by Brett Manero
For teachers, summer feels like a sacred thing. The sheer bliss that hits the mind and soul of the teacher with the onset of summer is an annual heavenly treasure. Especially with this last year, the arrival of summer break was thoroughly welcome.
The seminary schedule concluded at the end of May, after which my girlfriend and I took off from Denver for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This was my second trip to the southern Carolina, after last year’s visit to Charleston with my father and brother. While the Charleston trip was a bona fide tourist trip, this Myrtle Beach Trip was a truly relaxation trip, as perhaps all beach trips are.
We flew first from Denver to Charlotte, North Carolina, on a Sunday, and then on to Myrtle Beach. Much to our (honestly, mostly my) delight, our flight out of Denver was delayed by some five hours. Originally scheduled for something like 8am, it was pushed off till more like 1pm. As I had been bartending two wildly busy weddings the previous two nights, this was a deliciously welcome gift, and perhaps it was providential. Rest is important, and rest also allows the mind to prepare for a trip more.
Due to the immensely delayed flight, American Airlines had the kindness to give us free drinks on the flight to Charlotte, including a free mini-vodka and Bailey’s Irish Cream. In the era of outrageously-priced flight amenities, this was a real delight.
Arriving in Myrtle Beach late at night, feeling the rush of humidity (something which does not exist in Denver), and seeing the palm trees was a thrill, even if it often takes the mind a day or two to adjust to new surroundings. Vacation really commenced the next day, waking up to the sight of the beach and palm trees and enjoying all that Myrtle Beach has to offer.
For golfers, Myrtle Beach is a golfer’s paradise. While St Andrews, Scotland, is famous for being the home of golf, Myrtle Beach is known as the “Golf Capital of the World,” with one of the world’s highest concentration of golf courses. I’m not much of a golfer (tennis is my sport), but any golfer will love MB.
I’m not much of a beach swimmer (watching Jaws, which happens to be one of my favorite films, pretty much killed any chance of me wanting to swim at a beach), but the pools are aplenty. Walking on the beach is delightful, especially during the evening twilight. Seeing the sun hide behind the beach mansions is lovely, as well as watching the waves come in.
Going in late May, we traveled there before the summer rush. It was Memorial Day Weekend, so one might expect there to be large crowds, but we were pleasantly surprised by the relative quietness.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of it all was not so much the beach or the pool (as great as they are), but the daily joys of drinking coffee with people you enjoy being with. Maybe those are some of the best moments in life.
For the Catholic who enjoys attending daily Mass, St Andrew Catholic Church on the main road is the option, with daily Mass offered at 9am. I was impressed by the daily Mass attendance, too, and by the faith and exuberance of both the priest and the deacon.
All in all, Myrtle Beach is a joy to visit. I think I’d go to somewhere like West Palm Beach any day over Myrtle Beach, but I’ll be always glad to have visited MB. Here’s the the next beach trip!