Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach is the playful hub of the coastal South. It is centered on sixty miles of superb sandy shoreline by the Atlantic Ocean. The Intracoastal Waterway parallels the beach about two miles inland. Isolation deterred settlement until 1900. The town’s destiny as a tourist capital was fulfilled slowly at first, and full-tilt in recent years.

Today, the aptly named “Grand Strand” harbors one of America’s most bountiful concentrations of recreation and leisure facilities. Instead of a traditional downtown, Myrtle Beach features amusement parks, water parks, sportive attractions, shops and restaurants of all kinds mixed together all over town. Nearby, the classic beach is fronted by a superabundant collection of skyscraper hotels and condos where more visitors can enjoy an ocean view than in any other great town. There are other superlatives. The Grand Strand claims America’s largest collection of public golf courses; more grandiose seafood buffets than anywhere; and one of the nation’s biggest clusters of live music/variety theaters.

For more information, check with the local Chamber of Commerce.