As stated in yesterday’s post, we ponied up the money to ride the famed SkyWheel in Myrtle Beach last week. At 187 feet tall, it’s the second-tallest extant (what is extant?) ferris wheel in the U.S. of A., after, OF COURSE, Texas. We stood in line in the early afternoon, when the wait was only about ten minutes, the time that it takes for the 42 “gondolas” (they don’t look like gondolas) to make three revolutions.
At night, it is lit with over a million LED lights, but it also costs more at night. I took this pic on the eve that we arrived. The multicolored prongs you see held some sort of bungee jumping device, from which one could hear shrill screams.
Not being a fan of heights, I was none too eager to board the spinning vessel. But when in Rome, as they say. I couldn’t not ride it; we were right there, after all. I sat quite still on my bench, searching for non-existent handles. To my right and left was glass. Just glass. Soon the parking lot became smaller.
To the north, I watched the beach extend, tallying up the price of our vacation (about three month’s salary, the price of a wedding ring), and multiplying that by every figure I saw on the coastline. Myrtle Beach was raking it in.
To the south, the sand and surf continued. And by the way, the price to “rent” one of the beach chairs? $32. Seriously. That did not include an umbrella.
A plane flew by, advertising one of the many attractions.
Soon we were eye to eye with the skyscrapers.
By that third revolution, I felt fairly comfortable in my bench, nearly certain we would not topple out over the side and splatter on to the pavement. When we finally touched down to earth again, we were forced to exit through the gift shop, where teens stood with fully-developed pictures of you and your family (taken at a green screen just prior to the ride). A poorly-PhotoShopped memento of our bodies in front of the SkyWheel, for only $25. Everyone around us declined the offer, and the teens chunked the prints into the trash. If they would just offer them for $10, they could sell more and make less litter. Too bad I’m not in charge.
I Don't Get It 
I always wondered where people who live in Paradise go to vacation. Now I know. Myrtle Beach. I don’t recall any towering wheels when I was last there, but it has been a while. I don’t mind heights but I do mind paying 25 bucks for a picture. You could teach those kids a little about marketing. $10 sounds better than $0. And unless those chairs came with a complimentary cocktail I’ll stand,or sit in the sand thank you.
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Either way, the sand never leaves your body. You think you’ve bathed, but it clings.
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Kerbey said, “By that third revolution, I felt fairly comfortable…”
I think that’s the motto of politicians in 3rd world countries.
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Here’s another rip-off for you, my dear Kerbey. I googled the definition of extant. It means “existing.” So it’s the largest existing Ferris Wheel? Well, duh?! Do we give a flying funnel cake where it ranks vs. the ones that might have gone out of business? Because somebody flew out of the glass cage maybe? Extant! Criminy. Did the person who named the flippin’ thing get paid by the letter? Probably, reading what I have about your Myrtle Beach vacation prices so far.
I love your marketing savvy. But if the kids had any smarts at all, one of them would be hustling the no-buys out of the trash on the sly and passing them quickly out back to be sold to the families leaving for five bucks a pop, cash-only deal, cut the owner out of the loop altogether. That’s what a true college student working between sophomore and junior year would cook up, I think.
I hope that you and hubby and son got one of those suites with a mini kitchen so you could to the supermarket and cook some of your meals in. Karen and I try to do that on all of our vacations to save some cashola.
Your pictures are again fab. Was it so bad for your fear at the top? The sights take my breath away. I wouldn’t have done the bungee jump. That’s really scary.
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I rented half a duplex, which had a kitchen, but we didn’t cook a thing. We probably should have, but there were a ton of restaurants, and we wanted to get the local flavor, so we ate out twice a day. The best meal was the cheapest: $9 for a veggie omelet, biscuit and jam, and home fries. And finally drinking coffee after three days without it made my headache disappear.
As I passed the bungee jump later, two women were propped up against a wall just shaking their heads. I said, “You’d have to pay me to do that,” and they said, “I know that’s right.” Pay to be scared? Ah, youth.
And I agree: a student could hustle out those trashed pics and make some money. All or nothing seems crazy.
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How in the heck did you make it three days without coffee? McDonald’s drive through? 7-Eleven? Dunkin’ Donuts? Egads. Need. My. Morning. Coffee.
I hope all in all you had a good vacation, Kerbey.
I am wondering.
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Well, the cottage had Folgers, but ew. No, thank you. I have to drink freshly ground beans, not Jiffy Lube coffee. And by the time we drove out of the plantation into the city proper for lunch each day, I had to get iced tea bc it was too late for coffee. Finally on Wednesday, we went to get brunch, and I had 4 cups of that coffee. So good. The owner was friendly and had a thick accent; he was from Jerusalem, and it took me an hour to eat the omelet. It was enormous.
Then on Saturday, we did hit the Dunkin’ Donuts before catching our flight. They put cream and sugar in FOR YOU, so you have no control. Odd, right? And the donuts left a weird lardy residue on the roof of my mouth. I sound like a princess…But, yes, it was a good vacation. The Atlantic Ocean is my favorite water to swim in by far! No jellyfish stinging me!
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I grew up with the Atlantic. I can close my eyes still and feel the tide. And that was just messing around close to the shore.
I’m glad that you enjoyed your first trip to the east coast, Kerbey.
I am a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee guy, if you recall from my ranting blogs. But no sugar, just cream. And no donuts for me, so no lard to complain about. Their bagels are good, with butter, cream cheese or egg and meat choice.
That Jerusalem coffee and King Kong-sized omelet sounds like just what you needed for brunch that day. Yum.
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That was quite a Journey you took 🙂 Glad you got to ride the Monster Ferris Wheel. Agreed that when in Rome… And I totally agree that You should be in charge.
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Yes, it was a Journey. In highwaisted jeans.
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Yikes! That’s a long way up. Excellent photos Kerbey. I’ve never been, but it looks amazing. That you would jeopardize your life and limb for your art and for the satisfaction of your readers – I’m in awe. I bow down to your selflessness and dediciation. 😀
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Ah, yes, Paul. That’s why I’m here. 🙂
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Myrtle Beach is trying to become the over-priced, over-developed, over-kill beach town– and it sounds like they’re succeeding. The beach at Myrtle Beach State Park is the only redeeming quality.
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