by Lynda Phillips

Created on: April 04, 2008   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Myrtle Beach is a fantastic vacation spot that still has its old fashioned ambiance. Modern amenities blend in perfectly, giving one the choice to decide the tone of their vacation.

We stayed at THE REEF, a hotel right on the beach, with a gigantic swimming pool, and two Jacuzzis. Relaxation was swimming, then taking a dip in the surf for awhile. . .from there on to the Jacuzzi before jumping back in the pool to watch the beach activities. The pool stayed open late adding to the total beach experience by moon light. THE REEF'S balconies were a great place to sleep, as the refreshing Atlantic breeze caresses you by night.

Beach combing is a great way to discover some of the ocean's little treats. Letting yourself be buried in wet sand is nature's body wrap.

For many the surf became an obsession, as I watched the same men surf from sunup to well past the rising of the moon. Over and over they rushed the waves looking for that perfect one to ride. Little children had to be pulled from the hypnotizing surf by their parents for meals.

By day the skies filled with colorful kites, and by night fireworks burst brilliant against the night's blackness. It was actually hard, but worth it to leave the resort and see what else Myrtle Beach had to offer. Miles and miles of hotels line beach property, and water parks abound within them.

Museums, shops, novelties. restaurants, ice cream and more await you as you stroll down the street towards the main center. There lies a collection of outdoor markets and attractions.

Old fashioned amusement parks were within our stroll, and a great way to spend an evening. I,however, truly enjoyed the beach activities more than the noise and music of the main strip, but the sights were delightful. As I said, one can set their own tone for this type of vacation. There are dinner cruises, night life of entertainment and dancing, day tours to historical plantations and gardens, horseback riding and parks.

A Myrtle Beach experience is as enjoyable as staying at a Disney World Resort, but with a different Southern hospitality. Beautiful flowers grow tall as humans, hosting brilliant ruby red petals throughout the landscape, and there are also palm trees aplenty.

It's a picture perfect paradise lying in the south of America, filled with real country lemonade, root beer floats and all the South has to offer for recreation. As large as the portion of foods are, don't worry about your waist. Simply rise at dawn, or about sunset over the ocean, jog the beach or hit the surf. Get in lots of swimming and Jacuzzi time, and you will leave the beach fitter than when you arrived.

If escapism is what you need and crave, slip away to Myrtle Beach and allow oceanic nature to nourish your spirit and body back to a state of revitalization. It's a treat for the tired soul.

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