“Fall"ing for Myrtle Beach
Because you can't build sandcastles in Indianapolis this time of year.
It really doesn't get any more complicated than that for this Hoosier couple. They come here every fall with their seven kids, to enjoy a spectacularly underrated time of year here in Myrtle Beach. Leaf raking and winter jackets can wait; they're too busy building their Taj Mahal of sand sculptures enveloped by crystal-clear skies and a warm, gentle breeze coming off the Atlantic.
They're not alone in their carefree bliss on this brilliant late-October afternoon. Throughout the grounds of the seaside Long Bay Resort, bikini-clad sunbathers dot the poolside loungers. Two teenage boys toss a football on the sand, while their girlfriends tow their body boards unflinchingly into the 70-degree surf.
It's as far a cry as you can imagine from the conditions our friends to the north have already endured. Turn on the tube, and you still see images of folks digging out from Buffalo snow that recently measured not in inches, but feet. In Detroit, baseball fans attend the World Series disguised as Eskimos.
Makes you wonder why more people don't take advantage of the fall season on the Grand Strand. You can't beat the weather; rates for accommodations are significantly lower than the peak summer months; and there's plenty of room to roam the shore without tripping over outstretched sunbathers. There's an intimacy to the beach that you just don't get to experience in June, July or August.
As one Maryland visitor notes in this recent article about the local autumn scene, "Fall, I believe, is God's time of year. The colors are more vibrant. The weather is temperate. The beauty of the season overwhelms us, as we see the softness of the waves coming in and the power of blue skies above us."
It's part of the appeal that Grand Strand tourism promoters have emphasized in its recent promotional push to boost traffic to Myrtle Beach during the "shoulder seasons." On a day like today, it's easy to see what makes it so enticing.
Can’t stand the summer crowds; this is absolutely the best time of year down here.