Myrtle Beach at a (Long) Glance
I wrote this a while back for another website, but I think it's perfect to start this one off with! Here's a long discourse on Myrtle Beach, from one end to the other:
Well. I should be able to tell you more about Myrtle Beach than anybody else around, shouldn't I? I'm not sure that's the case, as we locals tend to lose touch with the tourist attractions somewhat, but I think I can pretty much give some needed information to anyone who isn't familiar with the area....
First of all, unless you live several hours away, you can't possibly begin to see and do what the Grand Strand has to offer in less than a week. If you start on the south end, and go north, every day could be full from sunrise to sunset, and you would still miss something.
Let me start with an opinion of where you might want to make your home base. This entire area covers about 100 miles along Highway 17, and all parts have their own special charm. Though not included officially as the "Grand Strand", I'll start with a bit about Charleston, SC.
Have you seen "Gone With the Wind"? The town of Charleston has changed little from that era, at least as far as the scenery. The downtown section is perfectly preserved, with old homes, draped in flowers and ivy. There are so many pre-civil war buildings to explore...museums... battleships... history from top to bottom. There are several perfectly preserved antebellum plantations set up for touring. Slave quarters to view and grand ballrooms to gasp at. I won't go on too much about the city. I wouldn't particularly recommend it for families with small kids. But if you enjoy seeing historical sites and beautiful homes, definately take a day of your vacation for exploring Charleston.
Pawley's Island and Murrells Inlet are next in the line. Considered the far south end of the Grand Strand, Pawley's Island is for nature lovers. Beautiful private beaches, few tourists, great restaurants, and handmade basketry and hammocks are everywhere. Some of the best seafood restaurants on the south end can be found there as well. Again, not a place for families with small children particularly, but something to plan a day's excursion to see. Murrells Inlet is surrounded by water, though not the ocean, and is wonderful for fishing, finding oysters, and again, fantastic seafood restaurants. You won't find an over-abundance of motels in either place, but condos abound for rental throughout the year.
Come north about ten more miles, and you find Surfside Beach. People either love this place, or couldn't care less. There is a fabulous pier, with the best fishing of all. Two HUGE and quite beautiful campgrounds, complete with cable tv, olympic sized swimming pools, and miles of gorgeous beach. Restaurants are everywhere. Traffic is better than the hub of Myrtle Beach itself, and close by is a fabulous sculpture garden called Brookgreen Gardens. ACRES of land, gardens to rival any in Asheville, NC.... alligators, wildlife, a nature tour, and unbelievable artwork await you. It takes a FULL day to tour Brookgreen, perhaps two days to fully appreciate it. No visitor to the Grand Strand should miss touring this spectacular place! Surfside also boasts a gorgeous state park, ocean front, and kept in its natural state. A must for anyone who
enjoys camping, hiking, and nature. On the corner of Hwy 17 and 544 is an very different kind of store, Dick's Pawn Shop. (check out www.dickspawn.com) There are 2 more of these stores, one on the Hwy leading east/west coming in to Myrtle Beach (501) and one in North Myrtle Beach. If you have a pre-conceived notion of a pawn shop being a dingy, dark, and even scary place, then wipe out that mental picture and come into Dick's Pawn. All the stores have huge jewelry departments and you'll find some of the best deals anywhere on used Rolex watches, tools of every kind, and sports equipment. The North Myrtle Beach store has one of the biggest antiques and collectible stores in this area. If you are into shopping, don't miss Dick's Pawn.
Let me also mention a small zoo in between Charleston and Surfside. Waccatee Zoo is a non-profit home for all kinds of abandoned and unwanted wild animals. A lot of it is in a natural setting, although there are big cats and monkees that are caged. You need a day for this too, and the kids will love it. Surfside is a good place to stay for a less stressful vacation, even if you take one day or night and go to Myrtle Beach proper.
And that brings us to the main attraction....Myrtle Beach itself.
What can be said to someone who has never seen Myrtle Beach? Picture a somewhat smaller version of Disney World....The MB Pavillion is one of the most massive, wonderful theme parks that you will find anywhere. From the biggest, most scary roller coasters, to every imaginable child's ride, the Pavillion grows every year. Candy apples, cotton candy, craft booths, loud music, wonderful excitement, and every child's dream come true are how I would describe this place. I've lived her for 8 years. Being from North Carolina, my parents brought me here for vacation every year of my life. At 44 years old, I still love to come here, ride the "Tilt-a-whirl" and stuff myself with great junk food and sweets.
If you are a family with small children, you don't mind traffic jams and can walk a lot, This is the place you should find a motel and base your time in. There must be 500 motels from one end of the town to the other. The ones close to the pavillion are older, less expensive, and need to be carefully checked out before you book them. But there are plenty of nice ones ON the ocean, that you can walk anywhere with the kids and not have to worry about getting caught in the traffic snarls.
On the other hand, if you don't have kids, don't want to have to walk, hate crowds, and like to sleep...then stay ANYWHERE except this area. Myrtle Beach starts at 28th Ave South, or the 2800 block of Hwy 17. This, through, perhaps, 10th Ave South will be less congested, less expensive, and altogether much quieter, although you are still close enough to drive anywhere. In my personal opinion, the area between 10th South and 1st South is probably the more run-down and crime ridden area. Motels there are the cheapest, but I wouldn't recommend them. The roads then change to 2nd Ave North, and climb upward. This is the Pavillion area, all the way to about 17th Ave North. Congested, but usually safe...heavily policed, and nearly undriveable. Mostly families, kids, and teenagers will populate these 17 or 18 blocks, and like I said, if you want the action, this is the area you want to be in!
Going north from the 1700 North block, the motels get finer, more expensive, quieter. Also in this area, but several miles west of Hwy 17, is Bypass 17, and the newest shopping complex called Broadway at the Beach. Another day long adventure, this area again resembles a small Disney World, except it is full of hundreds of specialty stores.
Surrounded by water, and unbelievably beautiful, it boasts an IMAX giant screen theatre, a free pontoon boat ride from one side to another, the famous HARD ROCK CAFE, PLANET HOLLYWOOD, and THE NASCAR CAFE. These are all giant themed restaurants that are to be marveled at.
Aside from these, inside the complex are the best "ordinary" restaurants to be found in the area - Tony Roma's Rib House, The Liberty Steak House, The Crab House, my favorites...are the best places to eat at the beach.
You shouldn't miss this unless you have small children who get tired and cranky. Young folks, and middle aged to retirees will love Broadway at the Beach.
Back to the ocean and Hwy 17 business; the northern parts of Myrtle Beach proper are again the nicest motels, cleanest and less crowded beaches, and altogether the most beautiful area to stay. Myrtle Beach comes to an end at approximately 86th? Avenue North, and as it runs out, our two biggest dinner and entertainment attractions are to be found. Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, and The Carolina Opry are quite huge, have great meals, and fabulous entertainment. They deserve a column all to themselves, and this one is already too long. Suffice it to say that if you like country music with a flair of Vegas, you will have to spend an evening at both places!
Around 13 miles from Myrtle Beach is the township of North Myrtle Beach.
This is an entirely different area from the "north end of Myrtle Beach" and to add to the confusion, the streets have the same names! This entire area is less crowded, more condominium oriented, and has WIDE, white beaches, similar to Daytona Beach Florida. Like Surfside, you either like
it or aren't interested. Again, there are hundreds of fantastic restaurants; the North Myrtle Beach Gran Prix, with it's miniture race cars and go-carts; Alligator Adventure, a place that boasts hundreds of REPTILES for your perusal; another water filled shopping annex called Barefoot Landing; and at the far north end, Ocean Drive Beach; home to the state dance, The Shag, and bars and nightclubs galore. The strand ends at Cherry Grove Beach, quiet, great for fishing....and the town of Little River. No beach to be found there, but several great restaurants and a waterfront area on the waterway, featuring fantastic Gambling Cruises, Fishing Cruises, and other neat things.
Well, there's the tour. Way too long, way too much info, and a sore wrist for me for a week! Come see us! (After reading this, I noticed how I spelled "Monkees" at the Waccatee Zoo...I decided to leave it that way!)
Posted by Jan
at 4:46 PM EDT
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