It has been almost one full year since our last family vacation. If you have been following along for a while, you already know it was a big one. While we were in Myrtle Beach, we found out we were expecting baby #5! And the rest is history...
My final Myrtle Beach family vacation recap got lost in my drafts folder during those 9 very long months of morning sickness, and those exhausting early days with a newborn. Because I tend to be very particular about some things, I can't just leave it hanging around in there. I have to finish my recap, or else it will bug me until I do!
Right now seemed like a good time to recap, and I found myself reminiscing as I finished writing this post. Sadly, we're not going to the beach this year, and it's my happy place. I'm very bummed (my husband and kids are, too), but traveling that far this year was going to be very tough. It's a combination of adulting, and having a new baby who DESPISES the car.
Every so often I want to say let's just do it, then I imagine being tethered by a breastfed baby who likes to eat all the time, while my 5 year old runs in the opposite direction toward danger, and I change my mind. Plus, 8-12 hours each way of Coen screaming would be rough. But I want to - I really want to - and if we didn't have to get a new SUV or pay for some home repairs, I would go anyway. So I'm just going to look through all of these pictures when I feel a longing for the beach, and count down the time until we can go back. (But not too fast, because my kids need to slow their grow!)
Here's what we did on the last day of our Myrtle Beach vacation, and on our trip home...
On our last full day of vacation, I woke up early to watch the sunrise. I do this every single year on our last day at the beach. Nobody ever joins me, but that's perfectly fine. It's the most peaceful I feel all year, and one of the only times I'm truly alone. And nothing compares to a sunrise over the ocean!
This year, as I watched the sun rise over the water, I found myself rubbing my belly, and feeling both shock and excitement. I couldn't believe we were having another baby when we were certain we were done having children, and I wondered exactly who that baby would be. I now think of it as my favorite sunrise ever.
Later that morning, my family was up and moving, so we headed to breakfast at the hotel buffet. Once we got back to our suite, we got ready for our last day on the beach. We dragged all of our gear down in our beach cart, and a nice man offered us his rented beach chairs and umbrellas for the rest of the day, because his family had to leave. It was so nice not to have to set up all of our gear, and we were able to enjoy our last few hours on the beach together.
We reluctantly said goodbye to the beach, and headed back to our suite for showers and dinner. Of course, the big kids opted to nap before we ate, and headed out to the boardwalk for our last evening stroll.
On our evening stroll, we did some souvenir shopping, and tried Dragon's Breath Ice Cream. It was super expensive, so we opted to buy a large one to share first. I'm so glad we did, because it was GROSS! It was definitely fun to try, but once was enough. I'll let the picture of Liam sum up the experience...
Our favorite thing to do at the beach is walk on the boardwalk. It was very bittersweet going for our last walk. We could easily stay out until late night, but the kids wanted to head back to the hotel to swim in their awesome outdoor waterpark one last time.
On the last day at Myrtle Beach, I decided to wake up early to watch the sunrise again. The morning sickness had really kicked in by then, so I was wide awake. I'm glad I went out to the balcony, because the sunrise that morning was glorious!
Grant wanted to sleep longer to prepare for the long drive ahead, and Liam was still sleeping, so Dylan, Lexie, Lily, and I headed to the hotel restaurant for the breakfast buffet. Because we had a small crowd, we were able to sit on the restaurant balcony for once. It was a nice way to end our trip!
Travel tip: If you have young kids or a big family, many hotels will give you an extra hour or two after check out as a courtesy. Just make sure to ask ahead of time, and again early the morning you are leaving. We have never had a hotel say no, and it's so helpful!
After breakfast, we gathered all of our luggage, and loaded our car as quickly as possible. Unloading and reloading luggage for 6 people (I can't imagine SEVEN the next time we go) is an undertaking, so that extra hour or two is amazing. Packing up the car was relatively painless, we relaxed a little bit in our suite, and we had enough time to head down to the beach for a few minutes before we left.
With a very reluctant goodbye, we climbed in our SUV, and headed out on the 12+ hour drive home. It was an interesting one! If you haven't already, make sure you read this funny story! We took a much needed stop at the New River Gorge scenic overlook in West Virginia, which turned into an hour-long hike, but it was so worth it. We're going to make that stop a do over (without the morning sickness)!
That day, I watched the sun rise over the ocean, and watched the sun set while we were headed home. I much preferred the ocean sunrise!
And as you all know, when we came home our suspicions were confirmed!
I'm feeling all the feels right now! Time is going by much too quickly. We are a big, busy family, but when we go to the beach, we reconnect. It's the only time during the year that we are truly together. My kids are growing so fast, and I just want them to stay little and stay with us. I already feel my teenager's childhood slipping through my fingers, and I'm struggling to pull him back to us. I hate the fact that we won't be reconnecting at the beach this year, so we're going to have to come up with a new plan!
So was Myrtle Beach a great vacation spot for our big family? It absolutely was! We added it to our list of favorite beaches, and will definitely be returning soon! It was a wonderful, memorable trip for our entire (growing) family! I can't wait to take a family travel picture with our sweet bonus baby in it!
Pin it for later:
Our Myrtle Beach Family Vacation Recap:
Myrtle Beach Family Vacation Day One
Myrtle Beach Family Vacation Day Two +TIPS
Myrtle Beach Family Vacation Days 3 & 4
Myrtle Beach Family Vacation Day 5
Myrtle Beach Family Vacation Day 6
Hotel info: South Bay Inn & Suites
Aw, I'm sorry you aren't going to the beach this year. We did sunrise on the beach in Florida and will probably make it a tradition. Great pictures!
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