Just returned from NMB!

I can%26#39;t believe my trip is here and gone! After months of planning, we are back and have some info to share for those of you still going:

Condo:

We reserved through CondoLux and stayed at Crescent Shores. We drove in on Saturday, June 10th. Arrived at CondoLux at 5:30 pm. We got our keys and proceeded to our condo at Crescent Shores. When we arrived, we found our condo dirty - it had not been cleaned. That was very disappointing and frustrating. We proceeded to stay up until midnight cleaning the condo ourselves, washing all the bedding, etc. I had left a message at CondoLux but it was after office hours and since it was not an emergency, we received no call back. We went to the office the next day and asked for more towels (they gave us plenty) and we asked for a refund of the ';inspection fee'; of $45 since apparently our condo had not been inspected. They didn%26#39;t offer this, we had to ask. But they were nice about it. I would have preferred an apology and an offer of a refund or something to help with our inconvenience.

The condo itself was very nice. We chose it by using the internet and looking at pictures. Decorated nicely, great balcony. The pool area is too small though. Just as I thought. It%26#39;s very narrow and it gets really crowded. There are not enough chairs for the area. Also, there is not a restroom on site for those staying at the condo and swimming. You have to use the public restrooms right next to the building.

Carts are scarce when you check in so be ready to fight for one!

Beach:

The beach is okay. We determined that we like the gulf side of Floriday beaches better. In NMB the sand is compact and dark - not white and powdery. Nonetheless, the kids did not mind at all. It was very, very windy our first few days but then it died down. It was also very crowded in front of our condo.

Area Attractions:

We LOVED Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing. Very nice to walk around, eat and shop. We had a rainy day so we chose that day to go to Broadway at the Beach. The kids loved MAGIQUEST although many adults said they didn%26#39;t like it (well I liked it). We did miniature golf - one right by our condo in NMB at 17th Ave and Hwy 17. There are plenty of courses and they all look fun.

One complaint - no close movie theatre if you want to see a move in NMB. The one in the mall was closed for renovations but should open soon. Otherwise you are driving into Myrtle Beach (we were going to go if we had another bad weather day).

Thanks to MBConcierge who shared all her insight to the area. We had a few bad weather days so on one of them we drove up to Cherry Grove and went to Boulineau%26#39;s IGA, the pie shop and the pier. My party was wondering why the heck we were going to an IGA. Well it is something! The pier was fun too. For $1 you can walk out on it. You can even purchase beer and drink while you are there.

MB vs. NMB

We drove through all of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach during our stay. While we would not stay in the ';downtown'; section of Myrtle Beach we really really liked the ';Northern'; section of Myrtle Beach. Lots of beautiful houses in that area. Lots of restaurants. We got to drive past the Sea Island Resort too (we were curious to see it since we almost stayed there). It looked really nice from the outside.

All in all a good trip. It was a new place for us so I%26#39;m glad we experienced it. The kids had fun. I am sure you will enjoy it!

Just returned from NMB!

I%26#39;m glad you had a good trip even with the few problems you had. I think I%26#39;d be writing some letters about the dirty room. I%26#39;m sure there%26#39;s somebody out there higher in the food chain than the clerk you dealt with. They wouldn%26#39;t be happy about hearing a story like that. Somebody somewhere dropped the ball and it affected your vacation.

You did the right thing driving around the area. There is so much area with so many options it takes a trip or two to find the beach section that suits your own personal needs and wants. I%26#39;m glad you enjoyed Boulineau%26#39;s. I keep empty bottle of Bouineau%26#39;s BBQ sauce here my desk just so I can spell the name right.

There are sections with the soft sand you%26#39;re looking for. Just need to learn where they%26#39;re at. Where we usally stay there is 20-30 yards of soft sand before you get to the packed. It continues south for a little over a mile near Main Street Ocean Drive. A few blocks to the north it disappears at the Cherry Grove light. At high tide you%26#39;re sitting on the dune.

Same with the crowded beaches. Anytime you%26#39;re in an area with several high rise buildings and a narrow beach at high tide you%26#39;ll have a problem. Again it takes a few trips to find the perfect location.

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