We usually spend New Years at home, enjoying family time together, and staying sheltered from the winter chill. This year we ventured for a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach to bring in the new year a different way.
As the beach is not very busy for New Years, rates are at the lowest point of the year and we were able to get a great camping spot at Ocean Lakes Family Campground. This was our first trip to Ocean Lakes, which is a well maintained campground.
Everywhere we turned, there was great landscaping and well maintained facilities. No wonder they continue to win awards every year.
The campground, like most beachfront campgrounds, sits right on the other side of the protective dunes.
Unlike most campgrounds that we’ve been to, the arcade was well maintained, clean, and all the games were functioning properly. It’s a great place for the kids to hang out, with a snack bar nearby and is sandwiched between the outdoor and indoor pool. The indoor pool is open year round so don’t forget to bring your bathing suits!
Broadway at the Beach was our main destination, though, as they had a free fireworks celebration at 8:00 PM. If you are ever in the Myrtle Beach area, we highly recommend going to Broadway at the Beach at least once. It is unlike most shopping experiences you have had.
It is filled with shops, restaurants, theaters, and fun for the entire family, all surrounding a lake with boardwalks that cross the lake, enabling you to easily feed the fish and ducks, at a small price, of course.
Our choice for dinner was Margaritaville, with great service, great staff, and a fun and friendly atmosphere. The wait is often 1-2 hours for a seat, but with proper planning we were seated in less than 30 minutes. The food prices are average for a sit-down dinner at the beach and the food was good.
Also located here is Pavillion Nostalgia Park. It is a selection of kid’s rides with a few family rides that were relocated from the former Pavillion in downtown Myrtle Beach. Many of the locals are still saddened that it was torn down but a lot of improvements are being made to the formerly defunct downtown area to revitalize it.
In a building nearby, you can find memories of a bygone era from the old Pavillion park.
The fireworks will be set off from this barge in the middle of the lake. The anticipation is building as daylight turns into night.
The colorful lights brighten up the night sky and add a sense of warmth to the chilly New Years Eve air.
As 8:00 approaches, the crowds gather in anticipation of the fireworks. Young and old are here to experience it together.
Please enjoy the video highlights we have put together with plenty of coverage of the fireworks! Note: To see it in high definition, click on it once it’s playing to view it in YouTube, then change the resolution from 360p to 1080p.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzhU22NCeD0
Happy camping!
