10 Hacks to Improve Your Myrtle Beach Vacation

Highway 501 and Business 17 are not as bad as they used to be, but it’s far from the free-flowing mecca that we wish it was. Luckily, some brilliant government officials had the whereabouts to invent South Carolina Highway 31 and Robert Grissom Parkway. From the looks of things, locals are pretty much the only people who utilize the 65-mph SC-31, which runs stoplight-free all the way from 544 to Highway 9, with a few convenient exits along the way. And while Grissom Parkway has a traffic light roughly every ten blocks, the 45-mph speed limit and limited traffic make it a great way to get from 501 to 17 Bypass, 31 North, or anywhere in between. Check out Google Maps for more info.

Hoards of people flock to the malls and outlets on the Grand Strand for Black Friday deals, creating massive lines and impossible parking lots. But guess what – the same sales are available the day after, and several other times throughout the year. Sure, you might not get that $99 4,000-inch plasma 3D television, but there was only one of them to begin with and it probably didn’t even work. ‘Liking’ the Tanger Outlets and other stores around the area on Facebook and following them on Twitter will keep you up-to-date on all the steep discounts on offer throughout the year. Which leads us to the next hack.

Sorting through your inbox doesn’t cost you anything, unless your time is so valuable that you can’t be bothered with discounts and coupons, and Facebook is also free. While this might sound like a trivial matter, businesses all over the Grand Strand use e-mail and social media to advertise special deals and events throughout the year.

Another fine way to stay up-to-date on the best deals on the Grand Strand is through our Facebook page and email list, which you can sign up for by entering one of our awesome giveaways.

Maybe wedging yourself between a family of nine with seven small children and a retired couple chain-smoking cigarettes is your idea of a good day at the beach. If not, there are plenty of places in town where you can have the beach more or less to yourself, even in the summer season. And as an added bonus, it’s free to park at most of these spots. So you can drop quarters into the meters all day long if you want, or you can take a short drive and use the free beach accesses that start around 34th Avenue North and continue up to 79th with a short break from 53rd to 64th.

Alcohol, in moderation, can enhance your vacation in ways that nothing else can. And free alcohol? Even better. While you might be able to talk a bartender into pouring a splash of wine or draft beer before you actually order a full drink, the folks at Palmetto Moonshine and New South Brewing offer no-hassle samples on the house during tours of their on-site distilleries. And here’s a helpful hint – you’ll want to limit your intake of Palmetto’s White Lightning, unless you enjoy waking up with a stabbing headache that’s only enhanced by sunlight.

These are a little known and under-utilized option at many of the attractions around town. But here’s the thing, the savings begin at pretty much all of them on just the second visit since the pricing structure is typically less than the cost of two tickets. For example, if admission is $20, season passes are usually around $35. So if you’re planning on doing something more than once, ask the ticket booth operator about annual passes and go as often as you want.

Check out the great list of attractions offering season passes here.

That 8:00 a.m. tee time might look good on paper, but you’ll pay way more than you have to and wind up waiting on the group ahead of you all day. On your next trip, consider doing what the locals do and book an afternoon time. Two o’clock is generally an easy time to get, and the course will be all yours. As for the heat – that’s what cold beer, wet towels, and golf carts are for.

Waiting for two hours at the front of a restaurant for the host to call your name is one of the most ridiculous things you’ll do while you’re here. So don’t do that. By having a late breakfast or lunch and then snacking strategically throughout the day, you can avoid wasting precious vacation time just standing around. Here’s the deal – all restaurants on the Grand Strand are open, at the very least, from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m., and the most common time for people eat is between 6:45 and 7:30. So plan on being somewhere else during those times, make sure everyone is holding off their hunger with small bites here and there, and walk right in and get a table whenever you’re ready.

This advice probably dates back to the earliest days of beach vacations, and your vacation depends on it – get too much sun on your first day in town and the rest of your stay will be in jeopardy. Because not only will you look like it’s your first time ever being on the beach, but you’ll be wearing a long-sleeve shirt in 90-degree weather. Sunscreen, people. Lot’s of it.

Because there are so many oceanfront properties in Myrtle Beach, it’s only natural that the area is also home to a bunch of timeshare companies. And here’s the thing about those – they give you free stuff just for listening to a salesperson speak for an hour or two. Whether you wind up purchasing a share is up to you, but if you have the right amount of will-power, schedule a visit with one of them and reap the rewards of your time.