Every year I have one major wish for my birthday. This year my wish was to see a sunrise on the beach. I know, not a super big deal for most but something I’d never done so a big deal for me. Thank goodness I have a Hubby you wanted to make sure my wish came true with a surprise planned trip to Myrtle Beach.
Good Intentions
So let me share a bit of the backstory to my wish. One day a few weeks before my birthday the Hubby and I took a completely unplanned road trip and ended up in Wilmington, NC. We left at like 1 pm and ended up down there early evening. We found this little hole in the wall local spot named Winnie’s where I had THE Best Carolina Burger ever eva!
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Introducing my first taste of @winniestavern ??? ???????? ??????: ???????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ???? ???? Can you say YUM? _ #WinniesTavern #CarolinaBurger #WilmingtonNC #WilmingtonEats #ExploreWilmingtonNC #TheMrsTee
From there we headed to the beach. As I stood there with my feet at the very edge of the sand and the water I told him I would love to see a sunrise on the beach. He had no idea I’d never seen one and I guess started planning to make it happen.
Fast forward a few weeks and I’m sitting on the couch (my second office) scheduling a few clients and he overhears me confirm one for my birthday. Once I hang up, he asks “why would you schedule things on your birthday?” My truest boss girl response: “why wouldn’t I?”
It was here I guess he realized trying to surprise me in the midst of a hustle season probably wouldn’t work out well. He explained he was planning a trip to Myrtle Beach for my birthday and that I may want to block out some time so I could actually enjoy it. Nuff said!
Let’s Go!
Now that my schedule was clear, we decided to spend 3 days in Myrtle Beach. Most of our plans focused on a list of things my Kiddies wanted to do that we missed during our last visit in December. I know. My birthday – their plans? It was all completely fine with me because like I said my main wish was simply to get to see that sunrise on my birthday morning. Everything else would just be the icing on my birthday cake!
We hit the road around mid-day and arrived at a bit after sunset. Once we checked in and got settled we made our way down to the beach. Luckily we were only a short walk away and had the chance to get our feet in the sand and watch the waves roll in for a bit. We didn’t stay too long since we had a full day planned for the next morning but it was still the perfect start to our trip.
My First Beach Sunrise
Our first full day was dedicated to the beach itself. I was so excited to get up and see that first sunset. I knew I was going to have 3 but this first one would definitely be the most special. There was no need to set an alarm because if you know me you know I rise with the sun anyway.
I flipped back the covers (yes, I’m that person who has it freezing just so I can be under a blanket) and as my feet hit the floor I felt like a kiddie on Christmas morning. I was so excited for this moment. A “just me” moment. Everyone else in the room was still asleep. My Hubby mumbled something but I told him he could go back to sleep. I wanted this all to myself.
I slid on my pink slides and shuffled my way to the balcony. Sliding the door open I was hit with a warm breeze and the fresh scent of the ocean. I glanced over to my left and there it was – the sun peaking up just over the horizon. As I pulled the small plastic chair closer to the rail I began to think on my life. All 40 years and 364 days of it – my birthday was still a day away.
I was grateful. For everything. The good, the bad and even what seemed like the irrelevant. Each moment up to this one helped make me into the person I was. I’m not perfect in any way but I am finally comfortable with who I am – faults and all. It took me a bit to get here and I still have further to go but I am grateful for the process. Grateful for my God who is willing to remain with me through it all.
Later that morning the entire family made our way down to the sand. We enjoyed the moment, each other and the memories we made. Our next day was going to be one for checking off our lists of fun and making the most of every second!
WonderWorks – The Upside Down House
Day 2 started bright and early. I enjoyed my second sunrise moment, we ate breakfast and made our way down to the first destination on our list: WonderWorks!
Wonderworks is located at Broadway At The Beach and trust me you can’t miss it! This upside-down the building will not only catch your eye but your attention as well. From the moment we walked in I knew this was going to be fun. There was something to do EVERYwhere!
My Big Girlie (12) has wanted to visit Wonderworks since our Christmas visit last year. It didn’t help when she missed her class trip to Myrtle Beach and heard all the tales of the different exhibits and fun. When we got there she had an entire list of things she knew she had to see and do! Let’s just say we did all of it and then some!
Did You Know?
WonderWorks, Myrtle Beach is 50,000 square feet of interactive fun!! Our faves were the bubble-making room, bed of nails (yup I did that!), Pulley Power (who knew I could lift my own weight??), Giant Light Bright Wall and the 6D Extreme Theater which felt so much like a roller coaster I nearly forgot I was still indoors!
With budget-friendly ticket prices, Military DIscount and fun that could last for hours I know WonderWorks will definitely stay on our list of Myrtle Beach fun for many trips to come! Oh, and I can’t forget to tell you this: your ticket is good all day – as in you can leave and come back as long as it’s on the same purchase date – kind awesome, right?
Ripley’s Aquarium
Day 3 we knew we wanted to get to Ripley’s Aquarium so, after breakfast and a bit of pool time, we headed back down to Broadway At The Beach. I admit I got a bit distracted by all of the unique shops and stores but in my defense, we did have some time to kill since this Momma had done her research and planned on taking advantage of the Nautical Nights 50% Off after 5 pm special ticket rates! Can you say budget-friendly?
Ripley’s has deals like this all the time so be sure to check out their website when you see that Myrtle Beach sign to make sure you know the best time to buy!
Now that we had our tickets we were ready to explore! I think we walked through each exhibit at least twice. I have never really been to an aquarium (I know – I’m late) so I was just as fascinated as my Kiddies. The coolest part about Ripley’s is how many of their exhibits are interactive!
Seeing the fish, shark, jellyfish and all the beautiful creatures were one thing but at Ripley’s, you get to touch them! We pet stingrays stroked jellyfish and even had the chance to touch a hard shell crab!
We stayed for about 3 hours and after a stop at the Gift Shop headed back to our hotel to rest up for our last day of Myrtle Beach fun. The next day was going to be a race to the finish line – literally!
My Birthday Sunrise
Before the fun came the sunrise. My Birthday morning sunrise was a bit different than the other two. I’d had my moments of reflection, peace, and thoughtfulness but this one was just full of joy! I was happy, blessed and a bit overwhelmed by where I am in life and where I see God taking me. In that moment of watching the sun slowly make its way over the edge of the horizon and into the sky, I had the chance to breathe and simply take in God for who He is to me and my family. It was amazing.
The Track Family Fun Parks
We found The Track Family Fun Parks my chance as my youngest Girlie went through a bunch of the flyers and brochures in our hotel lobby for local attractions. We all love bumper cars and racing tracks so we knew this would be one place we would love to see during our short visit.
Budget-Friendly Tip: Look for discount flyers and postcards to local attractions to save money and still boost your fun.
Thanks to this awesome discount we spent our last day racing their multi-level tracks, playing araced games and having fun we all enjoyed.
Make The Time
3 days. Limitless memories. That’s what I have from this unexpected almost surprise trip. One of the things I learned for my birthday is that you don’t always need to have a long thought out plan for things. Sometimes a simple desire and willingness to make the time is really all you need.
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Vitamins D & Sea ???? _ #Hey41 #LeoSeason #BeachBirthday #LoveMyLife #FamilyFun #Blessed #MyrtleBeach #MyMyrtleBeach #VisitMyrtleBeach #MyrtleMemories #RipleysAquariumMB #RipleysAquariumMyrtleBeach #TheMrsTee
“Believe in yourself, your passions, and your dreams. Your voice is unique – build on that. Embrace what is different about you and make it your greatest asset!”
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