SThe
center of the 60-mi-/97-km-long Grand Strand coastal area,
Myrtle
Beach has long been a popular vacation spot. Some parts
of it -- the boardwalk, the amusement parks -- harken back
to the classic vacation days of yesteryear, but Myrtle Beach
knew better than to rest on its laurels. In the 1990s, the
city went through a growth spurt that added a lot of new attractions,
which is in part what draws 11 million visitors to the Grand
Strand area each year.
Music and variety shows are a big part of the change: Half
a dozen theaters are now in operation, including venues owned
by such established stars as Dolly Parton (Dixie Stampede)
and the country-music groups Alabama (Alabama Theatre at Barefoot
Landing) and the Gatlin Brothers (Gatlin Brothers Theatre
at Fantasy Harbor). They are patterned on the Branson, Missouri,
celebrity theaters.
Broadway
at the Beach also contains performance theaters but combines
them with shops, restaurants, nightclubs and its own 23-acre/9.5-hectare
lake. The Ripley's Aquarium is there, with a huge salt-water
tank containing thousands of fish and an 18-ft/5.5-m water
wall on the exterior of the building. There's also an IMAX
theater, a Butterfly Pavilion and an incredible array of
theme restaurants -- Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, All
Star Cafe, NASCAR Cafe and Easy Rider Cafe.
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Ripley's Aquarium
Ripley's
Aquarium is located at Broadway at the Beach. Move through
a see-through tunnel while fish and sharks swim all around
you. See ray sharks, dive shows, marine education presentations,
creatures from the Amazon rain forest, octopus, sea dragons
and thousands of colorful fish. Touch horseshoe crabs and
rays. You can buy family, season and business passes, and
the aquarium can be rented for business meetings. The Polynesian
Review, an evening of food, dancing and hula lessons, is
held Tuesday through Thursday from 7:30pm to 10pm. Sunday
Brunch is 9am to 2pm.
Pavilion Amusement Park
For
sheer excitement, hop on the 110-foot wooden and steel roller
coaster, The Hurricane Category 5, with its 53-degree drop
and reverse helix. For the less adventurous, there is the
Mad Mouse, Chaos and the Corkscrew. For the really tame,
there is the water ride, Hyrdosurge. This park also has
the largest collection of kiddy rides in the country and
snack bars, games, and entertainment. Myrtle Beach's only
under-21 club, The Attic, is also located here.
Alligator Adventure
At
the world's largest reptile park, Alligator Adventure, observe
over 800 alligators as you walk above on boardwalks. The
alligators (including two rare albinos) range in size from
8-inch newborns to 13-foot adults. Listen to a lecture and
watch as the staff feeds these fascinating animals. You
can also see tortoises, exotic birds and komodo dragons,
and snakes and frogs of all kinds in the large serpent house.
Brookgreen Gardens
Spend
the day touring the serene Brookgreen Gardens, part of a
9,100-acre preserve coast that was once four rice plantations.
More than 500 works of American sculptors are on display
in the gardens, as well as wildlife and historical exhibits
of South Carolina animals and artifacts. The Kitchen will
prepare a gourmet picnic basket meal that you can take anywhere
on the premises.
Sea Thunder
Even
though the guides will tell you differently, you will get
very wet on this tour no matter where you sit on the boat.
It is fun, though, and if you "feel the need for speed,"
this is the cruise for you. The tour is about two hours
long and will take you meandering through the Intercoastal
Waterway. Once you get to the Atlantic Ocean, you will experience
the power of the twin Caterpillar 3412 Turbo-Intercooled
V12 engines. The Sea Thunder has room for 150 passengers.
Blue Crab Festival
This
festival, held on the historic Little River waterfront,
offers more than 150 artists and craftsmen, twenty food
booths, fiddlers, island musicians and music by the Beatles
and Elvis. A juried arts and crafts show is included, and
for the children there is face painting, a climbing wall
and a petting zoo among other activities. Chow down on crab
cakes, seafood gumbo, barbecue, soft shell crabs, desserts
and more. A shuttle will take you back and forth from the
parking areas to the festival.
Myrtle Beach Bike Week
During
the second week of May every year, the Myrtle Beach area
is inundated with 80,000 motorcycle enthusiasts who come
to fraternize with fellow Harley Davidson devotees. There
are a few hundred vendors selling everything from t-shirts
to motorcycles. If you don't have a bike, you can rent one.
Events include a swap meet, live music, entertainment, a
memorial poker run, stunt shows, a rock 'n roll fashion
show, raffles, tattoo contests and much more. Events are
held all over the city;
Cherry Grove Fishing Pier
The
Cherry Grove Fishing Pier extends 985 feet into the Atlantic
Ocean so there is plenty of room for fishing for both serious
and casual fishing enthusiasts. For those who don't care
to fish, there is a 2-tier viewing deck which provides a
magnificent view of the ocean and surrounding area. The
biggest tiger shark ever caught was caught at this pier.
Other fishing records include a second place king, a first-place
sheepshead, and a record whiting.
River Rats
As
the very knowledgeable River Rats guides take you down the
river through sloughs and into oxbow lakes on your own electric
mini-pontoon boat, you learn about the river's ecology.
You can also learn pan fishing, and on overnight trips,
cat-fishing and frog-gigging. Rates are $55 for a half day
trip up to $260 for a two night trip. Full day and one night
trips are available, as are customized group trips and group
discount and corporate rates. Advance reservations required.
Cash only; credit cards not accepted.
Sun Fun Festival
The
annual Sun Fun Festival offers something for everyone. The
festival is held all over the heart of Myrtle Beach and
on the South Strand. Activities include a 5K run, a cat
dash, the Miss Sun Fun and Miss Bikini Wahine contests,
light shows, bubble gum blowing contest, Little Olympics,
sailboat races, air show, food, music and much more. Contact
the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce for details and schedule.
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| Travelers
looking for plenty of diversion (tennis, miniature golf,
waterslides and the like) love Myrtle Beach. And golf, the
nonminiature type, is one of the region's biggest draws
with almost 100 courses to choose from. Then, of course,
there's the ocean shore that started it all. Fishing, cruises,
sunning and scuba diving (especially to see old ship wrecks)
are all prime activities. Myrtle Beach State Park, one of
the state's most popular, is great for ocean swimming and
pier fishing and is open year-round.
And we still enjoy the venerable boardwalk
and Myrtle Beach Pavilion (an amusement park with a grand
old pipe organ and a great Ferris wheel): They may not be
the trendiest spots on the Strand, but it's nice to return
to the simple pleasure of corn dogs and the ring toss, if
only for a few hours.
The Family Kingdom Amusement Park has its
own blast from the past, a wonderfully noisy wooden roller
coaster. More family-style amusement can be had at Myrtle
Waves Water Park and All Children's Park (in Surfside Beach),
one of only three parks in the U.S. designed with no physical
barriers to limit children with handicaps.
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