A Tale of Two Februarys (February 2026)

Our February was split into halves. The first half of the month we returned to Myrtle Beach for a relatively quiet vacation. The second half of the month we were home entertaining and making preparations for our travels for the rest of the year.

February Part I: Back to Myrtle Beach (February 2-12)

We began the month of February by driving back to our favorite part of South Carolina, Myrtle Beach. This time we stayed at another Hilton property, Ocean Enclave. This motel is located on Ocean Boulevard between 15th and 16th Avenues North. We had a one-bedroom suite with a partial ocean view. The room included a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. It also has both indoor and outdoor hot tubs and pools as well as a nice fitness center. The motel is located at the very north end of the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and about 2 blocks north of the SkyWheel.

Arrival

We arrived in Myrtle Beach about 24 hours after a snowstorm. Our home in northwestern South Carolina had about 4 inches of snow from the storm and the snow ended by Saturday afternoon. In Myrtle Beach, which is in the northeastern corner of South Carolina, there was about 5 inches of snow from the storm, and the snow ended late Sunday evening. By the time we arrived in Myrtle Beach the roads were mostly clear but there was still snow on the boardwalk and some of the sidewalks on Ocean Boulevard.

Fitness Center

Ocean Enclave has a nice fitness center that includes three treadmills, two stationary bikes, one recumbent stationary bike, a large number of dumbbells and two weight benches, two elliptical machines, and one cable pulley system gym. I started every morning riding a stationary bike and walking on the treadmill. Every other day I would also lift weights. Tammie usually got to the fitness center an hour after me and would do yoga, walking on the treadmill, and weights.

Ocean Enclave Fitness Center

Beach/Boardwalk

Nearly every day one or both of us would walk along the beach and boardwalk. We missed only two days due to very cold and/or rainy weather. Depending on how early and how cold the day, we would be the only people in sight on the boardwalk and beach.

SkyWheel

Another nearly daily activity was riding the SkyWheel. Located at the Boardwalk, just a short walk from the beach, SkyWheel is a beach attraction with the iconic 200-foot observation wheel. It offers a very slow Ferris wheel type ride with great views of both the beach and Ocean Boulevard. We especially enjoyed riding it near sunset.

Hot Tubs/Pools

Another nearly daily occurrence was spending time in both the indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs. Most days we were the only ones using the facilities. At most we shared the space with one other couple. This is one of the benefits of coming to Myrtle Beach in the off season.

Movie Night

This trip to the beach was meant to be quiet and relaxing and we kept our nights out to a minimum on purpose. Our first evening activity was attending the new movie from Angel Studios, Solo Mio. We went to the AMC Classic Theater in Myrtle Beach to see the movie. Solo Mio is a romantic comedy starring Kevin James as Matt, a man left at the altar in Rome. Instead of cancelling, he takes his non-refundable, packed honeymoon trip alone, finding healing, friendship, and new romance with a local woman while navigating a group of vacationing couples. We thought the movie was excellent. After the movie we had dinner at Nacho Hippo.

Alabama Theatre

Our most expensive activity was attending the Alabama Theatre to see their Iconic show. This is a family friendly show that includes different styles of music including country, beach, pop, classic rock, Broadway classics as well as comedy. We arrived 30 minutes early and we were two of about ten people in the 2,000-seat auditorium. By the time the concert started there were maybe 300 people in the audience. Despite the small crowd the singers and dancers gave an enthusiastic performance. We enjoyed the show.

Valentine’s Celebration in Conway, SC

The final major activity for this trip was to spend an afternoon and early evening celebrating Valentine’s Day (a few days early) in Conway, SC. Conway has become one of our favorite places to visit in South Carolina. They have a wonderful riverwalk and downtown. And they go all out decorating for Valentine’s Day. We walked around the beautiful downtown then had dinner at the Crafty Rooster and cheesecake at the Trestle Bakery and Cafe. Later we walked along the decorated Riverwalk and enjoyed seeing the lights.

February Part II: Entertainment and Travel Preparation (February 13-28)

The second half of the month of February was quiet as we continued to plan for our trip this summer to Alaska. We are attempting to visit all eight national parks located in Alaska. We are also making plans for one more national park trip in the fall. We haven’t finalized plans for which parks to visit or which part of the country.

Sunday School Class Soup Supper

Every few months our adult Sunday School class has an evening activity. Since our class has gotten large we now must have those activities at church facilities rather than in individual homes. However, once a year, we host the annual Soup Supper at our house over two nights. That way about half the class can attend each evening. This year we hosted about 24 people on a Friday night and another 26 people on a Saturday night. Everyone seemed to enjoy the fellowship and the different soups class members brought each evening.

Talent Show

Our final activity for the month of February was attending an evening talent show for our granddaughter. She and a friend sang and danced as their talent. We were very proud of her. On our way home we had an unpleasant surprise as we hit a deer. We were fine but there was quite a bit of damage done to our new minivan. Unfortunately, the deer did not survive.