she remembered how much fun they had there over the years and how there was a big dining room with great food.

We moved on down Ocean Blvd checking here and there for the best room rates for the off season. All of the room rates for off season are great. There were very few people in Myrtle Beach in March and the hotels were really happy to see us. As David said, "If you drive down Ocean Blvd with your windows down they will just about throw a room key into your car."

So we checked into a great space and headed straight out for my favorite restaurant at Myrtle Beach - The Sea Captain's House. This is an old house on the ocean front with many different rooms and all kinds of seafood. We split a seafood platter and some She Crab Soup. It was 4:30 in the afternoon and we laughed about getting the Senior Citizen Early Bird Special. Well. It was my 55th birthday. And we had a basketball game to watch.

The Bulldogs did not advance in the Big South Tournament but the Sun did come up the next morning. We saw a beautiful sunrise and then went off to look around Myrtle Beach some more. Collector's Cafe had been recommended for lunch and we did stop by there. It's a really cute restaurant with a great looking menu and walls full of local artwork. There is a sign on the front door that mentions Matisse's painting "The Joy of Life". The sign says "Some say he went too far. Picasso said it's not far enough." I love artists.

We enjoyed rambling around in the Collector's Cafe, but we were drawn to the place a few doors away. Sam's Corner Grill. World Famous hot dogs.

Sam's on the Corner at Garden City Beach was a favorite hangout for both of us. This was in a different location, but they still have the best hot dog. With a cold draft beer in a frosty mug. Well. It was my birthday.

We did a little more sightseeing and then wound up in a shopping area. Susan and I had talked recently about how we didn't really want to try on spring clothes. At least not in the size we needed. Susan had laughed and said she found herself buying mostly scarves recently. And shoes.

So, not wanting to try on clothes after Sam's Hot Dog, I wandered into a shoe store at Myrtle Beach. Then I realized that even though I wear the same shoe size as years ago, I really don't have a lot of interest in those 6 inch heels. Or even 4 inch heels. But, I did buy some very flat and comfortable sandals. When I reported this to Carol, she said, "You know we can still wear the same earrings we did in college." I appreciate all of my friends' support and advice - especially on my birthday.

Both my birthday and the trip to Myrtle Beach turned out to be surprisingly fun and uplifting. If you haven't been to Myrtle Beach lately, it might be fun to go back one day soon. At this stage, I'm beginning to agree with what Picasso said, "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone."