Things To Do In Myrtle Beach | Myrtle Beach Homes | Carolina Forest Homes

Jun 28 2019

Does Myrtle Beach Have A Boardwalk?

One of the top questions asked about this area is “Does Myrtle Beach Have A Boardwalk?” Well, up until 2010, there was no boardwalk here in the area. In May of that year, Myrtle Beach opened a 1.2 Mile Boardwalk that runs from the 14th Ave Pier down to the 2nd Avenue Pier.

Along the boardwalk are some of the most iconic attractions of Myrtle Beach. There are so many things to do in the area. You can go for a ride on the Myrtle Beach Skywheel, dine at one of the many restaurants, listen to live music, play in the parks, visit the Fun Plaza, or simply head down enjoy the magnificent beach.

You can also go deep sea fishing off of either of the piers that bookend the boardwalk. Here’s a few images of the area:

In addition to all of the awesome places to check out along the boardwalk, one of the biggest events of the year, the Carolina Country Music festival takes place here each year.

In addition, the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk has many other fantastic things to do like listening to live music at The Bowery, or having your mind blown by Ripleys Believe it or Not. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, I’m sure the boardwalk can satisfy that too with some ice cream or a trip over to It’s Sugar.

History of Myrtle Beach Boardwalk

Myrtle Beach has not had a boardwalk forever. In fact I remember visiting here as a child and always wondering why there was no such thing here. I remember all the fond memories I had of growing up and visiting the Jersey shore and the time we would spend down on the boardwalk but never understanding why there wasn’t one here in Myrtle Beach. So, I did some investigating.

According to wikipedia, there used to be a wooden boardwalk here in the 1930’s. In 1940, this got an upgrade to concrete in some sections with plans to expand. Unfortunately, these plans got delayed by World War II. Then in 1954, Hurricane Hazel came through and destroyed the wooden sections only leaving behind the concrete segment between 9th & 11th Avenue North which later became renamed Mr. Joe White Ave. In 2008 the 1.2 mile long boardwalk rebuild was started and it finally completed in May of 2010.

So, the next time you are visiting Myrtle Beach, make sure to plan a trip down to the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and enjoy some of the most iconic sites the area has to offer!

Jun 29 2018

Where to See Fireworks in Myrtle Beach-2018

It’s almost 4th of July here in Myrtle Beach, SC and one of the top questions people from out of town are asking, is where should I go to see fireworks in Myrtle Beach. There are tons of places where you can go to see the skies light up, but in my opinion as someone who has lived here for almost 20 years, some displays are better than others. Now, the reasons that some are better than others isn’t because it has more fireworks, or they go longer, or use better equipment, but as a father of three, I look at other things when picking where we are going to go see fireworks.

My comments below are made primarily based on these criteria:

How easy is it to get a good spot for my family to view the fireworks display for the family.
Can I find parking easily in an area that is safe for us to walk down together as a family.
How much will it cost me to park?
How easy will it be to keep an eye on my kids before, during, & after.

That’s basically the main things our family considers when watching a show. Our kids will be happy seeing fireworks anywhere they go. In fact last year because of some family issues, we simply went in the back yard & watched our neighbors set off a rather fantastic display. Our kids were beyond delighted by those.

Where to see fireworks in North Myrtle Beach

If you are on the northern end of the beach, you can see great shows at two places. Barefoot Landing starts their show at 10:00PM. There are plenty of places to find a good spot to watch from around the lake the awesome display they do. What I would suggest is making an evening out of it by showing up early evening, picking a restaurant to eat and then do some shopping around the area. If you wait till 9PM and then try to show up here, you are going to have a hard time finding a place to park and a really hard time finding somewhere to stand with your family to watch. There are plenty of places to go eat, one of my favorites is of course Wild Wing Cafe. (Try The Boss Flavor, my favorite!) In fact, you can catch fireworks here every Monday evening if you would like during the summer.

Another good spot on the northern end is the Cherry Grove Fishing Pier. This show begins at 9:30PM and will be right on the beach. So dip your toes in the sand and watch a great show. Since I live down on the southern end of the beach, I’ve never been to this one, but I know a lot of people who have gone and really liked this spectacle.

Where to see fireworks in Myrtle Beach

In Myrtle Beach, there are a couple of places to catch some great fireworks displays. I’ve been to all of these over the past few years and I have to admit, they all put on a great show. The first place you can see a show is at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans game. The show will directly follow the game. Obviously, to see these fireworks, you would need to purchase a ticket to the game, but you can also see our champion Myrtle Beach Pelicans play. Honestly, there’s not a bad seat at all in the entire building.

The next place where you can go see fireworks in Myrtle Beach is at the Second Avenue Pier. The show here starts around 10pm. I will share from experience, this show can become rather chaotic. It’s an awesome show out over the ocean, but it’s pretty crazy down on the beach. I remember trying to find a place to park a few years back and finally finding a space at a local business. We pulled in and were told that if we wanted to park there, we needed to come in and use the business. So, I went into the bar to purchase a soda, but didn’t have any cash on me. Their minimum purchase for using a card was $20.00. Yeah, I paid $20 that day for a soda, but it was worth it to finally have a parking space and not have to keep searching after already spending 30 minutes driving up and down every street within a mile of each side of the pier.

The third place inside Myrtle Beach that is a great spot to see fireworks is over at Broadway at the Beach. They put on a tremendous show over the lake that will start at 10PM. During the summer you can see fireworks every Tuesday evening here. With the way Broadway is laid out, you honestly can see the show nicely from anywhere on site. There are bunches of great things to do here throughout the day/evening, so plan on making it an all day affair.

As I mentioned before, my personal favorite spot for watching the show at Broadway is from Ripley’s Aquarium outside deck. There are plenty of tables/chairs for you to relax, it’s fenced in and normally isn’t that full. If you wonder what the show looks like from there, here is a clip from last year’s show. If you can’t tell by the jumping, my son really liked the show.

Where to see fireworks south of Myrtle Beach

Down in Murrells Inlet, there is a great show that takes place as well along the Marshwalk. This show will start at 10 and is located at the end of Veterans Pier in Murrells Inlet. I’ve gone to this show before and while it was very nice, it was once again very difficult to find a place to park and I remember walking along side of the road in the dark being extra careful of drivers coming by.

Where else to see fireworks in Grand Strand & Pee Dee

If you are wanting to find some fireworks displays in areas that might not be right along the coast, there are plenty of those options out there as well. Our local news has given a complete list of places all along the Grand Strand & Pee Dee where you can see shows. Click here for the full list of places to see fireworks along The Grand Strand.

Please remember, if you are going to be enjoying the Fourth of July at home and setting off your own, please do so responsibly and safely. Fireworks are nothing to play around with. They could cause serious injury.

Happy Fourth!

photo by:

EpicFireworks

Jun 26 2018

Children’s Haircuts In Myrtle Beach- Pigtails & Crewcuts

I’m going to be upfront with this post and just inform you right now that it has nothing to do with real estate. But it does have to do with things in Myrtle Beach and even more importantly, a new business that recently opened in Myrtle Beach that is an excellent option for those with children. See, I grew up the child of a mother who owned a hair salon in Pennsylvania, and well I hated going to her salon to get my hair cut. The other option was that I could go to the local barber down the street that was run by an elderly gentleman and sit in his weird chair to get a trim. But, neither of those options never really excited me.

Like many children, they do not like going to get a haircut because they fear that it might hurt, or that they have to sit perfectly still for a while to get their hair done. They are boring, places with weird smells from the chemicals used to perm Aunt Gertrude’s hair. There are bunches of women talking about Last weeks political debate, loud noises a blow dryer is running, and bright lights all over the place. Not necessarily the perfect atmosphere for a child to get a haircut in. That’s why when I heard of Pigtails & Crewcuts Opening in Myrtle Beach, I told my wife that we needed to check it out as an option for haircuts for our children.

So, I went online and did a little research to find out that it is Walk-ins only, and that they’re pricing was very affordable. We decided right then and there that we were going to check it out for our daughters to get their next cut. Here’s a quick video highlighting their haircuts:

My oldest daughter who is now 10 years old has had her haircut several times over the years, but never really enjoyed getting it done because it took forever since she has really thick hair. There never was really anything to keep her interest, and well since she can’t read during then, she would usually be very bored. Miriam, my youngest daughter who is now three years old has never experienced a haircut before. Leading up to the day that we were taking them she was excited but unsure of what the experience would be like.

Once we walked in the door of the salon, any uncertainty that was left was quickly removed by the bright colored walls, the multiple TVs, the fun styling chairs, and many other things to distract her. Before they started her cut, they gave her a few moments to play with some of the toys and get acclimated to being inside the salon. When the stylist asked her if she was ready to get her hair washed and cut she was beyond excited then and ready to go. Once she climbed up in the taxi cab chair and was ready for the haircut the stylist asked her if she’d like to watch something on the television, put on her favorite TV show, and she was ready to go. They handed her a lollipop and she was in pure heaven for the entire haircut.

Now my older daughter, who is now 10 years old didn’t quite get the same type of treatment which is understandable. She however did enjoy a nice wash, blow dry, straightening, and cut on her hair. We also had my son along who is 7 years old and they even did an excellent job of entertaining him. He started by playing with some of the toys and then was offered an opportunity to play video games on one of the other televisions which kept him entertained the rest of the time.

The entire bill for both kids was just under $50 with tips. For the type of service they received, I thought it was definitely an excellent value. The staff was very knowledgeable of their different styles of hair as well as what types of non-harmful shampoos & conditioners to use on their hair through the summer. My kids basically live in water then entire summer whether that is at the Beach, the water park, or the community pool. So with all their chemicals in their hair daily, they need specific products to help add nutrients back into their hair. They did an excellent job recommending good products that would work well.

If you have children in Myrtle Beach and need a place to go that is a fun atmosphere with a very friendly staff to get a haircut, I would highly recommend checking out Pigtails & Crewcuts of Myrtle Beach. On their website you can see an entire list of their prices & services they offer also. They are located at 7721 North Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, SC. Go check it out & let them know I sent you!

Mar 05 2018

Things To Do In Myrtle Beach- South Strand Recreation Center

My wife and I try to focus on with our kids are things to do in Myrtle Beach that do not just include time spent in front of a screen. We like our children being involved in activities outdoors, sports activities, or dance activities that give the experiences that they will remember for their lifetime.

One of the places where we are able to accomplish this is at the South Strand Recreation Center located at 9560 Scipio Lane in Myrtle Beach, SC 29588. We bring our children here on a regular basis to participate in league organized sporting events in Myrtle Beach that are put together by the Horry County Parks & Recreation Department. So far, our kids have done soccer a few years, my son has done one year of T-Ball, and this was their first year of Basketball.

The leagues normally run for around 8-10 weeks and include one game and one practice each week. The cost for participating in these activities normally range from around $35-$55 per child. This is an awesome opportunity for our children to learn a new sport, participate in group activities, and learn good life lessons on how to work well with others, encourage others, all while working on a skill for the game being played.

If you have a child and are looking for a great place for them to get involved in team sports, I would highly recommend checking it out. These events are put on by the Horry County Recreation Department and are held in various locations all along the Grand Strand.

In addition to the fun events for the children, they also run adult recreaction leagues in various sports too. So, you are an adult and want to get involved in a basketball league, or some other sport, I’d check it out too.

Feb 13 2018

An Inside Look At Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, so if you haven’t made plans yet you better hurry to it. I’ve actually already discussed the most romantic places in Myrtle Beach that you can see that list here. Every year around this time, I have tried to take my oldest daughter out for a special daddy daughter date night to someplace special here in Myrtle Beach. This year we took an evening to go explore Ripley’s aquarium just the two of us.

For this weeks two minute Tuesday, I hope you enjoy our date as we explored around the aquarium together:

As you can see, we definitely had a fun time exploring the aquarium. We have purchased season passes the past two years for the aquarium because it is a great place to take the family for an outing on a less than stellar weather days. We usually end up visiting at least 1 to 2 times a month.

This trip however, was a special one because it was just me and my oldest daughter. Normally when we go, it’s the whole family together including her younger brother and sister. This time she was able to do everything on her own and not have to share the spotlight with any siblings.

As we drove to the aquarium, I asked her what were some of her favorite things to do in Ripley’s. She replied that she always enjoys seeing the sharks, the octopus, as well as the feeding shows and of course the mermaid show. However, her favorite part is always finding Gabby, the 60 year old sea turtle. She is normally hiding in one of the dark places in the tank. On this trip, Gabby decided to make an appearance and head up to the surface for a few moments which was definitely a highlight for us.

Of course, any trip to the aquarium would not be complete without touching the Horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, and also the stingrays and sharks. And as we do with just about every trip to the aquarium, we ended the night with a final walk down the noisy steps. My kids always enjoy running up and down them making as much noise as possible. Even though we have visited the aquarium many times over the past few years Including on Fourth of July the past two years, we still had a very enjoyable evening where we spent close to two hours walking around discovering things together again.

If you have children, and are planning a trip to the beach in the future, I would definitely try to add the aquarium on to your to do list. Especially if a rainy day creeps up and you need a fun activity to do indoors in Myrtle Beach.