I am finally getting around to posting photos from my trip to Myrtle Beach back in April. The kids and I visited because we really wanted to go to the beach that was close to home. It had to be economical and fun so I set out to find a great place for Spring Break 2012.

Looking for Great Travel Deals

I am a deal/discount queen when it comes to travel. I do not believe in paying full price for accommodations, rentals, or airfare so I will scour the web for the best deal. So I checked out Hotwire.com and BetterBidding.com to find a hotel or resort on the beach. That was my criteria. Anywhere we stayed had to be walking distance to the beach.

Bidding on a hotel can be nerve-wracking if you don’t know what to do. The prices look so tempting but I learned through a lot of research to look for clues into the kind of hotel I’d be getting.

Setting My Criteria for the Perfect Spring Break Destination

So my criteria was for a hotel, preferably a resort, on the beach. I also had to have wi-fi, a balcony, double beds, and cheap but quality eats in the hotel or nearby.

I found a couple of resorts within my price range on Hotwire but before I reserved it I went to BetterBidding.com to look at the forums. People who have bid on rooms reveal the name of the hotel in these forums. It is based on the state and city you are planning to visit. I found out the resort could be one of two places. I Googled the hotel and decided I could live with it. I placed my bid over at Hotwire and moved ahead with my plans.

Getting to Myrtle Beach

The kids and I packed up and drove to Myrtle Beach. We traveled for about five hours and were so happy to see the ocean! Our resort, Surfside Beach Resort wasn’t exactly luxurious but it was nice enough for our purpose. We were right on the beach, the rooms had double bed, there was wi-fi (though spotty), there was a balcony, and there were places to eat nearby.

The Surfside Beach Community

The area of Myrtle Beach where we stayed was called Surfside Beach. It is a sleepy little town lined with beach houses facing the ocean. It was nice, quiet and clean. Along the ocean were only two or three hotels. There was the Holiday Inn resort and our resort.

Surfside is known for it’s determination to keep the towering commercial hotels out and maintain a cozy family atmosphere. We could see the larger hotels in the distance but were happy to not be caught in the spring break traffic and noise that was probably overwhelming that part of Myrtle Beach.

Getting in “Me Time”

I got up early to watch the sunrise and walk on the beach for a little “me time” on the first morning. The kids slept in and enjoyed the break from school. The weather was warm but more on the cool side the first couple of days. Eventually the sun came out to heat things up and we got to go on the beach and enjoy the waves. We finally got to the ocean.

Stay tuned to read about our Activities and Food Adventures in other posts.

Samantha Gregory

Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.

Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.

She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.