Visitors flock to Myrtle Beach for the 60 miles of beaches and coastline, which includes two oceanfront state parks, Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach State Park. Others think golf when they hear the words Myrtle Beach, thanks to the area’s 120 courses (very few of which are private). Plus, there’s fishing from Myrtle Beach’s eight fishing piers, as well as good fishing spots in the backwater creeks between Georgetown and Little River (where the crabbing is great, too).

 

Beyond that, add in eight theaters, grand shopping venues, nearly 1,700 restaurants and dozens of attractions such as amusement parks, waterparks, and nearly 50 miniature golf courses and you’ve got yourself a thriving vacation spot. Be forewarned: Myrtle Beach is more commercial and is a brazen celebration of tourist life with plenty of diversions on and off the beach. 

 

Water activities includes sailboating, canoes, kayaks, scuba diving shipwrecks, parasailing, surfing, windsurfing, boogie-boarding, swimming and sunning.  

MagiQuest: Harry Potter wannabes get a taste of the magical life with this interactive family attraction. Each player gets a personal magic wand that can set off lightning bolts, open treasure chests and perform heroic deeds in a lifesize video game that requires teamwork, skill and imagination.  MagiQuest in Williamsburg

 

The Pavilion Amusement Park was torn down in 2006, but the Pavilion Nostalgia Park aims to take its place by opening in July 2007. Located at Broadway on the Beach, the Pavilion Nostalgia Park offers a collection of classic rides like the Herschell-Spillman Carousel, Wave Rider, adult and kiddie Pirate Rides, and the Caterpillar, Dune Buggy, Boat and Teacup Rides. Plus midway games, a retail shop, museum and more. http://www.pavilionnostalgiapark.com/

 

Broadway at the Beach serves up 350 acres of shops, restaurants, nightlife, attractions, and hotels. New attractions coming soon include an IMAX 3D Theatre opening late spring and The Pavilion Nostalgia Park opening early summer.

 

 

Hit the NASCAR track for full-throttle fun. The NASCAR SpeedPark offers go-carts, speed races, kiddie rides, mini golf, bumper boats, an arcade, interactive games and more. www.nascarspeedpark.com

 

Head to Broadway on the Beach for a whole host of Ripley’s Believe It or Not adventures. Ripley’s Aquarium is the most visited attraction in South Carolina and was built for $40 million. Visitors are surrounded on all sides by 10-foot sharks as they travel through Dangerous Reef, a 750,000-gallon tank. Ripley's Haunted Adventure is a scary tour of the old Grimsby & Streaper Casket Company. Ripley's Believe It or Not! is an oddball museum packed with see-it-to-believe-it exhibits like two-headed-skeletons and a TV made of toast. www.ripleysaquarium.com 

 

Situated south of Myrtle Beach, Brookgreen Gardens is a mix of forested swamps, salt marsh, sandy ridges and fresh tidal swamps. The 9,200-acre property is comprised of beautiful gardens such as the Sculpture Gardens, the Children’s Garden, the Dogwood Garden and much more. www.brookgreen.org 

 

South Carolina’s largest mall, the Coastal Grand Mall houses anchor stores Sears and Dillard’s, as boutique chains Ann Taylor Loft, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express and many more. The mall also has a Cinemark 14 movie theater. www.coastalgrand.com