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 ...welcomes
you for your South Carolina family beach vacation! With so much to see
and do, and sunny weather that keep happy families returning year after
year, we know you’ll love your summer vacation at the beach. From
dinner theatre entertainment and award-winning championship golf to
wild water park adventures and exciting roller coaster rides, the Grand
Strand offers beach vacations with something for everyone. So grab the
kids, pack your bags and load the car, because you are about to embark
on a summer vacation that puts family fun back into quality time.
The Grand Strand
The
Grand Strand stretches into two states and three counties, encompassing
much more than the city of Myrtle Beach. It extends across freshwater
rivers, the brackish Intracoastal Waterway and several saltwater
inlets, all the while bound on its east side by the mighty Atlantic
Ocean.
The northern point of the Grand Strand is
Calabash, North Carolina, which was actually part of South Carolina
until 1735. Famous for its calabash-style cooking where fresh seafood
is lightly battered and then deep fried, Calabash boasts 30 scrumptious
seafood restaurants in a one-square-mile area.
The southern boundary of the Grand Strand is Georgetown, South Carolina, where rice plantations were once the economic mainstay. Today, the historic seaport town lures fishermen, photographers and birdwatchers to its surrounding natural environment.
From one end of the strand to the other and every town in between, including: Murrells Inlet, Garden City, Surfside Beach, Cherry Grove, Little River, and of course, North Myrtle Beach—famous for shag dancing to beach music—the Grand Strand beckons visitors worldwide to experience southern hospitality during their summer beach vacation.
Known for its fresh inlet catches and open-fire oyster roasts, history of the Murrells Inlet fishing village includes the likes of Blackbeard, the notorious pirate who terrorized the Carolina coast in the 1700s. Waterfront restaurants, the award-winning marsh walk and several marinas bustling with boaters’ activities are what you’ll find in this part of the Lowcountry.
With the salt marsh of Murrells Inlet only three blocks west of the Atlantic Ocean’s sandy shoreline, Garden City is a bustling strip of coastal paradise. An eclectic array of raised beach houses line both sides of the narrow street as throngs of sun-kissed visitors walk to the fishing pier where people of all ages dance to live music.
From shopping, water park adventures and miniature golf courses on Highway 17 Business to a public library, community recreational parks and pedestrian and bicycle-friendly streets tucked throughout a quiet neighborhood, Surfside Beach has the best of both worlds. Long walks and oceanfront dinners are the norm in this quiet section of the Grand Strand.
Named for the native wax myrtle trees, Myrtle Beach has welcomed vacationing families for more than a century, who originally reached the beachfront oasis by train. The historical Myrtle Beach Train Depot, built in 1937, was recently renovated and stands in downtown Myrtle Beach as a special tribute to what was a catalyst for the family summer vacation trend we know today.
Beach music and North Myrtle Beach go hand in hand, perhaps because it is the birthplace of the shag, South Carolina’s state dance. People travel from all over the country to shag on the beach, patios and decks that border Ocean Drive and Main Street. For a nostalgic walk through the pages of yesteryear, you won’t have to look any further than North Myrtle Beach.
In Cherry Grove, life is all about the fishing. Charter a boat and go deep sea fishing in the Gulf Stream or fish the creeks of the Intracoastal Waterway in a rental boat you take out yourself. Drop a line off the Cherry Grove Pier, which was built in the 1950s and from which a record 98-pound tarpon was caught.
Home of the famous Blue Crab Festival in May, Little River is a small, but active, commercial fishing port on the Intracoastal Waterway, with waterfront restaurants and a laid-back atmosphere, complete with moss-draped live oak trees. Shipwreck survivors, President George Washington and Civil War blockade runners are woven into Little River’s patchwork history.
The Secret Revealed
Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand repeatedly rank among the top 10 beaches in nationwide surveys conducted by such travel and recreation experts as The Travel Channel, AAA, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic Traveler and Southern Living. Surveys by countless magazines, websites, hotels and tour operators further reveal that the Grand Strand is a favorite destination for family vacations.
Is it Myrtle Beach’s award-winning oceanfront boardwalk, the world-renowned golf or perhaps, the terrific weather—57° in January and 87° in June—that keeps the Grand Strand at the top of the list? It’s all of the above and more!
The Beaches
When 13 million people visit the Grand Strand each year, we know we have something special and it all starts with 60 miles of white sandy beaches. Bare feet, bathing suits and a bucket for shell collecting are all that’s needed for a relaxing day at the beach. From sun up to sun down, children build sand castles, couples enjoy a romantic walk along the shoreline and families splash and play in the waves. What better setting for a family vacation than fresh air beneath a clear blue sky and the soothing sound of crashing surf in the background?
For those with a more adventurous spirit, we have many options for you to enjoy the Atlantic Ocean from different perspectives. SCUBA, surfing and deep sea fishing are only a few ways you can further explore the mysteries of the ocean. Soar high above the waves on a parasail ride or feel every bump and splash on a jet ski. And if it’s a boat ride you want, pick your pleasure: sea kayak, banana boat, sailboat, dolphin watch boat, or the world’s largest speedboat. On the Grand Strand, we aim to make your summer vacation everything you dreamed.
The Attractions
Your Myrtle Beach vacation will overflow with hundreds of entertainment options from a fast pace to slow motion. Jump in the middle of all the action during a speeding roller coaster ride, high-flying helicopter tour, daring alligator show and erupting volcano miniature golf game.
Or succumb to the peaceful retreat of historic gardens, educational museums and vineyard tours. Read your favorite novel poolside before taking a sunset stroll on the beach. It’s your beach vacation and we want to make sure you return home smiling.
The Restaurants
With 1,700 restaurants, you’ll never go hungry during your family beach vacation. We invite you to experience oceanfront restaurants and gourmet dining. Or enjoy a delicious four-course feast while cheering a riveting jousting tournament or during the North/South rivalry at one of the area’s dinner theatres. On the Grand Strand, we have restaurants on piers and dining on boats and we welcome a meal-to-go for a fabulous family picnic on the beach.
If it’s seafood you’re hunting, you’ve found your treasure in Myrtle Beach. Seafood restaurants extend from the Grand Strand’s northern reaches to the southern Lowcountry. We grill, fry, broil, bake, steam and even serve raw, the delicious seafood that helps makes our area famous.
From all-you-can-eat buffets to a la carte menus and the local catch of the day to European cuisine, the eclectic selection of our restaurants can’t be beat!
The Entertainment
The Myrtle Beach area is a mecca for live entertainment, offering award-winning variety shows and musical concerts the whole family will enjoy. Matinees and nightly performances with singing, dancing, comedy and oftentimes performers on horseback, are sure to become part of the agenda during your summer vacation at the beach.
Whether you prefer country, beach music, rock ‘roll or Broadway tributes, the Grand Strand has an entertaining show that will tantalize. Our star-studded calendar of special events brings celebrity concerts to the stage year-round. The high-energy shows found in the Myrtle Beach area have been dazzling audiences for years.
The Shopping
Shopping comes in all shapes and sizes around Myrtle Beach. Several outlet malls with all your brand name favorites at prices are sure to please the bargain hunters while shopping malls from one end of the beach to the other offer an indoor escaade. On the Grand Strand, you can shop the riverfront, oceanfront, boulevards or boardwalks, stopping only long enough for a tasty lunch or cool ice cream break.
Specialty shops and antique stores for that one-of-a-kind gift are as easily found as ladies’ boutiques and children’s retailers. Add upscale consignment and discount beachwear stores and you could spend your entire Myrtle Beach vacation window shopping for souvenirs.
The Golf
What do golf greats Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Robert Trent Jones, Davis Love III, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Arnold Palmer have in common . . . they all have signature golf courses on the Grand Strand. Most people can’t think of a Myrtle Beach vacation without a golf course coming to mind. Estimates indicate that at least one in 10 Grand Strand visitors vacation here for the fabulous golf.
With 120 courses from which to choose, it’s easy to see why the area has been dubbed the “Seaside Golf Capitol of the World.” From the north end of the Strand to the south and on both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway, junior golfers and seasoned pros alike will find a plethora of courses to test their skills. Whether you desire a par-3 challenge close to the beach or an 18-hole championship golf course that meanders around lakes and ponds, it’s all right here in Myrtle Beach.
Brush up on your game at the area’s practice putting greens and driving ranges or sign up for on-course instruction and clinics before hitting the links. If it’s camaraderie and competition you’re after, enter one of the many golf tournaments and golf for a cause.
The Water sports and Fishing
What does the Intracoastal Waterway, coupled with 60 miles of coastline and numerous tidal creeks and winding rivers mean to people who love the water . . . that the Grand Strand is the paradise setting for a watersports family vacation.
When vacationing in the Myrtle Beach area, fishing is a term of art that requires many decisions—shrimp, crabs or fish; saltwater or freshwater; inshore or offshore; pier, surf zone or boat; head boat, charter boat or personal rental; and finally, flounder, grouper, snapper or king mackerel. Whether a beginner needing to rent rod and reel or an expert looking for a full day’s deep-sea excursion to the Gulf Stream, fishing during your Myrtle Beach vacation will be a rewarding endeavor your whole family will love.
Sightseeing and dolphin watch cruises are available for those who prefer more leisurely pastimes, and dive centers along the Grand Strand offer SCUBA explorations for those curious about the marine life and sea formations beneath the ocean’s surface.
In Myrtle Beach, thrill rides aren’t just found on land. Several waterfront attractions offer parasailing, jet ski rentals, banana boat rides and sailboat tours where you’ll get wet, sometimes from head to toe, as you laugh and shout your way through the waves, swells and splashes of the ocean.
The Total Resort Experience
From the mainland to the ocean and all the tributaries in between, the Grand Strand is a haven for water lovers, a mecca for landlubbers and the perfect family vacation destination. The most difficult part of vacationing in Myrtle Beach is choosing what to do first—relax or kick up your heels? Visit an art gallery, taste fresh, local produce at Myrtle’s Market, discover a boardwalk arcade or enjoy live music, poolside. And don’t forget to ask the locals about upcoming special events. Our calendar is filled with festivals, parades, traveling shows, sports tournaments and expos to which you’re invited, including the migration of the shaggers, Sun Fun Festival and Harley-Davidson Bike Week.
New roads carry visitors from one end of the Grand Strand to the other, while the centrally located Myrtle Beach International Airport warmly welcomes air travelers. Let someone else drive while you take in the sights and sounds of the Grand Strand aboard a nautically-decorated bus—public transportation can take you to all your favorite attractions and restaurants.
And there’s always something new to explore. As one of the country’s fastest growing areas, Myrtle Beach regularly embraces new retail stores, tempting restaurants and family attractions. The changing landscape adapts to meet the desires of the vacationing community. Most recently, there has been a trend towards fitness tourism, where bike paths and park facilities are becoming popular destinations for vacationing families.
Sports Illustrated magazine was born at Pine Lakes International Country Club in 1953 and in 2004 the publication designated Myrtle Beach “Sportstown USA.” Annual softball and basketball tournaments that bring teams from all over the country and the North Myrtle Beach Aquatic and Fitness Center, which is now under construction, help make Myrtle Beach a destination for the sports minded. Another project in the works is the Coastal Carolina Arena on Highway 501, a multi-purpose arena that will host college basketball, arena football and minor league hockey in addition to musical concerts and family shows. The arena will also be open for public ice skating. In a coastal resort where bathing suits are more prevalent than winter coats, it’s no wonder that fitness and healthy living are becoming more important aspects for family vacations.
Fill the days of your beach vacation with sunshine, laughter and quality family time on the Grand Strand in South Carolina! The coast’s palmetto trees and the Lowcountry’s live oaks are the ideal backdrop for a summer vacation. Just ask the 13 million people who visit each year and experience for themselves a generous dose of southern hospitality. We’re family friendly and we like it that way.
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