Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Welcome to Myrtle Beach, the heart of the Grand Strand, which boasts white sandy beaches and historic landmarks, as well as first-class entertainment and night life. The oasis of South Carolina, Myrtle Beach provides all of the amenities that a vacationer may long for, combining a variety of elements that are sure to please even the most diverse crowd.

A popular tourist spot, almost 14 million people each year visit the Grand Strand’s more than 60 miles of beaches and premier resorts. Vacationers can make the most out of the beach by participating in activities such as fishing, parasailing and many water sports. The summer months bring about a refreshingly warm water temperature, which averages 80 degrees. Myrtle Beach has an average of 215 sunny days and in the summer, the temperature averages in the upper 80’s.

People of all ages embrace Myrtle Beach – and many have been coming year after year. Adults find themselves reminiscing about their younger years at the beach, their teenage years on Ocean Boulevard or even a summer romance, while the children play in the sand and create their own memories to last a lifetime.

Area attractions include many entertainment and shopping options, and state parks are also available for those looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the area. Myrtle Beach offers amusement parks, water parks, theaters and an aquarium in terms of entertainment and there are many events and festivals throughout the year for those looking for a cultural experience. Local restaurants are famous for their fresh, succulent seafood, but the area also hosts a variety of fares up and down the coast.

With more than 100 courses, golf is a staple of Myrtle Beach, providing an excellent choice of where to play while in the area for all levels of golfing. The golf in the area is first-rate, which brings golfers to Myrtle Beach from all parts of the country.

The Grand Strand stretches from Calabash, NC all the way to Georgetown, SC. Be sure to check out North Myrtle Beach, and on the south end, Surfside Beach, Garden City and Pawleys Island, which offer a more relaxed atmosphere. All parts of the Grand Strand offer a blend of fun, relaxation and excitement, which ensures that one will create memories that will span for generations.

United States map showing distances from several major cities to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Carolina Opry
8901-A Business 17 North
Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
Tel: 843-913-4000, 800-843-677

The Carolina Opry

It's Showtime!
Around here the phrase "Showtime at the Beach" can mean only one thing: the Calvin Gilmore family of music variety shows.
The award-winning entertainer and producer has created an entertainment mecca in Myrtle Beach, attracting national attention and plaudits in the process. The Carolina Opry theater is an elegant 2,200-seat show palace in Myrtle Beach whose massive lobby, with its towering Corinthian columns and sweeping staircases, is an attraction in itself. The building's impressive facade and spacious auditorium is a fitting home for what is arguably the best live variety show in the country.

The Carolina Opry presents America's best music in Myrtle Beach's best show. It could be described as a dash of Broadway in an evening of classic; and contemporary country/pop/gospel music. The show is sparkle and glitter and heart and soul, rarely failing to make its audiences stand up and cheer. Among its many distinctions is that of having received South Carolina's highest tourism honor, The Governor's Cup. This comes as no surprise to the more than 5 million satisfied customers who have passed through Gilmore's theater doors since The Carolina Opry opened in 1986. Over 4,000 tour buses alone will visit the theater this year. The average Carolina Opry customer has seen the show (which is constantly changing and reinventing itself) between 4 and 7 times. Repeat business like that speaks more loudly than any ad copy. Southern Living Magazine was right when it said that Calvin Gilmore's Carolina Opry is not just a success, it is "an entertainment phenomenon."

Brookgreen Gardens

"The touch of the sun for pardon, the kiss of the sun for mirth; one is nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth."
That gentle inscription graces the garden wall of America's most outstanding collection of outdoor statuary set in beautiful botanical gardens. Located on the grounds of three old rice plantations, Brookgreen began as a small sculpture garden project of Anna Hyatt Huntington, wife of millionaire philanthropist Archer Huntington. Its symbol, the magnificent Fighting Stallions at Brookgreen's gate, was sculpted by Mrs. Huntington using live horses, among the many animals she maintained at her studio as models. Flowers are in bloom year-round at Brookgreen, with late March and early April special high points. An extensive wildlife park and aviary make it a natural stop.

Shopping Galore

If you took all of the merchandise sold in Myrtle Beach's hundreds of boutiques, outlet stores and shops and laid it end to end, how many miles would it cover? Well, let's see, that's...oh, who has time for math on vacation, anyway! Suffice it to say that whatever it is you're looking for, you can find it here.

Plantations

US Highway 17 is the main drag, running parallel to the great Atlantic, along the Grand Strand's coastal communities. When you're ready for a little exploring, you can follow it south out of Myrtle Beach and straight into history. Down past Murrells Inlet, the old ocean highway runs right through the middle of what were once vast plantations stretching from the river to the sea. This was rice country. That's right, rice. Only true history buffs know it, but this coastal area provided some 75% of the world's rice between the American Revolution and the Civil War. Here thrived the wealthiest aristocracy in early America. On tiny Pawleys Island, you can still see their summer homes, some dating from the 1700s.

A few of the old rice-producing giants still stand and are open to visitors, offering mute testimony to a time when a small golden grain and the chains of human bondage created a society doomed to tragedy.

Murrells Inlet

Seafood Capital of South Carolina
Located nine miles south of Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet is so southern that even its name has a story behind it. There are still locals who disagree about whether it is the namesake of Capt. Morall (a pirate) or Capt. Murrell (a respectable sea captain). What is certain is that this small village lives up to its self-proclaimed title of "Seafood Capital of South Carolina." There are more restaurants on a strip of Business Highway 17 than exist in some entire cities. Although the cuisine now extends well beyond the traditional fresh inlet seafood on which its reputation was made, there are still plenty of ocean delicacies to be found on these tables.

Georgetown

A Seaport That Time (Almost) Forgot
The Grand Strand's southern terminus is Georgetown, whose National Register Historic District (ca. 1729) is simply charming. A seaport village with a collection of homes and churches dating from the 1700s and 1800s, it feels like a previously undiscovered antebellum Mayberry, where homeowners call out friendly greetings to visitors exploring the moss-draped Prince George Winyah Episcopal Churchyard (ca. 1750). Inside the church, echoes of colonial debate and a thousand liturgies hang in the air as docents proudly point out the box pews that have served generations. Over at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a local guide extols the quiet courage of the small congregation of freed slaves who purchased this lot in the middle of town in 1866 (only a year after the war's end) and built a house of worship. The African element of construction bears witness to pride of heritage. In the harbor, wooden shrimp boats drift back into port around 4:00 pm, the tops of their masts painted white. The reason? If the boat is in peril, local custom dictates, the hand of God will need a clean place to touch when rescuing it.

On The Links

Golf is big in Myrtle Beach. Really Big.
98 courses big. No, that wasn't a typographical error; there are actually 98 sensational golf courses to choose from.

Granted, there are a few other places on this earth with that many courses per square mile. But the unique thing about Myrtle Beach's courses is that you can actually play them. There is very little restricted play here, few private country clubs. In Myrtle Beach, every single golfer has 98 courses from which to choose.

The courses here are good enough to have won dozens of awards; the names of designers read like a guest list at a Master's opening reception: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Pete Dye, Rees Jones. The topography of the courses is driven by that of the coastal plains. There are waterside courses with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean; secluded courses tucked into old growth hardwood forests; courses that meander through the salt marshes of former rice plantations, where alligators keep silent vigil over the balls that never made it out of the rough. It's no wonder that the area was chosen as the home of the 1994 Senior PGA Tournament.

"Showtime at the Beach" hotels can provide complete golf packages that include savings on tee-times at several top courses.

Getting here is half the fun.
Should you choose to fly, contact US Airways, Jet Express, Vanguard, Spirit or ASA Delta (see below). Nonstop connections are offered to and from New York, Washington, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Several rental car agencies are located at the airport, as are taxi and limousine services (see below). Travel time by car from the airport to the heart of Myrtle Beach is about 10 minutes.

Railway

Amtrak service (1-800-USA-Rail) is also available to the Myrtle Beach area through a terminal in Florence, about 70 miles away. Buses connect with Amtrak for the drive to the beach.

Myrtle Beach International Airport

Myrtle Beach International Airport serves the Grand Strand area for commercial flights and private companies. The airlines that fly into Myrtle Beach are listed below:

Air Canada -- 1-800-776-3000 -- (Spring & Fall) Direct service from Toronto

Atlantic Southeast Airlines Your Delta Connection Carrier -- 1-800-282-3424 -- Service from Atlanta and Dallas/Fort Worth

Comair -- 1-800-282-3424 -- Weekend service from Cincinnati

Continental -- 1-800-525-0280

Jet Express -- 1-800-FUN-2-SUN (386-2786)

Midway Express -- 1-800-446-4392

Spirit -- 1-800-772-7117

US Airways -- 1-800-428-4322 -- Flights from Charlotte and Pittsburgh -- Saturday non-stop service from La Guardia and Philadelphia

Private Plane Service

Grand Strand Airport -- 843-448-1589 -- Located in North Myrtle Beach just off Highway 17 at 33rd Avenue

Conway-Horry County Airport -- 843-397-9111

Car Rentals at Myrtle Beach

Alamo Rent-A-Car -- 800-327-9633

Avis Rent-A-Car -- 800-331-1212

Budget Rent-A-Car -- 800-527-0700

Car Temps USA -- 843-449-0044

Carolina Auto Rentals -- 843-293-5706

Conway Ford, Inc. -- 843-365-5596

Dollar Rent-A-Car -- 800-800-4000

Enterprise Rent-A-Car -- 800-736-8222

Hertz Rent-A-Car -- 800-654-3131

Inlet Auto Sales -- 843-651-1097

National Rent-A-Car -- 800-227-7368

Payless Car Rental -- 800-729-5377

Princess Limousines -- 843-651-7433

Ramp 66 Car Rental -- 843-272-5337

Rent-A-Wreck -- 843-626-9393

Sears Rent-A-Car -- 843-448-1587

Thrifty Car Rental -- 843-626-6527

U-Save Car Rental -- 800-441-3741

Whatcha McCollum Car Rental -- 843-272-5816

Zippy Car Rental -- 843-448-1991

Call 1-800-SHO-TIME (1-800-746-8463) to speak with a full-service travel agent who can book a hotel or resort package of your choice. SHO-TIME can also book your airline tickets and offers you the best airline pricing available anywhere! One call does it all!

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