South Carolina beach walk

Photo credit: South Carolina Tourism

One of the top vacation destinations along the East Coast, the Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand area stretches south from the South Carolina state line at Little River to Georgetown. It's 98 miles north of Charleston but a world ctix in ambience.

On a summer day, the population here exceeds half a million people. The Grand Strand hosts more than twice as many visitors each year as Hawaii. The beach is not the only reason people come -- shopping, golfing, sightseeing, and live theater are also draws. In the past few years, Myrtle Beach has grown into a year-round destination, and as a result, South Carolina now ranks second only to Florida as a vacation destination, ahead of California, New Jersey, and North Carolina. The Travel Channel has voted it the "Best Family Beach."

Myrtle Beach is at the center of the Grand Strand, a 60-mile string of beaches. Named for the abundance of myrtle trees in this area, Myrtle Beach is an ideal base for a Grand Strand vacation. As the largest beach resort along the Grand Strand, it has the most facilities, entertainment, and restaurants, and as a result, it attracts the most visitors. But if you're looking for a wild, swinging kind of beach resort, this isn't it. The tone is that of a family resort, with almost as much attention paid to children's needs as to those of adults. Many hotels and motels provide activity programs and playgrounds with supervision, and nearly all have babysitter lists for parents who like a little nightlife.

The big attraction in the area is the beach, of course. Sunbathing, swimming, boating, and all the other watersports rank first among things to do. Fishing is first-rate, whether you cast your line from the surf, a public pier, or a charter boat. Surf fishing is permitted all along the beach. Charter boats ("head boats," as the locals say) are available at marinas up and down the Strand, and even at the height of the season, you'll be able to book a trip without much difficulty.

You can swing a golf club at any of 120 courses. Most motels and hotels hold guest-membership privileges, entitling you to reduced greens fees. The season extends from February to November. There are also more than 200 public and private tennis courts in the Grand Strand area.

But although the area's tourist growth may be almost unparalleled in America, there are some clouds on the horizon. Environmentalists are concerned that the rampaging development puts the region's natural beauty at risk. Longtime promoters fear that Myrtle Beach's family-friendly atmosphere may be threatened. (Families make up an important part of the trade, and efforts to keep it that way have meant banning thong bathing suits and relegating topless clubs to an industrial park.) Others bemoan the theme-park atmosphere, likening the Grand Strand to a combination of Disneyland and Las Vegas (without the casinos).

Change is slowly coming to Myrtle Beach. North European tour groups are coming to the Grand Strand in increasing numbers, drawn by advertisements that tout the area as a seaside resort that evokes heartland America at its most authentic, least apologetic, and most unselfconscious. Food and booze are super-cheap. And corporate entrepreneurs are pouring money into less expensive versions of Disney World, where a family can amuse itself at rates much, much lower than those offered in Orlando.