Lessons in Spontaneity
After the grueling 12 hour drive to Myrtle Beach, we arrived at our rental condo. And while it was lovely, it was also empty of important things…like food…and booze.
We tossed the suitcases in the condo, tossed the kids back in the super cool minivan, and started driving around looking for 1.) dinner 2.) groceries and 3.) a liquor store (not necessarily in that order). We ended up at the liquor store first, which is a misnomer since we’d missed the window during the day in which they sold liquor and could only buy beer. Hubby didn’t mind that and loaded up a case of Landshark.
Still on the hunt for actual food, we stumbled onto Marketplace Commons, a super cute shopping area that did not exist in Myrtle Beach years ago when I lived there. Being a Saturday night, it was hopping, but we eventually found a place to park and quickly realized we were out of our league for dinner options. P. F. Chang’s? Yum! But not with Hubby (who hates anything soy sauce came near) and two kids who’d been stuck in a car all day long. Tommy Bahama’s restaurant? Also yum (I imagine, I’ve never been)! But the line was out the door. King Street Grille looked promising until we realized it was at least a half hour wait and that was for a spot where we couldn’t put a high chair.
When we’d driven in, we spotted a festival going on in the “town square” area and people seemed to be wandering around with food and beer. I was sold when I saw someone with fresh kettle corn go by. Hubby was sold when he saw beer until he realized it was cheap, big-name beer that he only drinks when he’s at Ravens game. Why yes, my husband is a bit of a beer snob. How could you tell?
What we’d found, completely by accident, was the Myrtle Beach Italian Festival and it was adorable! For $22, we had yummy dinners and cannoli! Bink was thrilled to people watch in his stroller. K and I did a silly line dance to the live music.
The thing that was so special and fun about that night was that is happened out of the blue. I’m not normally a person who approaches anything without a plan. I’m not the kind of person who just wanders until she finds what she’s looking for (even dinner). I’d done research. I could have told you the most highly recommended places to eat in Myrtle Beach. And we didn’t go to a single one of them the entire week. But we had a great start to vacation because we just went with the flow and followed the trail of festival food and live music. That’s a pretty great way to live. Or at least approach vacation.
Please excuse my scary paleness. I’m tan now. Or at least off-white.
Katie
Twitter: DrKatherineC
July 21st, 2010 @ 11:34 am
Oh yes, that new shopping HUGE shopping complex is on the old fill-in-the-appropriate-branch-of-the-military base I think? Herman drove me around there the last time I was in town. I took pictures, meaning to post them on facebook for all us old Coastal kids to see how things changed…yeah and 2 years later I’ve posted zero photos. I’m a slacker! Please tell me you went to Ron Jon’s????? Or will you not eat the cheese in the broccoli and cheese balls now? Ha, then again, I can’t eat them now because of the gluten. Come to think of it, Ron Jon’s is now useless to me!
Caitlin
July 22nd, 2010 @ 10:34 am
We didn’t go to Ron Jon’s! I would have LOVED broccoli and cheese balls (and now that’s all I’m thinking about!). My stomach is kicking my butt for not going when we had the chance!
jessica Bern
July 24th, 2010 @ 12:36 am
I love when that kind of thing happens to me. I too am I planner but this kind of stuff is my favorite.