That is why I had sworn the place off. I was arrogantly proud that I had lived in South Carolina for 18 years and had never set foot on the sands of the playground of my homefolk. I justified my opinion by stacking up facts regarding crowd and congestion. In reality, I just love doing my own thing and hate giving the slightest hint of conformity.
It is impossible to become an Ultimate Outsider without checking off the coastal region. We put it off until our list of South Carolina State Parks lacked only those few check offs. All right. I was ready to suck up my pride and go.
I was not a happy camper. My stubbornness at delaying this region left us travelling in the crowds in heat of summer. I groaned audibly as I looked at all of the cars from Tennessee and other states west and north joining us en route to the Atlantic. The throngs gobbled us up and together we were processed through artificial lane shifts as the state strove to improve the interstate to one day better accommodate those who made this journey. I do applaud the effort but could not understand the timing of the project which began during the peak summer season.
The journey should have taken a bit over three hours. The traffic, construction and general havoc of vacation season stretched our journey from three hours to five. We were all tired and cranky by the time we found the brown sign for Myrtle Beach State Park. Our moods softened as we drove through the park property. We were immediately shaded by the wilderness the park preserved and serenaded by bird song. It seemed that in the span of the turn beside the brown sign, we had abandoned the gaudy commercial district and come to a new place. It was distinct to itself but familiar and keeping with all the parks we had visited thus far. I repented of my attitude and let myself be baptized by the gentle wilderness. I was so thankful for the presence of this place, this enclave of peace, in a community that needed it most.
I was surprised to learn that Myrtle Beach State Park was one of the original projects of the Civilian Conservation Corps in South Carolina. The young men built the pier, a boardwalk and cabins to welcome tourists. Before we visited Myrtle Beach State Park, I wondered how it would be different from the multitude of developments surrounding it. I was worried it would be lost among the resorts.
It isn’t. Myrtle Beach State Park is quiet but strong. Visitors are embraced by the old oaks and guided to the natural wonders of sand and ocean. The education center is situated just beside the campgrounds. Rangers recruit young visitors and teach them all out the ocean wonders. We stumbled into a class about skates and rays of which we were totally ignorant. I sat in the class and learned but also marveled. The young ranger was good- really good. She kept the interest and attention of a room full of mixed age boys and girls and their parents. She conveyed facts while she passed on her passion. The children wondered as they touched artifacts and acted out the behavior of aquatic animals and asked a myriad of questions. The class ended and the children were hungry for the next instruction. They asked when they could come again. They argued with their parents who wanted to sunbath and swim. For just a moment, these children were more interested in learning about rays and skates than on lying out of the sand.
We wondered on to the nature center which was staffed, accessible, friendly and build to teach and to inspire. The rangers here really cared about education. That is amazing! I had been so jaded by the commercial reputation of Myrtle Beach. Who knew that the park could redefine the community in such a way? Myrtle Beach now brings connotations of education, exploring and respite.
We were taken into the community of the park at the gift shop. We are not quiet- our sweet family of six. The children opened the door and their eight eyeballs alighted upon the ice cream counter. Mouths fell open. Drool puddled and the begging commenced. My mama heart could not resist fulfilling their pleas and granting the cool treat on such a hot day. An older gentleman with a grandfatherly smile and a bicep that Popeye would envy, stacked cones full of ice cream and bequeathed the treasures to us. We asked him how business was. He laughed, smacked his muscle and confirmed that the ice cream business was a great workout.
In the midst of the business, all the employees in the store welcomed us with smiles and well wishes. They told us about their families and asked about ours. They talked to the children and then- in the midst of the crowd and the heat and the busyness- those sweet storekeepers did something completely unheard of. They listened to the kids. They listened to my children’s questions and stories and jokes. The amazing staff instantly transformed the image of Myrtle Beach from commercial to community…as they served ice cream.
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