Chronicles of This Mama

Review of Lakewood Camping Resort in SC

About Us.

On the way home from what has quickly become a non-negotiable annual vacation for our family of 4 (not counting critters) I decided I would finally take a chance on myself. If I see so many others doing this blog thing, surely I can crush this too. I’ve had a few blogs in the past, all free, all failed and I never did more than a handful of posts. This time it will be different – that’s what I’m telling myself. Instead of focusing on a niche or a small section of our world, I’m just going to share it all. The good. The bad. The vulnerable, sticky, messy, ugly, happy, peaceful, life we live.

A little about us: Hubs is a full time first responder. Despite our constant chaos of kids sports and juggling schedules, we recently launched our own lawn care service, Turf Responders Lawn Service . Our kiddos are 10 and 5 – we planned that out purposely so we would not have to cover the cost of two in daycare, we are planners. I am a full-time paralegal and dabble in lots of hobbies. As a family we spend a lot of time outside playing sports, gardening, hiking, biking, and playing with our pups. Hubs and I are complete foodies and are usually trying out some new recipes on our days off. Ham (10) loves baseball, video games, wrestling, and football. Peach (5) also loves baseball but she love/hates to dance, and she is just now learning to jockey the joy sticks on some video games.

Review of Lakewood

Now to the point. We started four years ago taking our travel trailer to Lakewood Camping Resort and it’s the most peaceful vacation we take each year. Hubs and I grew up on the water in New Jersey so being close to the ocean puts us both at peace. We reside in Tennessee and although it’s beautiful and there are plenty of things to explore, it’s not the ocean.

We disconnected from the daily rigamarole. Screens off, phones on silent, family bonding initiated. We spent a few days letting the kids play in the sand, boogie boarding, body surfing, and skim boarding. Thankfully we brought our new portable canopy that has paid for itself in dividends especially from that South Carolina heat. We enjoyed fresh seafood, which is not a thing in Tennessee (we do frequent The Shrimp Dock when we need our fill of fresh seafood when we aren’t on vacation). Unfortunately being from the coast, we are picky about our seafood because its not quite fresh by the time it reaches us in the Smokey Mountains. We spent time at the on site outdoor pool/waterpark and floating in lazy river. We enjoyed bike rides through the campground, walking the dogs around the property, walking on the beach, collecting shells, and a coffee (or three or four) at the on-site coffee cafe the Beach Bum Coffee House. It’s one of the only real time Hubs and I fully disconnect from all of our obligations outside of our family. Overall it’s a lot of fun for the kids, and a lot of quality family time making memories that we all cherish.

When you book at Lakewood your stay includes access to the beach, wristbands for the on-site pools (one indoor and one outdoor), the waterpark which includes three slides and a lazy river, the splash pad, miniature golfing, paddle boats, and free bike rental (we bring our own so we don’t have to go to the rental building to reserve bikes in the morning). You could book a stay and never leave the property with on-site food trucks, Italian ice carts, cafe, cafeteria, and an ice cream shop.

Exploring the Surrounding Area

This year we took the kids off property and down to the Pier at Garden City for some pier fishing, something hubs and I grew up doing off of bridges in our hometown, but something neither kid has tried before. We didn’t catch anything but we did see plenty of porpoises swimming and even a few black tip sharks stealing what we should have been catching. A sweet gentleman on the benches next to us caught a sand shark and let Ham throw it back after petting it and feeling the sand papery skin. Peach was too afraid and only watched the release of the little shark.

We spent a day at Broadway at the Beach which was a definite tourist trap but not something I’m opposed to doing again. We were joined by some of our framily (friends who are family) this year too so the kids really had fun on rides with their friends. The shops were cute and new compared to what we have in Tennessee. They had Auntie Anne’s which for me is a definite stop any time I see one. We were able to walk around, wear the kids out just enough so they weren’t crazy at dinner because the day we went here was Hubs birthday. The kids got wristbands for all the carnival style rides and they had someone making balloon animals (we ended up with a water gun and a bow and arrow) which the kids really enjoyed. We later went to Drunken Jacks where I was able to have stuffed flounder and indulge in all the delicious lump crab meat since Hubs is allergic and it’s not something we cook at home. The kids had shrimp and flounder and Hubs had steak medallions covered in lobster sauce with shrimp and scallops (he’s only allergic to crab, not all shellfish, weird I know). We all really enjoyed our entrees. We shared a plate of calamari and bang bang shrimp which was my personal favorite of the meal. I’m a total sucker for appetizers.

Overall it’s a Wonderful Trip

I’ve linked to a few of our favorites from the trip this year but we have so many favorites for the area. This year we even came home with four new family members (thanks K-Ro.) – hermit crabs named Turbo, Bluey, Myrtle, and a crab that shall not be named. The kids enjoy it and we are able to recharge, rest, play, and laugh for a full week as a family without breaking the bank. It’s a super affordable vacation for us and we hope that you’ll check it out if you’re looking for an affordable option to experience some sand and surf with your own family. Hubs says that his tan lines suck, and he still has sand in places he shouldn’t, but wouldn’t change it for the world.