Author Topic: I am going to pile on the vacation bandwagon: Myrtle Beach vacation tips?  (Read 1829 times)

MayDay

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We are going to myrtle beach for a week in early June.  The stay is free as my in laws "own" a timeshare.  Face punch.  Myrtle beach does not seem to be my cup of tea based on google (highly commercialized, tacky, etc) but they have been begging us to go with them for years. 

Expected expenses:

Gas for 12-14 hour drive
Possible hotel overnight on the way there or back:  hope to use points or stay with my brother.  Also hope kids can hack it in the car and we don't have to stop.
Food (groceries)
Food (restaurants)
Small souvenir for kids

In laws eat out every meal and will pay for us if we join them, but we will buy one dinner as a thank you.  We plan to eat most meals at the condo but expect to spend more than usual as we will need some convenience foods and won't have our freezer and pantry stash, won't want out spend a ton of time cooking from scratch, etc.  I am hoping we can be under 300 for all food costs for the week, I but I expect that will be a challenge.  Face punch.  What is reasonable here?  (2 adults, 2 kids, normal grocery budget is 500 exclusive of eating out).

What else should we do?  I don't even know what we should plan on doing other than beach.  I want to avoid the awful Ripleys museum traps, but is there anything good to do that is worth the money for a 4 and 6 year old?  Are there any good spots within an hour drive that aren't necessarily in myrtle beach?  Hiking would be great.  What should we do if there is a rainy day?  The location we are staying is on N. ocean blvd at about 70th ave n. 

hybrid

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I've been to Myrtle Beach a bunch and like it a lot (I like to golf, it's a golfers paradise). Great beaches in Cherry Grove (which sounds like where you will be), not terribly crowded, very relaxing. If your in laws have a typical time share condo it sounds like they have a unit that overlooks the beach?  If so these units almost always have a full kitchen so your food costs shouldn't be radically different from being at home.

Myrtle Beach has a lot of fun things to do on any budget, your in laws will know the lay of the land.

Let me go here. If you are getting to stay at the beach for a week on someone else's dime quit sweating the minor details and simply enjoy your in-laws hospitality, as they are absorbing the biggest expense. What a treat! Myrtle Beach in June is usually over 2K for a week.

Where are you driving from? We get there in 5 1/2 to 6 hours from Richmond. I've done the 12 hour drive and usually do it one day if possible.