Traffic loop a pain for tourists and locals

My introduction to the Atlantic Beach Memorial Day Bikefest traffic loop:

As a long-time resident of Myrtle Beach, I received my first introduction to Bikefest Saturday, as we had no choice while returning from a cruise that was scheduled to arrive at 10 p.m. It gave me perspective on how new tourists to the area must feel.

First, our flight arrived 40 minutes late, and then almost no one's luggage arrived. You arrive for a great vacation, now you realize you have to go to a hotel with none of your belongings after waiting another hour to fill out a lost baggage claim. As we left the airport, we learned we could not turn left. We were forced to turn right and go south instead of north as we wanted. We went eight miles out of our way.

For tourists, there was nothing to tell them about how to head north. Luckily, we knew.

So after all of that, new tourists are left wondering about the flashing lights at every corner.

Welcome to Myrtle Beach overkill!

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Traffic loop a pain for tourists and locals."