Low-Key Grand Strand

For this spring break, we decided to head to the shore. We visited Myrtle Beach in its less-crowded days. While we typically spend about a day at Myrtle in the mid-summer, it's usually hot and bumper-to-bumper, so we don't stay long. The quieter days allowed us to take better advantage of some jewels we missed.

Brookgreen Gardens was one of the highlights of the trip, with Kim remembering how boring she'd thought the gardens would have been as a child--and how fun they were on this trip! The gardens include a nifty history, a varied collection of interesting sculptures, and beautifully-tended plants. There's a children's garden section that is particularly whimsical, and there's a small zoo included with your admission price. The zoo features native animals and farm animals, and it's one of the most naturalistic animal exhibits we've seen. We were particularly impressed by the aviary atop a wetland, affording a real South Carolina lowcountry experience.

New to us this year was the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, a "cleaned up" area stretching by landmarks such as the former location of the Pavilion Amusement Park and the fabulous Gay Dolphin Gift Shop. It still has the "look" of yesteryear in some details, but the overall feel is that of a new boardwalk that makes for a good night walk. And yes, the Gay Dolphin sells the items it always has, including bike license plates that are guaranteed to feature your name!

We also had two great meals at the oceanfrot Sea Captain's House, having a nice sit-down breakfast with an ocean view and returning for a dinner. Dinner was magical--and not just because of the yummy crab cakes! The dinner atmosphere was casual upscale without being pretentious, and while waiting, it was pleasant to hang out around the building, being able to wait on a patch of land near the sand dunes if you wished. It put us in the mind of what Martha's Vinyard must be like. We had Elijah with us, and we still got prime seats inside, looking out upon the ocean. What good service!

If you go, know that we enjoyed staying at the Sea Mist, a hotel Kim remembered staying at in childhood, and we got a great three-day deal. The resort is about to undergo renovations, so if you are nostalgic for the Sea Mist of the 80s, go while you can. Justin recommends Captain Hook's Mini Golf, two eighteen-hole courses he'd wanted to play for years, and Kim recommends a ride on Family Kingdom's Swamp Fox coaster, a rough wooden coaster with no shoulder harnesses. Air time!

Relevant Links:
Brookgreen Gardens
Sea Mist Resort
Family Kingdom Amusement Park
Sea Captain's House

Krispy Kreme Burgers!

One recent weekend "around town," we visited a new greasy-spoon restaurant in Salem. Chili Peppers, an ancillary to a gas station at 206 Apperson Dr., Salem, VA, is a friendly home cooking place inspired by Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. We enjoyed deep-fried hotdogs (you can get them wrapped in bacon and further deep fried inside a tortilla) and a Krispy Kreme burger (donut sliced open, hamburger inside). Also on the menu are homemade shakes and homemade chicken salad. Perhaps no good for your diet--but good for your taste buds!

If you go, expect a cozy place. You'll be close to a walkway along the Roanoke River and to Salem's Cuban restaurant El Cubanito if you want to do a good lunch, a long walk, and then a good dinner. Don't let the bars on the window at El Cubanito be off-putting: the food is substantial and warming (but not spicy-hot); the service is welcoming; and the building is "fixed up" inside, having been previously a sporting goods/bait and tackle shop. You'd never know it!