Renee Wright - Explorers Guide Myrtle Beach & South Carolinas Grand Strand: A Great Destination: Includes Wilmington and the North Carolina Low Country (Explorers Great Destinations)

Myrtle Beach
and South Carolinas
Grand Strand

For Joan, who took me to the Carolina Coast for the very first time, and for Bill, who taught me to shag (even though he called it the Beach bop). And, as always, for my Mom, who makes it all possible.

Copyright 2012 by Renee Wright

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages.

ISBN 978-1-58157-111-0

Interior photographs by the author unless otherwise specified

Book design by Joanna Bodenweber

Composition by Eugenie S. Delaney

Maps by Erin Greb Cartography, The Countryman Press

Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091

Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

Printed in the United States of America

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MANY PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED TO WRITING THIS BOOK . Irene Karas Long introduced me to Kure Beach and shared stories of fishing on its pier. Linda George took me to my first SOS. Stephanie Agniel told me about the quiet pleasures of Sunset Island. Caitlin Snead taught me to swirl a wand. My sister Karen and Paul Rogoshewski displayed admirable stamina testing mini-golf courses and tasting steamed oysters all along the coast.

A special thanks to Connie Nelson at the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau and Kimberly Miles at the Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Both provided invaluable help and advice. Thanks also to Sally Hogan at the Georgetown County Tourism Management Commission; Eric Grubb at the Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority; Lauren Frye at Bald Head Island Marketing; Phil Werz, Annette Shepherd, and Nancy Greene at The Brandon Agency; Heather Mill and Seagren Doran at MBooth; Monique Newton and many others at LHWH; and Martin Armes working with MMI Public Relations. All provided information that found its way into these pages.

A big shout-out goes to food writers Liz Biro in Wilmington and Becky Billingsley in Myrtle Beach. Both do amazing jobs keeping up with day-to-day changes in the food industry in their cities.

Without the hard work of lots of folks at Countryman Press and W.W. Norton, including Kim Grant, Kermit Hummel, Lisa Sacks, Doug Yeager, Jennifer Thompson and Abby Collier, this book would never have reached the press.

MAPS

LEFT: Surf fishing requires only a rod, reel, bait, and license.

STRETCHING BARELY 100 MILES along US 17, the laid-back Carolina coast between Wilmington, North Carolina, and Georgetown, South Carolina, offers visitors a wide variety of vacation options, something for every age and interest. This is the golf capital of the East, with more than 100 courses welcoming golfers year-round. Colonial seaports and fishing villages where the seafood comes straight off the boat rub shoulders with the cosmopolitan dining and shopping scenes of Wilmington, the film capital of the East Coast, and Myrtle Beach, one of the top beach and family destinations in the country.

Ten of Golf Digests top 100 courses in the world are located in this region, more than any other destination. Amusement parks, roller coasters, and water slides overlook the surf. Over 50 miniature golf courses make this the minigolf capital of the world.

This comprehensive guide helps you find your favorite spot along the Carolina coast, the place that delivers the vacation youre looking for, whether youre in search of a trophy fish, a hole in one, a thrill ride, a quiet week in a surfside cottage, or a meal created by a top chef. Event suggestions guide you from internationally acclaimed film festivals to boil-offs of the local bog stew.

Recommendations lead you down blackwater rivers and through maritime forests on unique eco-adventures. And youll discover the shagthe local dance that anyone can learn.

TO MAKE YOUR VISIT to the Carolina Lowcountry easier, weve divided our book into sections that will guide you to places that match your interests. Generally, the destinations are arranged north to south along the coast. There are special sections on Wilmington, North Carolina, and Georgetown and Conway in South Carolina, all brimming with history. The chapter on the Grand Strand forms the heart of our book, exploring the many family friendly and golfer options available in Myrtle Beach and its surrounding towns. Other sections look at each fishing village, island, and beach from Wrightsville Beach in the north to Pawleys Island in the south. Many of these make wonderful day trips, even if youre staying on another part of the Strand.

In several regions, we suggest 48-hour itineraries that make sure you see the best and most iconic sights at each destination. Short Dont Miss lists help you explore in more depth.

In the History & Nature section, youll find information on the unique ecology of the region and about Carolina bays (reputedly created by meteors), blackwater rivers, and local culture, from Native American tribes to the dance called the shag. We also list some Wilder Places where you can plunge more deeply into the wilderness that lurks just beyond the bright lights of the amusement parks.

Maybe its those meteors, but the Carolina coast can be hard to navigate. Nearly all the major roads are in one form or another part of US 17, the major north-south road through the region. Others head off into the swamps and end up where you least expect.

Our Transportation section offers you some guidance with suggested routes, including the major airports serving the region and some waterways you can follow to explore by boat.

Most visitors to the Carolina coast come looking for one thinga beach vacation. The long, white-sand beaches that stretch from Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, to Pawleys Island, South Carolina provide the perfect venue. But there are many other choices to be made.

The Carolina coast boasts many wonderful seafood dishes.

If youre looking for maximum choices when it comes to family activities, popular dining, souvenir shopping, and nightlife, combined with beautiful beaches, your best bet is to head for one of the regions classic beach destinations. Myrtle Beach cant be beat for family activities, chain restaurants, and big shopping opportunities. The Boardwalk at Carolina Beach in North Carolina offers many similar attractions on a smaller, more laid-back scale.