When my Mayflower Tour group and I left for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina a week after Easter I was among the majority of the passengers who had never traveled there before.
I knew it would be a great destination as 12 million visitors a year can’t be wrong.
I had a preconceived notion of it being “Branson with a Beach” but it turned out to exceed my expectations.
Of course, half the fun is getting there and as we rolled through Indianapolis on Sunday we made our first pit stop for lunch at Jonathan Byrd’s Cafeteria, a favorite of the local after church crowd.
Our trays filled up quickly as the line moved past a sumptuous array of carved meats, side dishes and desserts. We boarded the bus with full stomachs heading south crossing the Ohio River at Louisville to our overnight stay in Lexington, Ky.
The next day found us traveling through “Red Bud Alley” as we left Kentucky and entered Tennessee near Knoxville.
All along the highways pink red bud and white flowering dogwood trees were in full bloom as spring made its appearance after a long winter.
We crossed into North Carolina briefly before entering the Palmetto State, South Carolina, and an overnight stay near Columbia.
The next morning the passengers were buzzing with anticipation about arriving at Myrtle Beach but I had a surprise for them along the way.
As tour director I always like to give my group what the Cajuns in Louisiana call lagniappe, loosely translated — “a little something extra”.
I had planned a visit with “A man named Pearl” — Pearl Fryar, a self-taught topiary sculptor in tiny Bishopville, S.C.
As the bus pulled down the street to his home I spotted him out front with a chainsaw creating another topiary treasure surrounding his home.
He greeted us with a smile and proceeded to walk us through his three-acre garden, which is open to the public free of charge from dawn to dusk year round. Check it out at www.pearlfryar.com.
Two hours later we found ourselves arriving at Myrtle Beach where we were greeted at Broadway on the Beach and allowed time to shop, eat, and stretch our legs.
Then it was time to check in at our oceanfront Day’s Hotel in Surfside Beach, our home for the next three days, where every room featured an ocean view.
We unpacked and freshened up for dinner and a show that night beginning with the Giant Crab Seafood Restaurant. This all you can eat buffet included crab legs, oysters, and fresh fish, along with carved meats and desserts.
It was a feast fit for a king but just around the corner we would be in for another treat at the Carolina Opry — voted the No. 1 Show in Myrtle Beach for 23 years.
This award-winning variety show featured talented musicians and singers along with hilarious comedians and even a show stealing group of male tap dancers. It was an extravaganza that had something for everybody in our group.
The next day found us on a day trip to historic Wilmington, N.C., on the Cape Fear Coast.
Our “colorful” guide, resident Bob Jenkins, gave us background on the unique history of the planters, pirates, and early settlers from the conference room of the county courthouse before he led us on a driving tour of the many homes and businesses in the downtown area that are on the National Register of Historic Places.
We then boarded the Henrietta III, a replica of the steamboats that once plied the Cape Fear River, for a narrated cruise and lunch. Wilmington today remains a deep water seaport with access to the Atlantic for a steady supply of exported goods such as paper products.
That evening we enjoyed the second of our three shows with “Legends in Concert” — a celebrity impersonator spectacular. Our group photo included a dead ringer for pop singer Rod Stewart, the first impersonator of the night.
He was followed by country singer George Strait, the Temptations, Marilyn Monroe, and the king himself — Elvis Presley.
After the show the impersonators posed for pictures with the audience and I couldn’t resist Marilyn Monroe’s offer for a photo op.
Free time was offered the next morning to enjoy the beach and I hosted an optional trip to Brookgreen Gardens, a botanical and sculpture garden that is also a national historic landmark relating to its origin as a rice plantation.
With azaleas, dogwoods and indigenous flowering swamp hibiscus, it was a glorious combination of natural color and art. A recently opened Butterfly House and a Low Country Zoo added to the enjoyment of this amazing place.
After lunch, I picked up the rest of the group and we headed to the Palace Theater for the matinee presentation of “Le Grande Cirque,” which featured Chinese acrobats performing in a mesmerizing acrobatic theatre a la Cirque du Soleil.
This family show includes aerial, balancing, and juggling skills beyond belief set to a modernistic upbeat musical background. It’s a rush of adrenaline for everyone!
After a stop at Tanger Outlet Mall to satisfy our shopping itch, we proceeded to Crabby Mike’s Calabash Seafood Company.
His menu says it all “A World of Outrageous, Entertaining, Fascinating, Silly, Charming, Beautiful, Incredibly Delicious Fun!”
But the fun was not over for us on our return trip home.
We stopped at the impressive State Capitol Building in Columbia before making our way into the mountains for our overnight stay in Cherokee, N.C.
A side trip to the casino there provided travelers a chance to test their luck or to enjoy a variety of restaurants in the adjoining hotel.
The next morning it was time to venture into Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
When we reached the road’s high point at Newfound Gap the blue mist that gives the mountains their name was blowing across the road giving the appearance of smoke graphically displaying how they got their name.
As we descended out of the park we stopped at Sugarlands Visitor Center to enjoy the excellent movie featuring the park in all its glory and to fully appreciate everything it can offer before exiting through Pigeon Forge back to Knoxville.
After lunch, it was time for another little surprise as I pulled into Aunt Polly’s Cabin next to the Renfro Valley Barn Dance complex in Kentucky. We were greeted by a pair of country musicians picking on the front porch of the cabin as we lined up for a special treat of Huckleberry Ice Cream.
We crossed the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati and made our way to the Houston Inn in Mason, Ohio, before retiring for our final night on the road.
All that remained now was for another excellent meal at MCL cafeteria in Indianapolis the next day and a drive by of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before dropping off passengers at various pickup points.
It had been a most enjoyable eight days of fun in the sun, great food, shows, and camaraderie on our Myrtle Beach Melodies Tour.
For more information on this tour or any other Mayflower Tour go to www.mayflowertours.com or call 800-323-7604.
About the author: Mark Bradley is a tour director and currently resides in Chillicothe. He is a 1973 graduate of Illinois Valley Central High School and 1977 graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a degree in radio/TV.
For more about Mark Bradley, click here.
