In honor of national “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” I found it fitting to review our families recent adventures to Pirateland Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Heading back half a decade ago, when I was dating and engaged to my lovely wife, I traveled with her family to their annual mecca one the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Growing up, my wife and her family spent year after year visiting the coast along Myrtle Beach, and their favorite place to stay was a resort called Pirateland.

In years past of visiting the Myrtle Beach area, my in-laws camped just feet away from the crashing waves of the ocean, where Pirateland offers several hundred campsites. However, since my in-laws no longer have a camper, and since we have such little kids, we opted for the first time to rent an Executive Vacation rental.

Pirateland Executive Vacation Rentals

The unit we were in was located at the very back of the resort, and the farthest you can get from the ocean. Executive Vacation rentals were permanent double wide trailers featuring 3 bedrooms, two full baths, and a kitchen.

Going into the vacation, we knew very limited information on the vacation rentals other than we needed to provide our own bedding and linens, and bare minimums of kitchen supplies. I think all of us were a little surprised just how minimal the accommodations in the vacation rentals really were.

Cutting boards? No. Basic cooking utensils (spatula, cooking spoons, etc.)? No. The unit came with very minimal amount of dishware and cookware.

The executive rental units were good from a standpoint of they were decent accommodations for our large party. The other thing one has to keep in mind is that you are in a beach destination, so the furnishings, etc. need to be able to withstand not only lots of foot traffic, but also the daily ritual of tracking in sand, especially with little ones.

The beds were, in my opinion, extremely cheap and uncomfortable, as I ended up sleeping on the couch every night for additional support.

The unit came with a single old-school tube television, and the quality of the signal was rather poor, though they were equipped with cable.

Overall, I was happy with the vacation rental, as they were only $1,175 for the week, but at over $167/night, I also think the units are due for some substantial improvements.

Pirateland Grounds

While the rental unit itself may have left something to be desired, Pirateland itself is a fantastic resort for families.

Besides being located right on the ocean with an incredible beach, Pirateland features its own arcade and grill, which can be perfect for entertaining teenagers. However, during my quick walk through, the arcade looks like the place games went Turbo and were there to die, as many had out of order signs on them.

The playground was high quality and newer and situated in a sandy area, which would be excellent for cushioning any falls. We however never had any time to actually use the equipment.

Pirateland features its own 18-hole miniature golf course, which was a fan favorite of our four year old. Landshark (2) also enjoyed the course, but had more fun picking up the balls and wondering through the assorted landscaping. Putt-putt costs $5 per person, $8 for two people, or $15 for a family of four. You can also purchase an all day pass for $8 per person or $25 for the week.

Pirateland also features a fantastic outdoor pool area. In addition to a near Olympic size pool, there is a separate kid pool and a 500+ foot lazy river, where are family spent at least part of each day.

The real winner when in Myrtle Beach is of course the sand and ocean. Being able to access the ocean within walking distance of your rental is very accommodating and perfect for families.

Going to Myrtle Beach is a completely different kind of vacation for me. Going to some place and just relaxing for a week does some taking getting used to for me personally. While on this vacation, I had some grand illusions of really getting to catch up on various blogging activities. However, the action of being inactive and shutting off my brain for a week really was counter intuitive to my expectations.

While I enjoy a relaxing bit of vacation, which is really necessary when bringing along kids and spending quality time with them, I still am not quite sure it is my ideal scenario. With that said, while I was really looking forward to getting to return to Myrtle Beach, I think I have seen my fair share of the region. Outside of the resort, there really is not a ton to see and do without spending a considerable share of money.

Costs were relatively low on this trip due to eating a lot of meals in and spending time at the resort and beach. In addition, I had lots of quality time bonding with my brood of boys. That aspect gives me a lot to smile and be thankful about, and no amount of pirates can steal away those treasures! Argh, Mateys!

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Source: InACents