Myrtle Beach is a spring break and summer classic, but if you’re like me and love an empty winter beach, the off-season has its perks. Once the crowds thin out and the heat dies down, everything becomes more chill and much cheaper! This is the time of year to discover a weirder, laid-back side of the Grand Strand. Here’s what we got up to on our recent post-Christmas getaway to MB and Murrells Inlet.
Mini Golf
No matter when you visit, mini golf is a must. On our recent end-of-year trip, we tried out two classic courses in North Myrtle Beach: Jungle Safari and Rainbow Falls. Both are well-maintained with the old school design every mini golf enthusiast loves to see. Cold weather bonus: no lines, no crowds. 😎
Jungle Safari delivers exactly what its name promises — a medley of zebras, elephants and giraffes amidst tropical foliage and preternaturally blue waters. You can even buy a beer to sip as you navigate your 18-hole safari.
- Jungle Safari: 71st Ave. N. and Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
- Hours & Cost: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the off-season, $11.50 plus tax before 6pm
Rainbow Falls is a kitschy fantasy of handmade sea creatures and castles. We chose the course featuring a giant octopus, shark, and pirate ship, but the other side has a pink castle and a T-Rex. The obstacles at Rainbow Falls are a little more challenging than Jungle Safari but just as fun.
- Rainbow Falls: 9850 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
- Hours & Cost: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. (hours may vary off-season), $11.75
A Quiet Castle and a Ghostly Beach
Tucked away in Huntington Beach State Park are the ruins of Atalaya Castle, a Moorish-style winter retreat built by philanthropist Archer Huntington and his wife, sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington. Surrounded by live oaks and just steps from the Atlantic, the estate exudes romantic and haunted vibes.
- Huntington Beach State Park: GW5P+PM, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
- Hours & Cost: Park: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m., $8 per adult. Atalaya Castle: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $2 per adult
“Atalaya” (ah-tuh-LIE-yuh) means “watchtower” in Spanish, a nod to the real Atalaya Castle in Spain. The Huntingtons built their castle in the 1930s and provided it to the Army Air Corps during World War II, making the name quite fitting!
Walking through its empty, echoing rooms and courtyards, you can faintly hear the ocean. Some visitors claim to have seen Anna’s ghost or felt the presence of other spirits. I found it wonderfully spooky and lovely to see on a cold day. Atalaya Castle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The state park itself is one of the Grand Strand’s coolest wetland and wildlife preserves. Even in the off-season, we spotted plenty of brown pelicans, herons and egrets along the marsh. (Fun fact: an egret is just a white heron.)
The Semi-Empty Mall with an Amazing Arcade
I grew up in the glory days of the American Mall so it was a delightful surprise to stumble upon the arcade in the half-empty Myrtle Beach Mall. This arcade is a nostalgic dream of pinball and classic games. Thankfully, Jason had a $1 so we could play.
Another surprise on this trip was the Meher Spiritual Center, a tranquil 500-acre retreat tucked off the highway, across from the mall. The center is dedicated to spiritual leader Meher Baba who, among other things, popularized the phrase, “Don’t worry, be happy.” The center has lakeside trails, quiet spots for reflection, cabins, a library, and Baba’s former residence. Our tour guide, Sally, was so sweet!
- Meher Spiritual Center: 10200 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
- Call at least one day ahead to take a free tour: 843-272-5777
Eating Our Way Through Myrtle Beach
No beach town is complete without pancake houses and buffets, and Myrtle Beach is no exception. This trip, we tried the National House of Pancakes and Captain George’s Seafood Buffet.
The National House of Pancakes has a neon watermelon-inspired color scheme, diner-style seating, and decor prime for selfies. It’s super cute, and the portions are huge and delicious. Note: it turns out pancakes on the national level are a little pricier than the international.
For dinner, my boyfriend’s mom treated us to Captain George’s Seafood Buffet. The buffet stations are festooned with pirate ship sails and we indulged in a seafood feast of crab legs, oysters, shrimp and scallops. Even though I was AT MY LIMIT, I couldn’t resist dessert — Greek donuts and rice pudding (which I had to try because it was topped with a cute ship stencil).
The Gay Dolphin
I’ve written about my love of The Gay Dolphin before, and my affection has carried through every visit to Myrtle Beach. This time, we popped in so Jason could buy some shark teeth earrings and I could get a sticker that said, “I got lost in the Gay Dolphin.”
Murrells Inlet Home Base
We stayed in Murrells Inlet at the Garden City Inn (affiliate link), a no-frills, budget-friendly spot where all rooms have an ocean view. Every morning, we walked out onto the beach, soaking up the cool breeze and watching the waves roll in. There’s something special about an empty winter beach — it’s just you, a handful of chill tourists, the seagulls and sandpipers.
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