How an FBG Does Myrtle Beach
My husband and I have very different ideas of what constitutes a successful beach vacation. He sits squarely in the sit-on-the-beach-and-do-as-little-as-humanly-possible camp while I prefer something a little more active.
The reality is that my body actually doesn’t feel refreshed and renewed after spending a week sitting or lying around (on the beach or otherwise). In fact, I often find myself feeling lethargic after too much do-nothing vacationing. This isn’t to discount my husband’s style of beach vacation as “bad” or “wrong”, it’s just not always for me. But I do it every once in a while for the sake of compromise and my marriage.
However, recently I was extended an invitation to go to Myrtle Beach and experience a different side of the area (they paid for all my travel, lodging, food and activities) — a wellness getaway. As you can probably imagine, I jumped all over the chance to take a beach trip that was more my speed … sans husband. Turns out Myrtle Beach is an FBG’s dream!
What Makes Myrtle Beach So FBG-Friendly?
Fall is a fabulous time to visit the Myrtle Beach area because during the months of September and October you’ll still experience awesome summer-like temperatures and warm ocean waters without the peak-season prices and large crowds. During these months, the area becomes far more peaceful, spacious, and affordable.
This place is full of active things to do for the adventure seeker in you who doesn’t want to sit still. You can take surfing lessons, practice yoga on the beach, tackle the tree-top ropes course, give cable wakeboarding a try, tour the area by bike, or jump into a kayak.
And when you do feel ready to settle down for some reflective time, Myrtle Beach offers 60 miles of beautiful beaches to catch a sunrise (like this one) and the most serene settings to take a stroll. Myrtle Beach also created five meditation zones throughout the area, each representing one of the five senses which you can visit while listening to this free 16-minute “Senses” guided meditation from their website.
So many great ways to move in new and interesting ways, celebrate all that hard-earned fitness and focus on your mental health. Here’s a look at how I spent my time in Myrtle Beach.
Hitting the Beach: FBG-Style
DAY ONE: I arrived at the airport in Myrtle Beach in the afternoon. A short drive later, I was sitting on the balcony of my room with an amazing view of the ocean at North Beach Plantation in North Myrtle Beach.
That evening, we took a short drive to Conway, one of the oldest towns in South Carolina, for a walking tour along the Waccamaw River. I was immediately struck by the huge oak trees covered with Spanish Moss and Resurrection Ferns — little details you might miss if you weren’t walking it.
DAY TWO: I headed out early in the morning for a quick run around the neighborhood where I was staying. My running route was just off the beach so, of course, I made a few stops along the way to sneak another peak (and pics) of my gorgeous surroundings. After my run, it was time for yoga on the beach. Meditating on the sand to the sound of the ocean is sublime.
Then, we were off to see the Boardwalk and Sky Wheel. Normally the thought of the touristy sections of a beach town make me roll my eyes. But this time of the year, it wasn’t overcrowded and I even managed to snag a boardwalk handstand shot before going up on the Sky Wheel.
From the top of the 200-foot high observation wheel, we could see everything — including the storm clouds approaching from the west and knew that sadly, this meant our plan to go cable wakeboarding had to be scrapped. But no worries, there’s plenty to do here and Plan B would take us to a local winery.
After lunch, we headed to La Belle Amie Vineyard where we walked the vineyard with the owner Vicki and heard all about the rich family history. We even got to taste the grapes straight off the vine. Then it was inside to taste the wine. Not too shabby for a rainy and overcast afternoon.
DAY THREE: I’ve always wanted to try surfing and what better time? I arrived on the beach wondering if all that yoga and stability training I do regularly would pay off and it totally did … in a big way. Mad props to the awesome instructors at Jack’s Surf Lessons for their part in helping uncover this hidden talent of mine. It was such a blast!
After lunch, it was off to Brookgreen Gardens — home to a fantastic sculpture garden of more than 1,000 sculptures by American artists, a zoo for native SC species, walking trails, and a labyrinth. We started with a 45-minute boat tour of the historic rice fields where we were visited by a gator swimming along side our pontoon boat in the lagoon. Then, we walked the breath-taking grounds — all of which was so zen-like that I couldn’t help but handstand with joy.
The day ended with a nature walks through the marshes and trails of Huntington Beach State Park. There’s a long boardwalk that takes you straight out into the middle of the marsh where you can watch crabs, hundreds of species of birds, and all sorts of other interesting wildlife in their natural habitat. This was truly mesmerizing.
DAY FOUR: Up early to walk to the beach and watch the sunrise — that never gets old. Then it was off to Cinzia Spa for a Hot Lava Shell Massage and Micro-Collagen Facial which left my muscles relaxed and my face glowing. Just in time to pack and head to the airport. I left feeling refreshed, inspired and energized. Mission accomplished!
Thank you Myrtle Beach for showing this FBG such a fabulous time! Can’t wait to do it again!
For more reasons to book a trip or a complete listing of all the great stuff to do, check out this site.
What’s your favorite way to move on vacay? —Alison