How My Solo Trip To Myrtle Beach Actually Made Me Fall In Love With South Carolina (2024)

I'm not quite sure where my assumption that Myrtle Beach was for casino-seeking retirees and families with young children came from, but all I knew was that hopping on the plane from Nashville to Myrtle, I felt like I was the only single traveler on the entire flight. If this was any indication of what the next four days in Myrtle Beach were going to be like for me, I was reserving some major judgments.

As I exited the airport terminal into the warm, but breezy South Carolina summer, I felt a small crackle in the air. Maybe it was the promise of adventure around me, or maybe it was static from a burgeoning lightning storm... whichever it was, I could feel my perspective shifting.

I hopped into my rental truck (this was by far the most challenging part of my trip, being a small, electric vehicle girlie in my normal life), and cruised onto Ocean Boulevard. With a big itinerary, and an even bigger truck, I set out to explore Myrtle Beach to find out just how solo-traveler friendly the area is. And honestly, despite the demographics of my flight, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

Solo Meals: Friendly Service At Myrtle Beach Restaurants

Meals tend to remind me how solo I really am when traveling, but good service makes all the difference

I pulled into my home base for the week, the Courtyard by Marriott Oceanfront, one of many Marriott properties on the beach and right on the water off Ocean Boulevard, my rental truck rumbling into the driveway.

The roads leading to the beach-side neighborhood were quite tight, a bit confusing, and offered a fair amount of sensory overload — there were multi-colored lights and bright signs everywhere — so my relief pulling into the drive unscathed was something I can compare to driving on a Los Angeles freeway for the first time.

My brief tension was immediately relieved when I made my way to the check-in counter. A smiling desk agent, Jada, immediately put me at ease, a sensation I would soon find would be replicated time and time again by the Myrtle Beach culinary scene.

Though I was a solo traveler, the servers at the different restaurants I tried out made me feel both seen and at ease. It can be tough, eating alone in a public place, but having an engaging service staff is the difference between feeling like a stranger or a friend in the restaurant. These restaurants made me feel the latter; like a friend returning for a familiar meal.

Friendliest Breakfast Spot: Johnny D's

Johnny D's Red Velvet Waffles

With a mercifully spacious parking lot for yours truly, Johnny D's was a delight beyond its car park. When I first stepped in, I felt the same kind of self-consciousness that I did on my flight over — surrounded by families with children or gaggles of gregarious retirees, I felt like all eyes were on me. I brought my laptop with me, using it as a prop against my solo-ness.

But when my server approached me, all of my awkwardness fell away. The entire staff's bubbly, happy morning personalities erased my fear of being solo at breakfast, and I relished the 1990s, waffle house vibes.

Johnny D's is particularly famous for their signature Red Velvet waffles, and while those were enchanting in the most sugar-rush-fueled way, my favorite on their menu was the biscuits and gravy. Being married to a man with mid-western roots, I'd like to say I'm well-versed in my biscuits and gravy game. And in my expert-adjacent opinion, these were possibly the best biscuits and gravy I've ever had.

A Scenic and Inviting Lunch Paradise: Chive Blossom

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The courtyard at Chive Blossom on Pawleys Island

From breakfast to lunch, I found myself headed to Pawleys Island in the greater Myrtle Beach area. While I adventured through the island's gorgeous gardens and shops (more on that later), I pulled up for lunch at a Low Country gem, Chive Blossom. Tucked away on a small road, Chive Blossom's indoor restaurant looks like a quaint Low Country house moved from the marsh to a gravel foundation. While it appeared charming, I wasn't headed to the house, but instead to a courtyard just across the gravel drive.

This courtyard, nestled in tall bamboo shoots and even taller, more storied live oak trees, felt like I was transported into a Disney movie. Fairy lights strung up along the courtyard and strategic metal fans perched on top of oak branches, it was a quiet, secluded oasis, away from the Carolina heat.

I had a nice chat with Rich, my server, about the live oak trees around the restaurant and in the area, and I settled in with a sweet tea. Despite its blissfully isolated setting, the Chive Blossom's menu was an exploration of local ingredients and dishes executed and presented in a fine dining package. The dishes were sophisticated, beautifully presented, and most importantly, delicious.

An Ideal Dinner: Hook & Barrel

Ahi Tuna, Carolina Rice, and Asparagus dish at Hook & Barrel, Myrtle Beach

My favorite dinner choice from my time in Myrtle Beach was the exact opposite of the Chive Blossom in many ways, but similar in its attention to food and service. The dining room, an expansive and modern, nautical-themed space that featured an open kitchen concept, embraced a contemporary feel and menu.

While my favorite lunch pick felt intimate, intimate enough that dining solo wasn't anything I worried about, Hook & Barrel's modern openness was both beautiful and intimidating. But once again, the staff came to my rescue.

Now, I've had the privilege and opportunity to dine at Michelin-starred and James Beard-recognized restaurants in half a dozen countries. I enjoy a good meal and good service. Hook & Barrel ticked both boxes off my expectations list.

I ordered a perfectly prepared Ahi tuna with Carolina rice, which might now be one of my favorite side dishes ever. It sounds simple, I know, but something about its simplicity juxtaposed with the dish's flavor and complexity made it an altogether impressive meal.

To top it off, the kitchen sent every table an "offer of friendship," a delicious pimento cheese dip perched atop a South Carolina-shaped wooden tray. It was the perfect blend of southern hospitality and charm.

And while the food was stellar, the staff's service rivaled any Michelin service I've experienced. Danielle, my skillful and charismatic server, could outshine many servers I've had at seemingly luxurious restaurants. Once again, my fears of solo dining evaporated in a pimento-cheese-fueled bliss.

An Art Lover's Paradise: Perfect Solo Activities

Myrtle Beach's art museum and sculpture garden were my solo travel highlights in the area

Anna Hyatt Huntington Sculpture Garden at Brookgreen Gardens

The most beautiful thing about art, to me, is that it means something different to every person. While it's a great activity for dialogue on opinion, there's also something really comforting about enjoying art by yourself.

You can go through an exploration of the artist's meaning, have debates with yourself, and come to conclusions about what you love all with yourself as company. Surprisingly, Myrtle Beach was a great place for this, and I found two standout options for those looking for the perfect solo activity.

Best Museum: The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum

The entrance to "Cultural Currency" at the Myrtle Beach Art Museum

Not too far from the Myrtle Beach International Airport, I took my hefty truck to the beachside cottage that houses the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum, known colloquially as the Myrtle Beach Art Museum. It's the area's only fine art organization, and I can see why. The museum's distinctly Southern charm and its authentic love for art would be hard to replicate.

Housed in a century-old cottage moved from a different area of Myrtle Beach to its new home on South Ocean Blvd., the art museum always has a rotating schedule of exhibitions on view, so it's no surprise that routine visitors to the Myrtle Beach area pay a visit to the museum whenever they're in town.

There's always something different to see! The museum's current contemporary exhibition, "Cultural Currency," a show of art pieces that use either physical currency or the theme of currency in their installations, exhibits a powerful message of the cultural capital of money. Their second show, a Richard Segelman retrospective of contemporary impressionism, had me falling in love with the artist's romanticism.

Best Outdoor Art Activity: The Brookgreen Gardens

"Seated Woman" by Leonda Froelich Finke (b. 1922) exhibited in the Brookgreen Garden's sculpture park.

Headed to the heart of Myrtle Beach's Low Country on Pawleys Island once again, I drove toward a sprawling estate this time around. Brookgreen Gardens, an almost 16-acre property composed of acreage from four former rice plantations, is a massive sculpture garden that the public can now visit and marvel at, strolling through ponds, mazes, and gardens full of art. I certainly did!

As I approached the brainchild of early 20th-century sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, I realized that I had underestimated just how large the garden was, and I was so eager to dive in.

I spent hours upon hours exploring the different installations and fixtures in the outdoor gallery, the smaller pieces housed in various indoor galleries, and the wildlife reserves and zoo adjacent to the art spaces. The property also has an intriguing history; it once belonged to Governor Joseph Alston, husband of Theodosia Burr. Yes, that Burr, as in Aaron.

In the 1930s, Anna Hyatt Huntington sought to beautify the area's plantation past as well, building this sculpture garden as a place of reflection, rest, and artistic expression. The gardens and wildlife areas hold daily lectures and programs for the public to learn about the art and nature that make this area unique.

Newer developments like the Market Common and Broadway at the Beach are packed with choice, while the Arts & Innovation District and Hammock Shops let small businesses shine.

Myrtle Beach is the perfect picture of what it means to marry the old and classic with the new and exciting. The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, arguably one of the best on the East Coast, is a testament to that with innovative experiences like the SkyWheel mixed with classic, locally-revered haunts like The Gay Dolphin gift store.

Shopping doesn't have to be your only activity though, and there are plenty of free experiences in Myrtle Beach too. Stepping off the boardwalk though, I found some fantastic local businesses to support, though, during my visit.

Best Local Experience: Lucid Coast Candle Bar

The bright interior of Lucid Coast Candle Bar in downtown Myrtle Beach

Pursuing the new and looking to the future, Myrtle Beach's downtown area is in the midst of a revitalization that locals and visitors should be eager to see. The Arts & Innovation District, an area of downtown that flanks 9th Avenue, Broadway Street, and Main Street, is in its infancy, but the early makers of this district are sure worth visiting.

After an extremely pleasant lunch at Winna's Kitchen (where their shrimp is a culinary standout in town), I strolled to Lucid Coast Candle Bar, a brightly decorated boutique on 9th Avenue.

Owned and operated by Chase Masters and Landon Schultz-Zwahr, this unassuming little candle bar and gift shop ended up being a highlight during my stay in Myrtle Beach. The young, friendly, and congenial couple lit up like one of their fun candles when I chatted with them about how they got started.

A passion project born out of fragrance-induced headaches that aligned perfectly with a time in their lives that necessitated change, Masters and Schultz-Zwahr founded Lucid Coast Candle Bar, an equal parts make-your-own-candle workspace, fragrance shop, and community hot spot.

They started initially at farmer's markets and maker's markets in Charleston, but eventually settled into their niche in Myrtle Beach, loving the community's small town feel and proximity to the ocean.

Sitting with Masters and Schultz-Zwahr and chatting about their entrepreneurial launch into small business ownership, their beloved pet cats, and their hopes for the future of the Arts & Innovation District, absolved some of my solo travel loneliness. It felt like I had just spent my afternoon with two very bright and bubbly friends.

Best Shop: The Barefoot General Store at Hammock Shops Village

The Original Hammock Shop, Pawleys Island

In a return to what was becoming my favorite spot in the greater Myrtle Beach area, Pawleys Island, I headed to the famed Hammock Shops Village to seek out some history, and, of course, shopping. Probably one of the cutest shopping centers I have ever encountered, the Hammock Shops is a small neighborhood of local stores all housed in quintessential coastal Carolina cottages. The area was reminiscent of Seaside, Florida to me, but much more authentic.

The Hammock Shops Village is anchored by the historic Original Hammock Shop, home to the Original Pawleys Island Rope Hammock. As I explored the rest of the small shopping complex, I popped into the Barefoot General Store, probably one of the most well-stocked shops in the area.

From shoes to swimsuits to local souvenirs, the shop seemed to have it all. I noted that many of their items were environmentally friendly, something that the store staff were proud of, and rightfully so. I picked up a pair of sandals made from recycled yoga mats, and yes, they are the most comfortable thing. I was wholly impressed with just how much they had, and even more impressed with their commitment to sustainable products.

As my several-day adventure to Myrtle Beach drew to a close, I packed up my hotel room at the Courtyard Oceanfront and hopped for the last time into my trusty tank, I mean truck. I steadily drove to the nearby airport, musing on my time.

I hadn't expected to feel so nicely welcomed as a solo traveler in Myrtle Beach, nor had I thought I would encounter the warm friendliness I did. From Jada at the Courtyard to Danielle at Hook & Barrel to Rich at Chive Blossom to Chase and Landon at Lucid Candle Bar, I found myself in love with this Low County and Beach heaven in South Carolina.

Have you ever taken a solo trip that surprised you, both in terms of how it felt to travel alone and your destination? Tell us about your travels in the comments!