photo by purplerose23

Myrtle Beach is a popular coastal spot 98 miles north of Charleston on a 55-mile stretch of almost unbroken beach known as the Grand Strand, which extends from the state’s northern border to Winyah Bay, which is near Georgetown. In 1999 it was ranked the second most popular tourist destination in the country, attracting twice as many visitors as Hawaii. Myrtle Beach has a regular population of 28,000 but in summer that can soar to 350,000.

However, its extreme clutter and commercialization is not everyone’s idea of paradise, although for the young, particularly students on mid-term vacations, it is unmitigated seaside fun.

Myrtle Beach is marked by its high-rise developments, countless motels, fast-food chains, neon signs, an amusement park with enormous roller coasters, a water park, family-oriented country music variety shows, T-shirt shops, ice-cream parlors, video-game parlors, mini-golf courses, mini- Grand Prix tracks and other carnival-style amusements, bars, clubs, sidewalk caf\351s, restaurants, and numerous factory outlets.

The attractive albeit jam-packed beach-party scene, fashionable resort hotels, temperate climate, and golf courses (more than 50 of them) attract visitors year-round.

Some specific attractions at Myrtle Beach are a wax museum; Ripley’s Aquarium, which features the world’s longest underwater observation tunnel; the Children’s Museum of South Carolina, which offers hands-on science and technology exhibits for young children; the South Carolina Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to distinguished South Carolinians through interactive video displays; and Alligator Adventure, which houses rare albino alligators, dwarf crocodiles, giant snakes and a number of other exotic species.

Other possibilities offer some escape from the commercial brouhaha.

The Hobcaw Barony Visitor Center features terrariums, aquariums, and displays on the nature research of the Baruch Institutes; while Myrtle Beach State Park offers 312 acres of sandy beach and pine forest with nature trails, a fishing pier, and campsites.

The Grand Strand is traversed by US-17. To the north of Myrtle Beach are Windy Hill Beach, Atlantic Beach, Crescent Beach, Ocean Drive Beach, and Cherry Grove Beach. To the south are Murrells Inlet, a small and quiet fishing port with fine seafood restaurants and fishing boats for rent; Litchfield Beach; and secluded Pawleys Island, which was once favored by plantation owners.

Visitors can try one of the island’s hammocks, which have been made by hand since 1880.

Off US-17, between Murrells Inlet and Litchfield Beach, is Brookgreen Gardens, which was developed by sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband. The land was once occupied by four rice and indigo plantations. It features azaleas, lily ponds, dogwoods, mossy live oaks and other state flora, a wildlife area with deer and alligator, a 90-minute boat tour of the area, and over 500 figurative sculptures in landscaped settings including works by Frederic Remington and Daniel Chester French. Across the road is Huntington Beach State Park, which was also once the property of the Huntingtons. It has 3 miles of beautiful beach, attractive campsites, nature trails, a birdfilled freshwater lagoon, dense forest, a saltwater marsh with boardwalk, and the Huntingtons’ Moorish style Atalaya House.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the offshore waters ensure good fishing opportunities for most of the year.

There are a number of piers and jetties along the Grand Strand and fishing and sightseeing excursions depart from North Myrtle Beach and Little River by the northern state border.

Myrtle Beach is serviced by bus and has an international airport.