Myrtle Beach trip budget tips?

[dolphindan1]

Since i go about 2 zillion times a year i felt like I should respond to this....We live about 2 hours away but visit alot....We always usually stay at the Patricia Grand...nice high rise resort cntrally located....straight shot to broadway at the beach...short drive to North Myrtle beach to barefoot landing and Alligator adventure...We always eat at Crabby Mikes in surfiside beach....cant miss it has a giant crab in front....very good all you can eat buffett....avoid all the wings, eagles etc....go in one and be done with them....you seen one you seen them all....broadway at the beach has alot of shops and resturants....We love Margaritaville(sp) especially after 9 when the band starts, there is also a Landrys, Hard Rock, Planet Hollywood, Nascar cafe, Johnny Rockets all right there.....Dixie Stampede and Medieval times is there also....you can also catch the show at the Alabama theatre or Carolina Opry....there is also a new cirque show but I havent seen it....of course there is the beach....the pavillion which is in the center of the strand has closed but the family park furthur south is open...Hard Rock has started building a theme park and is set to open next year so I assume thats why it closed....if you like water parks the best one is Myrtle waves right south from broadway at the beach....also a new mall at the bypass and 501 its very nice and of course 2 tanger outlets....one down 501 towards conway and one heading to north myrtle beach....I like the 501 tanger better...if you have any other questions ask away....if you really want to look for hotel go to the myrtle beach visitor site and order the stay and play book...its free and shows you every hotel in the area along with tourist info....have fun

 

[keishashadow]

K&W Cafeteria ; with 3 boys we visited @ least twice each trip.

RiverCity good for hamburgers, throw your peanut shells on the floor & write your name on the wall.

Crabby Mikes is good; but they jam you in with a shoehorn; prefer Captain Georges for better ambiance and great grub (good deals earlybird)...near
Broadway @ the Beach, much more fun than Barefoot Landing imo; Landry's restaurants & margarittaville & ripley's aquarium.

No flames - while we own a harley; bike week in MB seems to be more about parking it & partying than riding. We've gone the week prior to harley week, and while busy was fine. Made the mistake of booking the week between both bike weeks - traffic was horrible (not from bikes; vehicles).

great website, nice brochure booklet: myrtlebeachlive.com

We luv Coral Reef (last hotel on southern strip - easy highway access) fantastic pools, easy parking;
Compass Cove has nice amenities, good prices and wide range of room types - see lots of seniors here;
Landmark has great poolscape and low prices-esp on inter. rooms & OV; but have always run into large, boisterous groups
SeaMist underground tunnel to cross st. A sprawling collection of mostly older buildings that they've rennovated - nice waterpark & family pkg for amusement park
If you're on a strict budget Blue Water is ok-privately owned units vary as to condition, has condos across the street w/clear ocean view.
Monterybay in northern end of MB proper is compact, has both OF & rooftop pool; with free breakfast & dessert.

 

[eeyorefan74]

Wow, thanks everybody! This is exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks for the heads up on the biker weeks, too. Never would have known about that otherwise. I learn so much from the Disboards!

 

[dolphindan1]

Wow, thanks everybody! This is exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks for the heads up on the biker weeks, too. Never would have known about that otherwise. I learn so much from the Disboards!

Yeah be careful of bike weeks.....there are 2....one is just bike week and the other is black biker week....dont flame me its what it is called....both have there share of problems....I believe they are back to back around memorial day and 1st week in june is sun fun week.....

as for K&W cafeteria I cannot stand the food and its overpriced and wouldnt suggest it to anyone....Also the calabash seafood is very good and bennetts is the best....if you want that go around 4 with a coupn from a coupon book found at any hotel....Bennetts is not a dump.....also if you have the time Charleston is only about 2 hours south down 17....maybe spend a day downtown Charleston.....just a suggestion

 

[FLA NUT]

We live about 1 1/2 hours away from Myrtle Beach and visit alot. Compass Cove is a very nice resort at the South End of the "Strand". The towers have 1-3 bedroom suites. They have another building with efficiency style rooms. We also go during biker week every year. Typically the crowds are not that bad on the South End where Compass Cove is located.

Another good option is Coral Beach Resort. It also is a nice, family friendly resort. They have a beachfront bar/cafe with nightly entertainment, on-site bowling alley and a small comedy club.

Alot of people like Sea Mist, but personally it is too big and crowded. The resort takes up both sides of the street and the beach front is packed with people.

I hope you enjoy your trip.

 

[minnierocks]

Dates of the first bike week...May 11-20
Dates of the second bike week...May 24-27

I wouldn't stay anywhere near the main strand...unless you want to be a part of that. It will be crowded and a traffic nightmare. Stay north or south...

Have fun!!!

 

[cdrn1]

We live about 1 1/2 hours away from Myrtle Beach and visit alot. Compass Cove is a very nice resort at the South End of the "Strand". The towers have 1-3 bedroom suites. They have another building with efficiency style rooms. We also go during biker week every year. Typically the crowds are not that bad on the South End where Compass Cove is located.

Another good option is Coral Beach Resort. It also is a nice, family friendly resort. They have a beachfront bar/cafe with nightly entertainment, on-site bowling alley and a small comedy club.

Alot of people like Sea Mist, but personally it is too big and crowded. The resort takes up both sides of the street and the beach front is packed with people.

I hope you enjoy your trip.

We are considering a stay at Compass Cove...is it as nice as the website looks? Are there restaurants/beach-type bars within walking distance?

 

[starbaby0103]

my family has a little condo in cherry grove (north myrtle), so i pretty much spent my summers there. it's a world away from the strip, or at least it feels like it! the beach is nice and usually not too crowded. and much calmer!

ditto to what others have said abt broadway at the beach! you'll definately find things to do there! can't remember if you mentioned kids or not, but lots of kids (and adults) like to feed the catfish at broadway...they're huge! so you may want to bring a couple of quarters for that.

if you're into outlet shopping, there's a ton of that in the area as well. and if you absolutely must go to a buffet, go early and utilize the coupon books that are available everywhere!

 

[Jsme]

We have been to MB many times during "Bike Week". We go during the week of May 18 because it is my DH's birthday. We have stayed various places in North Myrtle and have never had a problem. I have seen Barefoot Landing close up due to Black Bike Week but I have never witnessed them closing up for the Harley Rally.

DH just recently bought a Harley and this will be our first time going for the actual Bike Week.

There are lots of places you can eat cheap. Most of the hotels mentioned are nice ones.

 

[keishashadow]

Yeah be careful of bike weeks.....there are 2....one is just bike week and the other is black biker week....dont flame me its what it is called....both have there share of problems....I believe they are back to back around memorial day and 1st week in june is sun fun week.....

as for K&W cafeteria I cannot stand the food and its overpriced and wouldnt suggest it to anyone....Also the calabash seafood is very good and bennetts is the best....if you want that go around 4 with a coupn from a coupon book found at any hotel....Bennetts is not a dump.....also if you have the time Charleston is only about 2 hours south down 17....maybe spend a day downtown Charleston.....just a suggestion

We've enjoyed K&W for over 25 years; most entrees are priced around $5; with sides in the $1 - $2 range ...our family of 5 eating entrees, @ least 2 sides, soda & dessert is always under $50!

The long winding lines out the door (with a good helping of locals/retirees - we have family in surfside) are evidence of the good, home cooking. FYI, the place is packed for breakfast with golfers too. Guess it's all a matter of personal preference though. Certainly, plenty of dining sites in MB to choose from.

OT - Since you are a MB regular (lucky you), what's the "inside scoop" on when HRH/amusement park is going to open. Last construction pics I saw on screamscape didn't show much forward progress?

 

[coastermom]

Order the Oinion Rings at River City cafe !!! They are huge !! Ryans is a nice all you can eat place too it is just up the road from the nascar cafe and speedpark . Speed park is expensive but if you are really into nascar it is worth a visit. Also Aligator adventure is expensive too but they give you the 2nd day "free" just visit the front gate on your way out. One more thing we stayed at Compass Cove and enjoyed it better then Crown Reef . if you are not looking for ocean front and want a nice hotel on 501 there is a country inns and suites that is nice and a short drive to myrtle beach state park which is where we usually go to the beach. The beach behind the ocean front hotels can get kind of crowded at times .

An amazing hotel is the marroitt (SP) ocean villias . they are expensive and on the road between North MB and MB . They are really nice our friend stayed there and loved it. Go to broadway at the beach and bring quaters to feed the fish. my kids love this it is pretty funny to watch too . When you go you will know what i mean .

 

[tink_n_pooh]

If you are still looking for a place to stay, the only thing I can say for sure is that you do NOT want to stay at the Days Inn in Surfside. We stayed there a few years ago, the rooms were cheap, like $40 a night and there is a reason they were so cheap. Our rooms (we had a total of 5) were dirty, smelly, and just not pleasant. This hotel has been rehabbed since we were there but my SIL stayed there since the rehab - still not recommended at all.

Not to hijack the thread but can someone explain all those little bottles of alcohol in SC?

 

[tndisneyfan]

I would stay away from Sea Mist. That's just my opinion and I'm sure there will be tons of people come on here and say athey loved it.
It is several older hotels they've bought and called it a resort. Some of the older parts are very old. We were in a very, very, old part of the resort. It was so bad we wouldn't stay, you don't really want to know the details. This was five years ago, they may have made improvements since.

We usually stay at what used to be called Holiday Inn south, it is now Sea Crest Resort. It was OK, the last time we were there, 3 years ago, I thought it needed some upgrade.

If you were looking for a nicer place to stay I would try some of the condos in North Myrtle. It seems most of the hotels in S. Myrtle are getting somewhat run down.

Just wanted to add I haven't been in three years, you never know how much has changed.

 

[Accentuate+]

If you are still looking for a place to stay, the only thing I can say for sure is that you do NOT want to stay at the Days Inn in Surfside. We stayed there a few years ago, the rooms were cheap, like $40 a night and there is a reason they were so cheap. Our rooms (we had a total of 5) were dirty, smelly, and just not pleasant. This hotel has been rehabbed since we were there but my SIL stayed there since the rehab - still not recommended at all.

Not to hijack the thread but can someone explain all those little bottles of alcohol in SC?

LOL, the infamous mini-bottles! You'll be glad to know we don't use them anymore. It's free-pour now.

For anyone who doesn't know what we're talking about, SC was the last (I think) state to still use mini-bottles (like on an airplane) in all bars and restaurants to serve drinks. Made ordering a cocktail with more than one spirit in it a mess as you couldn't buy less than a mini bottle's worth and each bottle added about 4.00 to the price - never mind the math involved in ordering a round of shots - "yeah, we want 3 Royal Flushes, seven ways". The "official" reason for using them was that with the mini-bottle you got a consistent amount of alcohol in a drink and it somehow was supposed to help cut down on drunk driving. The real reason, in most people's opinion, is that the state got more revenue collecting taxes on all those little mini-bottles than they would on one big bottle.

At any rate, we voted it out last year. yayyy! You can also buy beer and wine in most convenience and grocery stores in the Myrtle beach area on Sunday, now - UNHEARD of in the past. Liquor stores are still not named or labeled as such. In SC you don't go to a liquor store, you go to a "red dot store" (the all have big red dots painted on the outside) and you still can't buy liquor in a liquor store on Sunday or after sundown. Don't even look for liquor anywhere but a bar or a red dot store, no vodka in the grocery stores or drug stores here.

and..agree on the Days Inn, it is cheap but not very nice. Great location, though.

 

[dolphindan1]

We've enjoyed K&W for over 25 years; most entrees are priced around $5; with sides in the $1 - $2 range ...our family of 5 eating entrees, @ least 2 sides, soda & dessert is always under $50!

The long winding lines out the door (with a good helping of locals/retirees - we have family in surfside) are evidence of the good, home cooking. FYI, the place is packed for breakfast with golfers too. Guess it's all a matter of personal preference though. Certainly, plenty of dining sites in MB to choose from.

OT - Since you are a MB regular (lucky you), what's the "inside scoop" on when HRH/amusement park is going to open. Last construction pics I saw on screamscape didn't show much forward progress?

I am not to up on the progress of the new park....last I heard it was scheduled to open summer 08....that seems fairly quick IMO but we will see....I am glad we are getting something like this in SC...I hope it lives up the the Hard Rock standards....

My grandma always I mean always took me to a cafateria....be it Morrisson or K&W I guess she burned me out of them....I would just prefer to eat something different when in MB....

 

[dolphindan1]

We are considering a stay at Compass Cove...is it as nice as the website looks? Are there restaurants/beach-type bars within walking distance?

not easy walking distance.....Broadway at the beach has a good bar/club scene in one section....you can easily spend a day and evening there and have a great time

 

[dolphindan1]

If you are still looking for a place to stay, the only thing I can say for sure is that you do NOT want to stay at the Days Inn in Surfside. We stayed there a few years ago, the rooms were cheap, like $40 a night and there is a reason they were so cheap. Our rooms (we had a total of 5) were dirty, smelly, and just not pleasant. This hotel has been rehabbed since we were there but my SIL stayed there since the rehab - still not recommended at all.

Not to hijack the thread but can someone explain all those little bottles of alcohol in SC?

we are distinguished drunks....LOL

no SC does the mini bottles like on the airplanes at all the bars and clubs its not a free pour state....We just passed to be a free pour state within the last year or 2....so we should be caught up with everyone now....thats why we rank close to last in edumacation....now that we are free pour we will jump up in the rankings.....

 

[dolphindan1]

LOL, the infamous mini-bottles! You'll be glad to know we don't use them anymore. It's free-pour now.

For anyone who doesn't know what we're talking about, SC was the last (I think) state to still use mini-bottles (like on an airplane) in all bars and restaurants to serve drinks. Made ordering a cocktail with more than one spirit in it a mess as you couldn't buy less than a mini bottle's worth and each bottle added about 4.00 to the price - never mind the math involved in ordering a round of shots - "yeah, we want 3 Royal Flushes, seven ways". The "official" reason for using them was that with the mini-bottle you got a consistent amount of alcohol in a drink and it somehow was supposed to help cut down on drunk driving. The real reason, in most people's opinion, is that the state got more revenue collecting taxes on all those little mini-bottles than they would on one big bottle.

At any rate, we voted it out last year. yayyy! You can also buy beer and wine in most convenience and grocery stores in the Myrtle beach area on Sunday, now - UNHEARD of in the past. Liquor stores are still not named or labeled as such. In SC you don't go to a liquor store, you go to a "red dot store" (the all have big red dots painted on the outside) and you still can't buy liquor in a liquor store on Sunday or after sundown. Don't even look for liquor anywhere but a bar or a red dot store, no vodka in the grocery stores or drug stores here.

and..agree on the Days Inn, it is cheap but not very nice. Great location, though.

still cannot get liquor here in Berkeley County on Sunday....dang Blue laws

 

[keishashadow]

I am not to up on the progress of the new park....last I heard it was scheduled to open summer 08....that seems fairly quick IMO but we will see....I am glad we are getting something like this in SC...I hope it lives up the the Hard Rock standards....

My grandma always I mean always took me to a cafateria....be it Morrisson or K&W I guess she burned me out of them....I would just prefer to eat something different when in MB....

gotcha - we don't have the "cafeteria" joints up north (nor the awesome NC bbq-yum); a treat for us.

I ordered a long island iced tea years ago @ Mother Fletchers not realizing that i'd get charged for each mini-bottle (think it ran $30 - least I got 2 drinks out of it)...a fool tourist & their money will soon be parted.

off to day-dream about the grand strand

 

[coastermom]

Hard Rock park is suppose to open i believe april of 08 or May of 08. There is now a backstage tour open at the park site to show you what the park will look like . it just opened on 4/18 . As you can tell by my name we are a coaster family and looking forward to the park opening next year.