Myrtle Beach in November
When my friend asked me what I wanted to do for our 40th birthdays I replied, "I have a bet on a boxing match that I am going to watch." Needless to say she was mortified, but kept her cool. She quickly and excitedly replied, "Let's jump in my Lexus and drive down to Myrtle Beach. I was perplexed. The summer was over. She knew I was not only a sun worshipper, but an ocean lover. "What are you talking about?" I reluctantly replied, "Let me think about it." I did my research and realized although it was chilly in New York the weather in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina averaged around 65 degrees. I wouldn't be sunbathing or swimming, but I could still frolic on the beach. The crowds would be almost nonexistent and deserted shopping centers would allow us to be footloose. I decided to go and I am glad I did. We had a great time!
Traveling
The drive down was uneventful and pretty boring. We left in the early morning hours on Thursday, November 14, 2007. We beat all the traffic and the Lexus provided a more than primo ride. Neither of us was too concerned or impressed with the scenery as we'd see it many times on separate occasions. We made a pit stop in a small town called Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina off of I-95 to see some of my relatives and were back on the road again shortly thereafter. As we got closer to South Carolina we began shedding layers of clothing. I became more and more excited knowing we were getting closer to the warmth. Finally, 11 hours later we were in Myrtle Beach.
Becoming Acquainted with the Beach
We stayed in a beautiful set of condos on the south end of the beach off Kings Highway. As soon as we entered the room I made a beeline for the balcony. I couldn't believe the scenery, a marvelous postcard backdrop. The beach was vacant, the ocean was rough. I was in my glory. I immediately retired to the balcony in a chair to rest a bit before we hit the town, to find a place to stuff our faces. I love seafood even more than I love the beach. The forecast did call for rain later that evening and into the next morning, but we did not let that stop us.
Out on the Town
After we settled, we decided that since we had a full kitchen we would find the nearest grocery store and purchase some items to save some money. We found a Food Lion grocery story in the area and picked up dinner for later that night and breakfast for the next couple days as we were sure we would want to sleep in every morning. The food prices were considerably lower compared to what we were used to and we found ourselves buying food to lug back with us. Consumers get further discounts with their Food Lion card, which you can get immediately upon filling out a short form. "How cool," we thought. We drove up and down Ocean Boulevard checking out the scene and realizing very quickly how nice it was to not have to deal with the traffic and crowds that normally seek refuge in Myrtle Beach during the summer months. I was in Heaven. I was also exhausted though. The drive was relaxing, but very tiring. We scoped out a couple souvenir shops we wanted to hit and a restaurant called the Crab House and then made our way back to the condo. I needed to retreat and bask in the comfort of the ocean's abode. As the sun made its departure, I lay on the couch watching the ocean disappear into the darkness and all that could be heard was the sound of the waves. I had claimed my spot on the couch in front of the patio doors; although, we had two queen-sized beds and a full-sized bed. I didn't want to miss the spectacular scenery showing. We cooked some vittles, watched some television and I jumped on my laptop taking advantage of the serenity and finishing up a few chapters of my book. Shortly, after I went to sleep on the couch. I did not want to miss the sunrise.
The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Sunrise
It was a magnificent specimen, the rising of the sun, as the ocean tickled its feet. I took these spectacular pictures with my cell phone and used my webcam to record the sounds of the tides and waves calmly touch the shoreline to use for my morning meditation. As marvelous as the scenery was in the daytime, it was equally as beautiful at night. My only problem was neither my cell phone nor webcam were able to capture the million stars that graced the skies. I have a high tech telescope that I left at home and I kicked myself a few times for forgetting it. I had no idea!!! I should not have been so hard on myself though; there wasn't enough room in the Lexus because we had bought so much food!
