Living in a valley surrounded by mountains can be quaint, peaceful, and romantic. Yet, I’ll never pass up time to spend on a beach! Towards the end of summer, I had the opportunity to spend six days in Myrtle Beach, and it was glorious. I had a beautiful view outside the window and perfect weather for enjoying the sand and waves.

I tried a few new things during my vacation, but kayaking is one of the most memorable activities. We had an early morning departure for our tour. It was cloudy so we did not bake under direct sunlight, making the temperature perfect. About halfway through our trip, our guide led us to an uninhabited island. We parked the boats and had time to explore on foot.

The island was covered with birds and everyone explored the sand looking for sand dollars. The sky and flora were beautiful that day, so we enjoyed taking pictures and walking to the surf.

The other activity no one had tried before was the “Beyond Van Gogh” immersive experience. We started with the guide explaining the background of Van Gogh’s life. Next, we entered the hallway, reading letters Van Gogh wrote to his brother and other family members on large boards. The hallway led us into the main space. Large screens covered the room’s perimeter and some were in the center. Projectors cast images of Van Gogh’s work onto the screens and the floor. This truly made us feel like we were inside his paintings. Some of the portraits were animated, so we saw men and women blinking to us from the screen. This was a truly unique and memorable experience.

The rest of the week was filled with days at the beach, ice cream, new restaurants, shopping, and mini golf. We even managed to fit in an escape room and a murder mystery dinner…so much fun!  I could not believe how much there was to do, and I would love to go back!