Surfside Beach, South Carolina

Surfside Beach is both a beach and an unincorporated town located along the Grand Strand on the northern border of Garden City and about six miles south of downtown Myrtle Beach. A Surfside Beach vacation is very popular with families, and the town actually refers to itself as “the family beach.” There is something to keep every member of the family interested and entertained, starting with the beach and the ocean.

The town of Surfside Beach has two miles sugary fine white sand on what is one of the region’s most popular beaches. Many visitors who enjoy a Surfside Beach vacation will choose from the oceanfront hotels, such as the Days Inn and Holiday Inn, both of which are set right on the beach.

However, the Surfside Beach attractions that draw the majority of visitors are the numerous vacation rentals. These include beach cottages and homes as well as a number of condominium complexes that offer many of the same facilities as resorts. The Plantation Resort is a good example, offering one-, two-, and three-bedroom furnished condominium villas with fully equipped kitchens that are available for purchase as well as short-term rentals. There are children’s pools and a playground, indoor and outdoor heated adult swimming pools, and a fitness center with massage services. During the peak season, there is a free shuttle to the best shopping areas and outlet stores in Myrtle Beach, which is only about fifteen minutes away.

Even if your Surfside Beach vacation doesn’t involve fishing, you will enjoy strolling out on the long fishing pier that juts several hundred feet out into the ocean. There is a tackle shop (where you can get your photograph taken with your catch) and a gift shop. There are several dining spots concentrated along the pier, and many others scattered along the beach.

In addition to fishing and the beach, one of the main Surfside Beach attractions is the golf available here. You’ll find numerous miniature golf courses as well as several executive 9-hole courses. The Indian Wells and Indigo Creek Golf Clubs (both actually located in neighboring Garden City) have 18-hole courses. Most of these Surfside Beach golf courses also have onsite villas and condominiums. The Grand Strand and Myrtle Beach area offers more than 80 other courses.

Among the most popular Surfside Beach attractions is the Wild Water and Wheels Park that covers sixteen acres. In addition to mini golf, go carts, and bumper boats, this family oriented amusement and water park has direct access to the beach at nearly 40 different points.

The history of the area as a settlement began with a plantation covering more than 3,000 acres and growing mainly crops of sweet potatoes and rice. It underwent several name changes, getting its current name of Surfside Beach in 1952. It was hit hard by Hurricane Hazel in 1954 (18 of 65 houses were destroyed) as was the entire region, and the development that occurred after that changed the landscape from a nearly deserted beach with sand dunes and sea oats into the popular vacation destination that it is today.

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North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

North Myrtle Beach is a small community about ten miles north of Myrtle Beach and just to the north of the Grand Strand Airport. Next to the community of Little River, this is the northernmost of the towns along the 60 miles of the Grand Strand. The history of this area shows it was relatively uninhabited until the railroad was built after the Civil War. Although North Myrtle Beach was named for the larger city, it has its own charm and character. Like Surfside Beach further to the south, it prides itself on being a family destination.

Also like Surfside Beach, the North Myrtle Beach attractions include a large number of vacation rentals. These range from beach houses and cottages to luxury villas and condominiums. Some of the condominiums call themselves “condotels,” and have many of the facilities you might find at resorts, including swimming pools, fitness centers, lazy river water parks and playgrounds, and even restaurants and bars. You will also find oceanfront hotels and several North Myrtle Beach golf resorts.

One of the most popular of the North Myrtle Beach attractions is Barefoot Landing. This is a large shopping, entertainment, and dining complex set along Highway 17 next to the Intracoastal Waterway. There is a marina, so you can actually arrive by boat. This is one of the region’s premiere places for nightlife, with the legendary House of Blues featuring international headliners and several other venues. Everyone in the family can enjoy the Alligator adventure in Barefoot Landing, with a number of species indigenous to the oceans and marshes as well as exotic creatures like tiger and lemurs, as well as what is claimed to be the world’s largest alligator. There are live animal lectures and shows where you can handle baby alligators and learn about the wildlife.

North Myrtle Beach attractions include a number of important and popular events. This is said to be the place where the unique South Carolina shag dance originated. You can see this interesting mixture of swing and Lindy hop dancing if you are out enjoying the nightlife any time of year. If you visit in January, you can enjoy the Mid-Winter Shag Classic, and March brings the National Shagdance Championships. Other events include the Intracoastal Christmas Regatta, which usually occurs near the end of November. Residents and visitors alike decorate their yachts and fishing boats and parade along the Intracoastal Waterway from Little River to one of the marinas in town. There are public landings where you can view the spectacle and numerous restaurants offering special menus along the parade route. If you will be dining in a restaurant during the parade evening, you should make reservations as far in advance as possible.

There is golf everywhere along the Grand Strand, but there are so many North Myrtle Beach golf courses, that you may never leave the area and still experience a new course virtually every day of your vacations—there are at least ten in the immediate vicinity of the town. One of the most scenic of the North Myrtle Beach golf courses is the Waterway Hills Course, which stretches along the Intracoastal Waterway for two full miles. Most of the holes play to or alongside the canal. And, of course, North Myrtle Beach offers its pristine, wide beaches, fishing piers, party and fishing cruises, and even beach horseback riding. If you still need more things to do, some of the region’s best outlet stores and shopping malls are located here.

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Garden City, South Carolina

Garden City SC—also known as Garden City Beach—is both a small unincorporated town and a beach located about eight miles south of Myrtle Beach. Just to the north is the community (and beach) of Surfside Beach. This is the southernmost beach community in Horry County, and actually is located partially within Georgetown County. Part of the history of Myrtle Beach and its surrounding region was the 1954 Hurricane Hazel, which devastated Garden City Beach even worse than the surrounding area; only two houses were left standing in the hurricane’s wake. Today, the area is a lively and beautiful vacation spot.

Among the many things to do in Garden City South Carolina is simply enjoy the beautiful sugar-fine sands of the beach, which stretches for more than two miles. This (along with neighboring Surfside Beach) is one of the most popular beaches along the Grand Strand. These two communities are also well known for the many vacation rentals that are available, making it much more convenient to enjoy the beaches. Garden City SC vacation rentals include upscale luxury condos as well as beach houses and cottages set in the pristine dunes. Many of the condominiums have many of the amenities of resorts, with facilities such as indoor and outdoor swimming pools, fitness center, lounge, shopping venues, and dining spots.

Garden City SC boasts a 668-foot long public pier that is considered one of the best fishing piers in the area. Short of deep sea fishing cruises, there is no better Atlantic Ocean fishing than pier fishing. The pier is open seven days a week from early morning until late at night, and is full of anglers all day long. One of the things to do in Garden City South Carolina is simply stroll along the pier and enjoy the views. There is no fee to walk on the pier, though you need to have proper permits and licenses for fishing. There is also a tackle shop, where you can have your photograph taken with your catch, snack bar, and a bar where you can hear live music many evenings during the summer events. This area at the end of the pier also offers a rain shelter in case the weather changes during the day.

Other things to do in Garden City South Carolina include visiting Brookgreen Gardens, which is set right along the town’s southern boundaries, and is the source of the town’s name. The beautiful sculpture garden and wildlife preserve is almost 10,000 acres in area. Brookgreen Gardens contains wonderful walking and hiking trails through several ecosystems, and the prestigious Lowcountry Zoo, which protects numerous indigenous species as well as rare domestic breeds of farm animals that once were part of the rice plantations that thrived here up until the Civil War.

Along the oceanfront bordering Brookgreen Gardens is Huntington Beach State Park. If you don’t want to stay in Garden City Beach hotels or vacation rentals, this lovely coastal park offers camping. There are camp sites for recreational vehicles and motor homes (some sites have sewer hook-ups) as well as tents. There is a fishing jetty, boat ramps, picnic shelters, and hiking trails—all complements to one of the best preserved beach ecosystems on the South Carolina coast.

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The History of Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach history begins, as does the history of each of the United States, with indigenous people. In this case, the Waccamaw and Winyah tribes. The coastal route that now runs along the coast of this region was once a Native American trade and hunting trail long before Europeans arrived and began to settle the region. Today, this route is known as the Grand Strand and parallels more than 60 miles of pristine sandy South Carolina beaches from Georgetown (about 20 miles south of Huntington Beach State Park) all the way north to the border of North Carolina. The modern history of Myrtle Beach began with Spanish explorer Lucas Vasquez de Allyon who established a short-lived settlement here in 1526. Later, the English established settlements along the Grand Strand.

One of the little known facts about Myrtle Beach is that the inlets, coves, and islands along the stretch of ocean provided ideal hiding spots for the famous pirates of the early eighteenth century who took advantage of the numerous British and European ships that came to supply the new English settlers. The most notorious of these pirates was the infamous Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. Today, some of the best seafood dining spots on the beaches of the Grand Strand are named for Blackbeard or his equally legendary contemporary Drunken Jack.

Throughout most of the Myrtle Beach history during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Grand Strand region remained largely unpopulated and undeveloped because of its inaccessibility and poor economy. Several attempts were made to extend the slave and plantation systems to the coast, but the land was not good for the kinds of crops (cotton and tobacco) that were grown on southern plantations and the efforts largely failed. The most successful plantation crops were rice and sweet potatoes. Looking for new ways to create income, the Burroughs & Collins Company (a local turpentine manufacturer with considerable beachfront property) decided to develop the region as a vacation destination, and built the first of the seaside beach resorts in 1901. The history of Myrtle Beach changed again when Mrs. Burroughs won the competition to name the resort community. She chose Myrtle Beach because of the many wax myrtle bushes and trees that thrive along the shore.

Shortly afterward, Bourroughs & Collins became the present day Burroughs & Chapin Company. A luxury resort was built on the northern edge of the newly named community that included the first golf course along the Grand Strand—the present day Pine Lakes International Country Club. The history of Myrtle Beach as a tourist destination continued during the 1930s and 1940s as more oceanfront hotels and resorts were developed, and the Intracoastal Waterway (a 3,000 mile long waterway paralleling the shoreline that stretches from New Jersey to Florida and from Florida to Texas) was opened for commercial and pleasure boat traffic.

From 1949 to 1954, Myrtle Beach history entered the modern era of tourism development when the Pavilion was built, and the historic carousel and band organ creating the region’s first amusement park were erected on Ocean Boulevard. One of the facts about Myrtle Beach that continues to resonate today is that in 1954, Hurricane Hazel devastated a large portion of the Atlantic Seaboard. A large number of oceanfront hotels, homes, and trees were completely destroyed, paving the way for a 1960s real estate and building boom that included building new golf courses almost every year, modern hotels, upscale shops and boutiques, and other tourist facilities. Today, the Grand Strand boasts several multi-use travel destinations that have taken the place of the original Pavilion Amusement Park, including the Myrtle Waves Water Park and Broadway at the Beach, a 350-acre shopping, entertainment, and dining complex with numerous hotels, and the Family Kingdom Amusement Park along Surfside Beach.

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Shopping in Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach shopping is some of the best in the region, with hundreds of stores, boutiques, galleries, and souvenir shops. In addition, you will find several shopping outlets in Myrtle Beach with bargains that draw thousands of visitors as well as South Carolina residents from all over the eastern part of the state, and even from neighboring North Carolina.

Among the shopping outlets in Myrtle Beach are two Tanger Centers. One is located about six miles west of downtown Myrtle Beach on Highway 501, and can be conveniently reached with car rentals. Another quite large center is located on Highway 17 (the main thoroughfare that parallels the coastline) about halfway between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. Between the two, you will find more than 200 name brand outlet stores offering apparel, accessories, house wares and home furnishings, and footwear. These two shopping outlets in Myrtle Beach also offer food courts and restaurants, ice cream and candy shops, and specialty stores offering everything from diamonds and pet supplies to perfume and power tools.

There are also three well-known Myrtle Beach shopping malls that are tourist attractions in their own right. Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach is set between Highway 17 and the Intracoastal Waterway, and actually boasts its own marina in case your mode of transportation happens to be a boat. After visiting the hundred or so shops and one of the waterfront dining spots, you can stop in at the Alligator Adventure, one of the largest reptile zoos in the world, or Preservation Station, a 50-acre refuge where you can enjoy some hands-on encounters with greatly endangered and rare species from orangutans and chimpanzees to more than 60 big cats including tigers and the liger (a cross between a lion and a tiger). When your Myrtle Beach shopping is over and you've seen all the critters you wish to see, you can come back after dark for some nightlife at more than a dozen entertainment venues including the legendary House of Blues.

Another of the well-known Myrtle Beach shopping malls is Broadway at the Beach, also a tourist attraction and located between Highway 17 and the beaches of central Myrtle Beach. Similar to Barefoot Landing, it is a 350-acre complex boasting about 20 restaurants, more than 100 specialty shops, cinema complexes, live performance theaters, and its own night club district. There is a small amusement park, miniature golf, and eve a zip line and ropes course. Here also is another Hard Rock Café and another dozen or so night clubs and music bars. This is also the site of numerous special events, including festivals, conventions, and seasonal fireworks displays. About a mile away is one of the newer Myrtle Beach shopping malls is the Coastal Grand Mall, with more than 170 stores anchored by stores such as Sears, JC Penney, Old Navy, and Cinemark Theatres.

There are several other Myrtle Beach shopping malls and centers as well as numerous boutiques and shops found along the beaches and in oceanfront hotels. About halfway between Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach to the south is the sophisticated Market Common, with upscale shops and boutiques and elegant dining choices. This center is also a residential community, with a large number of apartments, condominiums, and other types of vacation rentals.

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Restaurants in Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach restaurants celebrate the best of authentic coastal southern cooking that is heavy on barbecue and the plentiful seafood that includes both salt water and fresh water fish and shellfish. There are close to 20,000 choices for dining in Myrtle Beach and the surrounding Grand Strand area that include everything from elegant gourmet cuisine and steakhouses to fast food joints and fish fry snack places on the beaches.

The North Myrtle Beach restaurants and Myrtle Beach restaurants are the most numerous and varied, and access to all of them is convenient no matter where you are staying in this part of the Grand Strand. The two towns are only about ten miles apart, and their boundaries sprawl right into each other. If you have car rentals, the drive only takes about fifteen minutes on Highway 17, the main thoroughfare that parallels the coast. Additionally, the Intracoastal Coastal waterway acts as another main "highway," so travel between the two of them by boat is just as convenient. In fact, some dining in Myrtle Beach is actually done on party cruises.

If you are staying in Surfside Beach or Garden City, accessing North Myrtle Beach restaurants by boat is a much less convenient method of travel because the Intracoastal Waterway begins turning inland south of Myrtle Beach and the Broadway at the Beach entertainment and shopping complex. Still, these two communities have the easy road access of Highway 17, and the North Myrtle Beach restaurants are only about twenty miles from Garden City and the camping areas of Huntington Beach State Park. There is excellent seafood available along all 60 miles of the Grand Strand, but there are a couple of very popular seafood places that specialize in the authentic southern fish fry and sumptuous seafood buffets here, and they draw diners from all over the region. Here you can get shrimp prepared in all the myriad ways described by Bubba in the film Forrest Gump. Also look for deviled crab, crab bisque, and crab cakes, or give old fashioned shrimp 'n grits a try.

Sure, Myrtle Beach restaurants offer Thai food and Mexican cuisine, Italian restaurants, and Chinese restaurants, but take time to find real southern barbecue and other traditional southern specialties. A real barbecue will have some or all of these fixings: hush puppies, baked beans, rice, hash, candied yams and sweet potatoes, and (always) slaw. Coleslaw on a barbecue sandwich is some people's idea of heaven. Nothing can beat a home-cooked chicken stew, usually including rice and possibly sausage (chicken bog). Catfish stew (white made with milk or red made with tomatoes) is a local favorite, as is Beaufort stew—shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, and potatoes often stewed in beer. Also look for okra, black-eye peas, collards, chitlins, and everything you can imagine made with peaches.

Pawley's Island (about five miles south of Brookgreen Gardens is one of the oldest and southernmost of the resorts along the Grand Strand. Some people will travel from many miles away for restaurants here that specialize in the old fashioned, home-cooked southern feast.

You have choices for elegant dining in Myrtle Beach at a number of places. The best luxury hotels and golf resorts often have a gourmet dining option. Another, perhaps surprising, place to find fine dining options is at some of the shopping complexes, especially the Market Common, Broadway at the Beach, and Barefoot Landing. Many of these places will offer more subdued nightlife like jazz and blues, and some turn into lively night clubs after the dinner hour.

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Nightlife in Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach nightlife can be found up and down the 60 miles of the Grand Strand. Most of the major Myrtle Beach night clubs are located along Highway 17, the main north south route that parallels the coast, and along the Boardwalk promenade.

Some of the best nightlife in Myrtle Beach SC is actually be found in the town of North Myrtle Beach, about ten miles north of the larger town. There are several Myrtle Beach night clubs and music bars in the Barefoot Landing area, which is set between the Intracoastal Waterway and the main Highway 17 thoroughfare. This makes it convenient if you are using car rentals or if you are actually getting around by boat, as the Landing has its own marina. Here, Myrtle Beach nightlife offers one of the legendary House of Blues venues. There’s another one in the town of Myrtle Beach, but this one is the largest.

More of the best nightlife in Myrtle Beach SC is found along the Boardwalk at the Beach in the main town. Like the Barefoot Landing, this is a new shopping, dining, and entertainment area covering 350 acres and set between Highway 17 and the ocean. There are a score of restaurants, more than 100 shops and boutiques, cinemas, live performance theaters, and an entire district. Additionally, Broadway on the Beach is located only a couple blocks from the Convention Center; both of these venues are locations for numerous festivals and special events. Among the Myrtle Beach night clubs in the Broadway on the Beach area are the House of Blues, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, and a Fat Tuesday (the famous New Orleans Daiquiri club). Most of these and the other night clubs also are dining spots, and the clubs range from a traditional Irish pub (complete with cigar bar) and a rock ‘n roll concert venue to a dueling pianos stage and a karaoke club.

You will also find Myrtle Beach nightlife right along the beaches in oceanfront hotels and resorts as well as separate establishments. A large number of these are clustered along North Ocean Boulevard between the Breakers Resort and the Bay View Resort. There are also some in the same oceanfront areas in both Surfside Beach and Garden City.

The best nightlife in Myrtle Beach SC for those on family vacations might be Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. Virtually every evening, you can arrive before the show for a stroll by the horse stables to see the show’s stars. The show itself is a dinner show extravaganza in a huge arena covering 35,000 square feet that will delight all members of the family and includes the horses and other animals, pyrotechnics, and much more. Do note that all included beverages are non-alcoholic. There are similar attractions with performances and acts suitable for children, such as the Alabama Theatre and the Family Kingdom Amusement Park. There are also a few teen night clubs for those under 21. This is the long-standing drinking age, although there is movement to lower it to age 18.

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