This past weekend, temperatures cooled some, making it perfect weather for a long walk. While a stroll on the beach will always top my list of favorite vacation activities, there are so many other wonderful places along the Grand Strand to explore on foot. We have put together a list of some of our favorite outdoor walking trails below: The Market Common Just a few blocks from the beach, The Market Common is a wealth of recreation, including walking, biking and fitness trails, as well as playgrounds. A fitness trail with workout equipment is…

The Horry County Museum and its air conditioning are a welcome treasure this time of year, when the South Carolina heat and humidity reach their peak. This month, the museum is hosting a lecture series by director, Walter Hill, on Scuppernong and Muscadine Grapes. These local grape varieties, first discovered along the Scuppernong River in North Carolina, have long been popular ingredients in wines, pies, jams and jellies in many Southern homes and kitchens. I grew up eating them directly off the vine at my grandmother’s house but don’t know…

I grew up in the North Myrtle Beach area, and yet it took me 31 years before I learned about Ingram Dunes—that is a well-kept secret! The kids and I went for a drive yesterday (a favorite pandemic pastime) despite the afternoon showers, and we ended up coming across Ingram Dunes. I have been meaning to figure out where they were exactly located since last fall, and yesterday ended up being a good day to do that. These magnificent dunes were formed over 80,000 years ago and comprise one of the most natural green spaces on the beach side of…

This past week, for the first time since February, I ventured out to a couple of Myrtle Beach’s best kids’ attractions. We are season pass holders at Ripley’s Aquarium (located at Broadway at the Beach), so we started there. My plan was to visit right at opening on a Monday morning to ensure it would not be crowded—and we had the best time! After being home for nearly six months, the boys were thrilled to be out and about. They both wore their masks (as did I) and understood that if it was crowded, we might have to go home. However, with the…

This weekend brings two important dates for beachgoers everywhere—Saturday, June 20, is the official start of summer, and Sunday, June 21, is National Seashell Day! It’s fitting that these two dates happen within a day of each other, as summer at the beach (and especially Myrtle Beach) is the perfect opportunity to find some seashells. I’ve always enjoyed finding shells when I’ve gone to the beach, but never in the past set out with the intention to go searching for seashells. The recent quarantine due to COVID-19 changed that! Shelling is a…

As the Myrtle Beach area continues to reopen to visitors, we want to make sure our travelers are doing every thing they can to visit responsibly. Fortunately, there are many ways to safely social distance while visiting our shores! Here is a round-up of some of our favorite ways to make the most of your Myrtle Beach vacation while staying healthy: 1. Spend time on the beach! The beach is one of the easiest places to social distance, and sunbathers can enjoy the benefit of fresh air and sunshine while doing so. Just be sure to place at least 6…

The beginning of May marks the start of loggerhead sea turtle nesting season here in South Carolina. From now until October, female turtles will make their way out of the ocean and to the dunes, where they dig a nest and lay their eggs. A loggerhead sea turtle will lay around 120 eggs that will then incubate for around two months, 55 to 60 days until they emerge to make their journey back to the ocean. Volunteer groups throughout the Grand Strand make a great effort to protect these turtles, their eggs, and babies throughout the turtle season.…

As we near a very unique Mother’s Day—one most families will celebrate at home—I’ve been thinking a lot about my personal journey as a mother during this scary season of coronavirus. Like many around the world, I’ve found life in quarantine to be a roller coaster… a strange recipe of memorable family moments, anxious nights, afternoons of boredom, creativity, frustration, exhaustion, and more. There have been some truly magical days—my oldest learning to ride a bike, mornings cooking with my youngest son or sitting in the sunshine while the…

Around the beginning of May—sometimes earlier if we’re having a particularly warm spring—we start to see some cannonball jellyfish wash ashore on our daily beach walks. One of the questions I’m asked frequently online is whether there are jellyfish in Myrtle Beach, and of course, the answer is yes. But that shouldn’t cause too much concern or stop anyone from swimming. The jellyfish most commonly seen along our shoreline are cannonball jellyfish and this particular kind are not generally known for stinging humans. In fact, I’ve lived and swam…

This week, we’ll celebrate Earth Day in a different way. Normally, we venture down to Brookgreen Gardens for activities they host celebrating our planet and teaching us how we can do our part to keep it clean or we head out for a community beach sweep. But given the current circumstances, we’ll be sticking close to home and trying to incorporate Earth Day into our day-to-day life. Earth Day falls on Wednesday, April 22, this year, but we’ll be using the whole week to teach our kids what we can about doing our part. It’s the 50th anniversary of…