Kay and I are going on an adventure this spring. We needed to finish up some researching and planning. My Marriott timeshare sent an invitation to visit several resorts for a nominal fee and without giving up my own week so we jumped at the chance to get away. We chose Myrtle Beach mostly because it was available, we could drive there and Kay had lived there years ago and was familiar with the area.
I drove to Kay's with only one wrong turn...well maybe two which required her to stand in the middle of the road and wave so I could see her. We then took off in her car for the roughly 5 hour drive to the beach. Kay invited her goddaughter Morgan to join us for a few days as well. We had an uneventful drive and checked in. This resort is beautiful and it was still decorated for Christmas which made it especially pretty. We unloaded the car and got settled in the villa. It is very nice and has a beautiful view of the ocean and beach. We went back to the other building to wait for Morgan and take some pictures of the decorations. They were being removed the next day. They have a beautiful balcony with pergola, fire pits and gorgeous double curved staircases that overlook the heated pool with the beach beyond.
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| These angels were beautiful! |
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| Morgan warming her hands |
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| Huge live Poinsettias were everywhere. |
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| We loved the beach themed tree. |
Morgan arrives and we decide on dinner and the balance of our week was pretty much the same. We would walk a couple miles on the beach (shelling was good), have breakfast or lunch then go outlet mall shopping, find food for dinner, put the puzzle together or watch past episodes of Downton Abbey. Kay would do research while watching. Kay and I would walk around in the shoes we bought at the outlet mall and decide if they fit well enough to keep them. Those that didn't make the grade were returned in our next shopping trip.
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| 8th Floor Starfish Building on the Beach |
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| You can't see them but there are houses in those woods! |
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| Our beach walk |
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| These were from 1st day...last day was the best! |
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| We walked in this direction past the buildings above. |
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Our building was on the beach.
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| Pools were heated but it was getting out that would be the issue! |
Morgan left on Wednesday and we hated to see her go. She is a fun young lady and we had a good time with her. We were however more inclined to get to the purpose of our trip and the planning after her departure. We did continue our walks and several days it was below freezing and strong wind so scarves and gloves along with heavy jackets were the attire. Friday was the warmest day we had and it brought everyone out to sit on the beach and sun. Saturday it rained almost all day so we stayed in and worked on the puzzle, watched a movie then started gathering our things to get ready to go home.
After a misunderstanding about what we were doing for dinner we finally did eat. When we got back we finished packing and then were on a quest to finish the puzzle before we left. At just before midnight we did it and realized we were missing a piece. We knew it had to be on the floor somewhere. Half of the dining room seating was a bench. Kay climbed onto the bench then laid down and was feeling around the carpet under the table. I spotted the piece and was trying to direct her to where it was but every time she tried to move the cushions on the bench moved with her. We had the best laugh of the week over that one. She insisted she should be the one to put the last piece in since she was stuck under the table. So ended our week. We were up early, loaded up and on the way before 8 AM. We found this tree on the way down but didn't have a camera ready...we were prepared on the return trip. Not as funny as the "shoe tree" Debbie and we have no idea of the significance but this tree is covered in teacups! Ms. Kirby was so excited to see her momma when we got home. I made a quick pit stop and then started on my 3 hour ride home and the trip was over!
Our dining varied from Southern to Seafood. The Lizard's Thicket was a place Kay knew where we stopped for lunch in Columbia on the way down. It was a meat and 3 and the corn muffins really good so we bought some to go. Kay made vegetable soup and I made turkey noodle soup that we brought with us to have for dinner as well. We had pizza one night, dinner at the fish restaurant at Bass Pro Shops which was good but Morgan especially loved the bread with honey drizzled over it. This was in the parking lot of a mall across the street from the outlet mall. The next time we went to the outlet mall, a woman had been robbed and murdered in that parking lot just a few steps from where we had parked that night...yikes! We went to a place called Mr. Fish and had seafood and corn dodgers which were very yummy but the best part of that meal was the PIE we got to take home. Coconut Grit Pie....oh yum was it good. Our best meal by far though was at a restaurant in the Marriott hotel on the same property called Oceans on 82nd. They had the same menu in the bar and that was where we chose to go. It was a very comfortable place and the food was oh so good. We decided to eat appetizers and sampled five of them. We had crab cakes that were to die for, spring rolls that were yum, pot stickers that were delicious and now I can't remember the other things but maybe Kay can. I do remember that they had placed some of the items on a bed of salad that was excellent as well. All of it was wonderful and tasty and perfect for us for dinner. Kay had a Mule it was made with ginger beer and vodka...it was really good and I had a red wine, We really enjoyed the night there. Morgan had already left by then. I think I have now covered the major points.
The End.
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| Master Bath |
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| Living Area |
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| Second Bedroom had it's own bath |
PS....I neglected to say that in the 8 years I have owned my Marriott timeshare, I have managed to escape the sales pitch to convert my "owned legacy week" to points. I agreed to do it this trip since I had the time and because I really wanted to get the info from Marriott rather than from users groups I belong to. As Kay said, if they are working so hard to get you to do it, it has to benefit them more than you. She agreed to go with me to hear the "presentation" as they call it. They split us up as it was a one on one sales pitch. I resisted and in the end so did Kay but I got $100 resort credit and Kay chose the 10,000 Marriott points. We used my credit at the hotel to have dinner....so it was free! Now Kay has to take me with her when she spends the night at a hotel with her points.
