Myrtle Beach, South Carolina & Environs

[giradman]

We just returned from 4 nights in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - brief initial first quote from the web - a weird, wonderful, eclectic, historic area to visit - for young people and families, the area is more like a 'fantasy vacation' w/ theme areas, arcades, and plenty of live entertainment in the many theaters. For golfers, a paradise of possibilities; for seafood lovers, hundreds of restaurants from huge 'cheap' buffets to more elaborate and expensive offerings; for history and nature seekers, numerous activities - really a cornucopia to explore and for each to find their niches of interests and activities; the second quote from the link given simply to outline some of what is available in the area.

Susan & I have been going to Myrtle Beach since the mid-1970s when I was stationed for 2 years at Ft. Bragg (Fayetteville, NC) as an Army radiologist w/ 3 colleagues. I've written travelogues on the Charleston and Kiawah area (south of Myrtle Beach) and Hilton Head Island/Savannah, GA at the southern end of South Carolina; well, the Myrtle Beach area is in the north Atlantic strip of SC - see the first maps below - about a 4 hr trip for us from Winston-Salem - the second map w/ the blue circle shows the Myrtle Beach (MB) area north of Charleston and near the NC border - basically two sections, i.e. North MB and MB proper - on our previous two visits, we stayed @ the Marriott Resort at 82nd Ave - this time we picked a less expensive place called the Island Vista Resort at 62nd Ave on North Ocean Blvd, both kind of between the two areas. The 4th map shows MB & North MB, but also some of the places to explore in the environs of the north Atlantic coast of South Carolina - so, posts will discuss not only Myrtle Beach, but also Murrells Inlet, Georgetown, and Brookgreen Gardens.

The last pics are views from our 7th floor condo deck - the weather was not great during our visit, mostly overcast w/ intermittent light rain, so my pics are not the best, but as usual I'll be mixing those I've taken w/ others from the web. NOW - Myrtle Beach is not our favorite place to visit on the Carolina Coast - indeed, this is my first discussion, but if you plan to go, do a LOT of research before to 'match' your interests and needs, e.g. if you have a young family w/ a handful of kids, then much of your time will likely be spent in Myrtle Beach w/ its many attractions (I'll talk about just a few in later posts); if you like the beach, then there are miles and miles to explore, walk, and enjoy; in addition, golf, boating, and many other outdoor activities are available. Myrtle Beach itself has little history - started in the 1920s, then stopped by the Great Depression, the place is kind of a new man-made resort, but surrounding South Carolina is 'bubbling over' in history. And if you are into seafood, then there are SO many options (Susan & I shared 4 dozen oysters on the half shell in our brief stay, plus many other goodies!). Finally, LIVE entertainment is available (we saw one show w/ the Oak Ridge Boys), but depending on your interests, there may be much to see or not regarding live shows? Dave

Myrtle Beach, a city and vacation destination on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast, is the hub of the Grand Strand, a 60-mile string of beaches. It’s known for its celebrity-designed golf courses and brown-sugar-colored beach. Along its beachfront boardwalk are arcades, souvenir stands and restaurants, as well as the old-fashioned Family Kingdom Amusement Park and the SkyWheel, one of the country’s tallest Ferris wheels.

Myrtle Beach hosts a variety of special conventions, events, and musical concerts. The area's attractions include its beaches and many golf courses, as well as a number of amusement parks, an aquarium, Legends In Concert, retail developments, a number of shopping complexes and over 1,900 restaurants[6] including seafood restaurants. The area also has dinner theaters, nightclubs, and many tourist shops. Myrtle Beach has an estimated 460 hotels, with many on the beachfront, and approximately 89,000 accommodation units in total. Also in the city is Myrtle Waves, one of the largest water parks on the eastern seaboard.

The Carolina Opry is another highly acclaimed attraction, which features various musical, comedy, dance, and entertainment shows, including The Carolina Opry (variety show), Good Vibrations (best of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s), LIGHT—a Laser Extravaganza. During the holiday season, the venue hosts The Carolina Opry Christmas Special. It is currently housed in a 2,200 seat theater.

The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk opened in 2010 and has been recognized as the nation's #3 boardwalk by National Geographic[7]and one of the best US boardwalks by Travel + Leisure magazine.[8] The Myrtle Beach Skywheel opened at the boardwalk in May, 2011, and is a 200-foot (61 m) observation wheel, similar to a ferris wheel, with glass gondolas that look over the Atlantic Ocean. This is the first wheel of its kind in the U.S. Myrtle Beach State Park, established in 1935, has just under a mile of Grand Strand beach and is a prime location for camping, swimming, hiking, biking, and fishing.

.

 

[scifan57]

We just returned from 4 nights in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - brief initial first quote from the web - a weird, wonderful, eclectic, historic area to visit - for young people and families, the area is more like a 'fantasy vacation' w/ theme areas, arcades, and plenty of live entertainment in the many theaters. For golfers, a paradise of possibilities; for seafood lovers, hundreds of restaurants from huge 'cheap' buffets to more elaborate and expensive offerings; for history and nature seekers, numerous activities - really a cornucopia to explore and for each to find their niches of interests and activities; the second quote from the link given simply to outline some of what is available in the area.

Susan & I have been going to Myrtle Beach since the mid-1970s when I was stationed for 2 years at Ft. Bragg (Fayetteville, NC) as an Army radiologist w/ 3 colleagues. I've written travelogues on the Charleston and Kiawah area (south of Myrtle Beach) and Hilton Head Island/Savannah, GA at the southern end of South Carolina; well, the Myrtle Beach area is in the north Atlantic strip of SC - see the first maps below - about a 4 hr trip for us from Winston-Salem - the second map w/ the blue circle shows the Myrtle Beach (MB) area north of Charleston and near the NC border - basically two sections, i.e. North MB and MB proper - on our previous two visits, we stayed @ the Marriott Resort at 82nd Ave - this time we picked a less expensive place called the Island Vista Resort at 62nd Ave on North Ocean Blvd, both kind of between the two areas. The 4th map shows MB & North MB, but also some of the places to explore in the environs of the north Atlantic coast of South Carolina - so, posts will discuss not only Myrtle Beach, but also Murrells Inlet, Georgetown, and Brookgreen Gardens.

The last pics are views from our 7th floor condo deck - the weather was not great during our visit, mostly overcast w/ intermittent light rain, so my pics are not the best, but as usual I'll be mixing those I've taken w/ others from the web. NOW - Myrtle Beach is not our favorite place to visit on the Carolina Coast - indeed, this is my first discussion, but if you plan to go, do a LOT of research before to 'match' your interests and needs, e.g. if you have a young family w/ a handful of kids, then much of your time will likely be spent in Myrtle Beach w/ its many attractions (I'll talk about just a few in later posts); if you like the beach, then there are miles and miles to explore, walk, and enjoy; in addition, golf, boating, and many other outdoor activities are available. Myrtle Beach itself has little history - started in the 1920s, then stopped by the Great Depression, the place is kind of a new man-made resort, but surrounding South Carolina is 'bubbling over' in history. And if you are into seafood, then there are SO many options (Susan & I shared 4 dozen oysters on the half shell in our brief stay, plus many other goodies!). Finally, LIVE entertainment is available (we saw one show w/ the Oak Ridge Boys), but depending on your interests, there may be much to see or not regarding live shows? Dave





.
View attachment 67811 View attachment 67812 View attachment 67813 View attachment 67814 View attachment 67815 View attachment 67816 View attachment 67817 View attachment 67818

It looks like the start of an interesting travelogue.

 

[giradman]

It looks like the start of an interesting travelogue.

Thanks Scifan.. - trying to decide on how to organize this thread - will start w/ a 'day by day' summary, including restaurants (hoping that some of the readers might be traveling to the area), but will cover ALL previous topics mentioned and could add a few additional ones.

BUT - for those who might be stimulated to visit Myrtle Beach, the traffic can be HORRIBLE on HW 17 Business, especially in the summer months (I use to run a summer radiology meeting in June at the Kingston Plantation, north Myrtle Beach, in the past) - HW 17 is known as the 'King's Highway' (and was the colonial road centuries ago), and the 'Business' section (vs. the 17 Bypass) is just terrible driving; SO, again my advise is to study the maps, know where you are at, and learn the cross streets between HW 17 Business & its Bypass - the latter heading south will take you to Murrells Inlet, Brookgreen Gardens, and Georgetown - topics of further discussion. Dave

 

[The OB]

The weather may not have been the best but your photos are still great!
Andrew


Sent from my iPad Air2 using Tapatalk

 

[giradman]

Broadway at the Beach - Restaurant Recommendations

The weather was overcast w/ threats of rain on our first full day, so we choose to do some indoor activities and decided to visit one of the many attraction areas in Myrtle Beach, i.e. Broadway at the Beach, which is a small body of water w/ ducks & fish, surrounded by shops, restaurants, and family attractions - a great place to take kids - below several maps; located just off HW 17 Bypass - click the link if you plan to visit (arrows on the sites attended).

Our first attraction is describe below, i.e. WonderWorks - a pic of the upside down building - plenty of fun for the whole family; as often is done, photos are taken on entry - two of the usual and then we were asked to make 'funny faces', so below in slight embarrassment, we liked the funny one the best and made a very rare purchase -

Our next visit after lunch was Ripley's Aquarium - the most spectacular exhibit was a looping tunnel (w/ a slow moving sidewalk) surrounded by water w/ hundreds of different sea animals, including some quite large sharks (see pics below) - I would go back on our trip to Myrtle Beach.

I'll also be mentioning some restaurants, again for those who may plan a vacation in the area - we lunched at Landry's Seafood near WonderWorks - first shared a dozen oysters, and both had grilled shrimp, mine on a Cesar salad & Susan's w/ 'dirty' rice and some deliciously herbed beans. For our evening meal, we dined at a favorite and traditional eatery called the Sea Captain's House - I had the swordfish steak and Susan a seafood bouillabaisse, both delicious. Again, click the links to see the menus if planning a visit - both places recommended. Dave

WonderWorks is an amusement park for the mind with 50,000 square feet of “edu-tainment”. The attraction combines education and entertainment with more than 100 hands on exhibits that challenge the mind and spark the imagination.

.

 

[scifan57]

Broadway at the Beach - Restaurant Recommendations

The weather was overcast w/ threats of rain on our first full day, so we choose to do some indoor activities and decided to visit one of the many attraction areas in Myrtle Beach, i.e. Broadway at the Beach, which is a small body of water w/ ducks & fish, surrounded by shops, restaurants, and family attractions - a great place to take kids - below several maps; located just off HW 17 Bypass - click the link if you plan to visit (arrows on the sites attended).

Our first attraction is describe below, i.e. WonderWorks - a pic of the upside down building - plenty of fun for the whole family; as often is done, photos are taken on entry - two of the usual and then we were asked to make 'funny faces', so below in slight embarrassment, we liked the funny one the best and made a very rare purchase -

Our next visit after lunch was Ripley's Aquarium - the most spectacular exhibit was a looping tunnel (w/ a slow moving sidewalk) surrounded by water w/ hundreds of different sea animals, including some quite large sharks (see pics below) - I would go back on our trip to Myrtle Beach.

I'll also be mentioning some restaurants, again for those who may plan a vacation in the area - we lunched at Landry's Seafood near WonderWorks - we both had grilled shrimp, mine on a Cesar salad & Susan's w/ 'dirty' rice and some deliciously herbed beans. For our evening meal, we dined at a favorite and traditional eatery called the Sea Captain's House - I had the swordfish steak and Susan a seafood bouillabaisse, both delicious. Again, click the links to see the menus if planning a visit - both places recommended. Dave


.
View attachment 67824 View attachment 67825 View attachment 67826 View attachment 67827 View attachment 67829View attachment 67828 View attachment 67830 View attachment 67831 View attachment 67832 View attachment 67833

It looks like both of you had a wonderful time, especially at wonderworks. If I ever get to your part of the United States, I'll already know about all the best places to visit, thanks to your excellent travel stories.

 

[giradman]

It looks like both of you had a wonderful time, especially at wonderworks. If I ever get to your part of the United States, I'll already know about all the best places to visit, thanks to your excellent travel stories.

Hi Scifan.. - yep, a nice place to visit - WonderWorks is more oriented to the younger crowd, especially families w/ kids, but plenty of interesting information for the older folks, like us. However, that 'tunnel' in the aquarium was really the most impressive attraction of the day for me - highly recommended to all heading to Myrtle Beach. Dave

 

[suenc]

We just returned from 4 nights in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - brief initial first quote from the web - a weird, wonderful, eclectic, historic area to visit - for young people and families, the area is more like a 'fantasy vacation' w/ theme areas, arcades, and plenty of live entertainment in the many theaters. For golfers, a paradise of possibilities; for seafood lovers, hundreds of restaurants from huge 'cheap' buffets to more elaborate and expensive offerings; for history and nature seekers, numerous activities - really a cornucopia to explore and for each to find their niches of interests and activities; the second quote from the link given simply to outline some of what is available in the area.

Susan & I have been going to Myrtle Beach since the mid-1970s when I was stationed for 2 years at Ft. Bragg (Fayetteville, NC) as an Army radiologist w/ 3 colleagues. I've written travelogues on the Charleston and Kiawah area (south of Myrtle Beach) and Hilton Head Island/Savannah, GA at the southern end of South Carolina; well, the Myrtle Beach area is in the north Atlantic strip of SC - see the first maps below - about a 4 hr trip for us from Winston-Salem - the second map w/ the blue circle shows the Myrtle Beach (MB) area north of Charleston and near the NC border - basically two sections, i.e. North MB and MB proper - on our previous two visits, we stayed @ the Marriott Resort at 82nd Ave - this time we picked a less expensive place called the Island Vista Resort at 62nd Ave on North Ocean Blvd, both kind of between the two areas. The 4th map shows MB & North MB, but also some of the places to explore in the environs of the north Atlantic coast of South Carolina - so, posts will discuss not only Myrtle Beach, but also Murrells Inlet, Georgetown, and Brookgreen Gardens.

The last pics are views from our 7th floor condo deck - the weather was not great during our visit, mostly overcast w/ intermittent light rain, so my pics are not the best, but as usual I'll be mixing those I've taken w/ others from the web. NOW - Myrtle Beach is not our favorite place to visit on the Carolina Coast - indeed, this is my first discussion, but if you plan to go, do a LOT of research before to 'match' your interests and needs, e.g. if you have a young family w/ a handful of kids, then much of your time will likely be spent in Myrtle Beach w/ its many attractions (I'll talk about just a few in later posts); if you like the beach, then there are miles and miles to explore, walk, and enjoy; in addition, golf, boating, and many other outdoor activities are available. Myrtle Beach itself has little history - started in the 1920s, then stopped by the Great Depression, the place is kind of a new man-made resort, but surrounding South Carolina is 'bubbling over' in history. And if you are into seafood, then there are SO many options (Susan & I shared 4 dozen oysters on the half shell in our brief stay, plus many other goodies!). Finally, LIVE entertainment is available (we saw one show w/ the Oak Ridge Boys), but depending on your interests, there may be much to see or not regarding live shows? Dave





.
View attachment 67811 View attachment 67812 View attachment 67813 View attachment 67814 View attachment 67815 View attachment 67816 View attachment 67817 View attachment 67818

Our hotel couldn't have been closer to the ocean! No sun and surf weather, but plenty of oysters plus history, kids' science museum, aquarium and fantastic gardens. Also the Oak Ridge Boys. They have aged along with us--the youngest is 67, the oldest 76!

 

[giradman]

Georgetown, Murrells Inlet, & Alabama Theater - Part 1

On our second full day, we drove down HW 17 south to Georgetown, the third oldest city in the state (brief first quote below from the link); after a tour and visit to the town, we headed back toward Myrtle Beach and stopped in Murrells Inlet for lunch, and for the evening a nice early seafood dinner followed by a live show w/ the Oak Ridge Boys at the Alabama Theater - I've decided to do this day in three posts and will start w/ Georgetown, South Carolina.

Georgetown was establish in the early 1700s and named after King George II of England - in 1732 (when George Washington was born), the town was designated as an 'International Port' by the King and was one of the most important seaports along the Atlantic Ocean at that time - indigo (for the blue dye) and rice were the important crops of the surrounding county (more on that later); below more historic information from the same link.

Presently, the town is small but w/ an amazing historic district of old houses, live oak lined streets, and important historic characters - we took a 45-minute tram tour w/ a great guide who thoroughly covered the history of the city, the early economy, and the many important figures of the times - a DEFINITE recommendation if you plan a visit (Fox Swamp Tours is the only choice). On the tour, plenty of beautiful old houses are seen (many restored), some of the oldest churches in the state, and a lot more information given - the guide was excellent. We missed a LOT, including some of the museums, the boat trips available (weather not cooperative), and the nearby plantation houses.

Now the pics - first a map showing the location of the town relative to Myrtle Beach & Murrells Inlet; second, Front Street w/ the famous Bell Tower (George Washington on his southern tour visited along w/ Lafayette later - Georgetown was still an important port of entry in the early USA); the Haborwalk is a beautiful dockside boardwalk w/ shops & restaurants; following images of some of the houses and just one of the many churches; finally, the Resurrection Fern on the live oaks was abundantly green because of recent rains (normally, brown & shriveled when dry but comes back to life w/ water) - interestingly, the plant is an innocent epiphyte, like the also common Spanish Moss, which for some reason was not apparent on these trees (forgot to ask our guide about that observation). Dave

Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Lowcountry.[3] Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Black, Great Pee Dee, Waccamaw, and Sampitrivers, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina, handling over 960,000 tons of materials a year.

Georgetown occupies a unique place in American history. Some historians claim that American history began here in 1526 with the earliest settlement in North America; it is believed that in that year the Spanishmfounded a colony on Waccamaw Neck called San Miguel de Gualdape. The colony failed for multiple reasons, including a fever epidemic. Having failed as farmers, the surviving Spanish built a ship from local cypress and oak trees and sailed to the Spice Islands in Maritime Southeast Asia.

After settling Charles Town in 1670, the English established trade with the Indians. Trading posts in the outlying areas quickly became settlements. By 1721 the colonial government granted the English residents' petition to found a new parish, Prince George, Winyah, on the Black River. In 1734, Prince George, Winyah was divided; Prince George Parish, Winyah then encompassed the new town of Georgetown on the Sampit River.

In 1729, Elisha Screven laid the plan for Georgetown and developed the city in a four-by-eight block grid. Referred to as the “Historic District”, the original grid city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It bears the original street names, lot numbers, and many of the original homes.

The Indian trade declined soon after Georgetown was established; and planters cultivated indigo as the cash commodity crop with rice as a secondary crop, both dependent on slave labor, primarily imported workers from Africa. Agricultural profits were so great between 1735-1775 that in 1757 the Winyah Indigo Society, whose members paid dues in indigo, opened and maintained the first public school for white children between Charles Town and Wilmington.

In the American Revolution, the father and son Georgetown planters, Thomas Lynch, Sr. and Thomas Lynch, Jr., signed the Declaration of Independence. During the final years of the conflict, Georgetown was the important port for supplying General Nathanael Greene's army. Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox) led many guerrilla actions in this vicinity.

.

 

[suenc]

Broadway at the Beach - Restaurant Recommendations

The weather was overcast w/ threats of rain on our first full day, so we choose to do some indoor activities and decided to visit one of the many attraction areas in Myrtle Beach, i.e. Broadway at the Beach, which is a small body of water w/ ducks & fish, surrounded by shops, restaurants, and family attractions - a great place to take kids - below several maps; located just off HW 17 Bypass - click the link if you plan to visit (arrows on the sites attended).

Our first attraction is describe below, i.e. WonderWorks - a pic of the upside down building - plenty of fun for the whole family; as often is done, photos are taken on entry - two of the usual and then we were asked to make 'funny faces', so below in slight embarrassment, we liked the funny one the best and made a very rare purchase -

Our next visit after lunch was Ripley's Aquarium - the most spectacular exhibit was a looping tunnel (w/ a slow moving sidewalk) surrounded by water w/ hundreds of different sea animals, including some quite large sharks (see pics below) - I would go back on our trip to Myrtle Beach.

I'll also be mentioning some restaurants, again for those who may plan a vacation in the area - we lunched at Landry's Seafood near WonderWorks - we both had grilled shrimp, mine on a Cesar salad & Susan's w/ 'dirty' rice and some deliciously herbed beans. For our evening meal, we dined at a favorite and traditional eatery called the Sea Captain's House - I had the swordfish steak and Susan a seafood bouillabaisse, both delicious. Again, click the links to see the menus if planning a visit - both places recommended. Dave


.
View attachment 67824 View attachment 67825 View attachment 67826 View attachment 67827 View attachment 67829View attachment 67828 View attachment 67830 View attachment 67831 View attachment 67832 View attachment 67833

Fun and food! In the water neat WonderWorks, you can feed ducks and hordes of funny big-mouthed carp.

Broadway at the Beach - Restaurant Recommendations

 

[suenc]

Georgetown, Murrells Inlet, & Alabama Theater - Part 1

On our second full day, we drove down HW 17 south to Georgetown, the third oldest city in the state (brief first quote below from the link); after a tour and visit to the town, we headed back toward Myrtle Beach and stopped in Murrells Inlet for lunch, and for the evening a nice early seafood dinner followed by a live show w/ the Oak Ridge Boys at the Alabama Theater - I've decided to do this day in three posts and will start w/ Georgetown, South Carolina.

Georgetown was establish in the early 1700s and named after King George II of England - in 1732 (when George Washington was born), the town was designated as an 'International Port' by the King and was one of the most important seaports along the Atlantic Ocean at that time - indigo (for the blue dye) and rice were the important crops of the surrounding county (more on that later); below more historic information from the same link.

Presently, the town is small but w/ an amazing historic district of old houses, live oak lined streets, and important historic characters - we took a 45-minute tram tour w/ a great guide who thoroughly covered the history of the city, the early economy, and the many important figures of the times - a DEFINITE recommendation if you plan a visit (Fox Swamp Tours is the only choice). On the tour, plenty of beautiful old houses are seen (many restored), some of the oldest churches in the state, and a lot more information given - the guide was excellent. We missed a LOT, including some of the museums, the boat trips available (weather not cooperative), and the nearby plantation houses.

Now the pics - first a map showing the location of the town relative to Myrtle Beach & Murrells Inlet; second, Front Street w/ the famous Bell Tower (George Washington on his southern tour visited along w/ Lafayette later - Georgetown was still an important port of entry in the early USA); the Haborwalk is a beautiful dockside boardwalk w/ shops & restaurants; following images of some of the houses and just one of the many churches; finally, the Resurrection Fern on the live oaks was abundantly green because of recent rains (normally, brown & shriveled when dry but comes back to life w/ water) - interestingly, the plant is an innocent epiphyte, like the also common Spanish Moss, which for some reason was not apparent on these trees (forgot to ask our guide about that observation). Dave




.
View attachment 67841 View attachment 67842 View attachment 67843 View attachment 67844 View attachment 67845 View attachment 67846 View attachment 67847 View attachment 67848 View attachment 67849 View attachment 67850

If you avoid the miniature golf courses and all-you-can-eat buffets, you can have a civilized and fun time in the Myrtle Beach environs. It helps if you're a kid at heart, though (evidenced by our flattering Wonder Works photo)

 

[giradman]

Fun and food! In the water neat WonderWorks, you can feed ducks and hordes of funny big-mouthed carp.

The ducks and fish are amazing as you cross the wood bridges - AND, food can be bought to feed them - my pics on Susan's phone were poor (mainly the overcast weather) - but a couple of images from the web - the type of fish described in the quote below (Source) - all that I can say is that when we ate @ Landry's Restaurant for lunch, carp was not on the menu - Dave

Melissa Armstrong, marketing manager at Broadway at the Beach, said Burroughs & Chapin purchased thousands of Israeli Carp, Catfish, Japanese Carp, Bream and Hybrid Bass to stock the body of water now affectionately know as Lake Broadway, when the complex opened in 1995.

.

 

[scifan57]

Georgetown, Murrells Inlet, & Alabama Theater - Part 1

On our second full day, we drove down HW 17 south to Georgetown, the third oldest city in the state (brief first quote below from the link); after a tour and visit to the town, we headed back toward Myrtle Beach and stopped in Murrells Inlet for lunch, and for the evening a nice early seafood dinner followed by a live show w/ the Oak Ridge Boys at the Alabama Theater - I've decided to do this day in three posts and will start w/ Georgetown, South Carolina.

Georgetown was establish in the early 1700s and named after King George II of England - in 1732 (when George Washington was born), the town was designated as an 'International Port' by the King and was one of the most important seaports along the Atlantic Ocean at that time - indigo (for the blue dye) and rice were the important crops of the surrounding county (more on that later); below more historic information from the same link.

Presently, the town is small but w/ an amazing historic district of old houses, live oak lined streets, and important historic characters - we took a 45-minute tram tour w/ a great guide who thoroughly covered the history of the city, the early economy, and the many important figures of the times - a DEFINITE recommendation if you plan a visit (Fox Swamp Tours is the only choice). On the tour, plenty of beautiful old houses are seen (many restored), some of the oldest churches in the state, and a lot more information given - the guide was excellent. We missed a LOT, including some of the museums, the boat trips available (weather not cooperative), and the nearby plantation houses.

Now the pics - first a map showing the location of the town relative to Myrtle Beach & Murrells Inlet; second, Front Street w/ the famous Bell Tower (George Washington on his southern tour visited along w/ Lafayette later - Georgetown was still an important port of entry in the early USA); the Haborwalk is a beautiful dockside boardwalk w/ shops & restaurants; following images of some of the houses and just one of the many churches; finally, the Resurrection Fern on the live oaks was abundantly green because of recent rains (normally, brown & shriveled when dry but comes back to life w/ water) - interestingly, the plant is an innocent epiphyte, like the also common Spanish Moss, which for some reason was not apparent on these trees (forgot to ask our guide about that observation). Dave




.
View attachment 67841 View attachment 67842 View attachment 67843 View attachment 67844 View attachment 67845 View attachment 67846 View attachment 67847 View attachment 67848 View attachment 67849 View attachment 67850

Georgetown is certainly an interesting place to visit. You'd probably need several days to see the most interesting sights.

 

[giradman]

Georgetown is certainly an interesting place to visit. You'd probably need several days to see the most interesting sights.

I suspect that the vast majority of visitors to Myrtle Beach have no idea that Georgetown, SC even exists, much less its long history and importance in colonial times, especially for the cultivation of rice - below just a short quote (Source) indicating that the county around the town was a MAJOR producer of rice in the world at that time! Our guide to the town indicated that the county produced half of the rice in the colonies then - rice created the 'multi-millionaires' of the era in that area - more to come on our third 'full day' when we went to Brookgreen Gardens, which will take multiple posts. Dave

These rice fields in Georgetown County, South Carolina lie abandoned now, covered over with wild grasses that provide feasts for thousands of birds and, near the shoreline, a haven for a few remaining river alligators. The rice fields were carved out of tidal swamps along coastal rivers by slaves brought to South Carolina from the West Indies and West Africa. With primitive tools, the slaves cleared the low-lying land of huge cypress and gum trees, and built canals, dikes, and trunks (small floodgates) that allowed the flooding and draining of fields with the high and low tides. From the 18th century to the Civil War, slaves planted, tended, and harvested the crops that made plantation owners wealthy and Georgetown County, South Carolina, the second largest rice producer in the world.

 

[giradman]

Murrells Inlet - Part 2 of Second Day

Murrells Inlet is just a short drive south of Myrtle Beach but another world for relaxation and eating! The town considers itself at least the 'Seafood Capital of South Carolina' and along HW 17 Business (see maps - the double arrows show where most of the restaurants are located) - many are on the 'water side' of the road and face the wetlands w/ views of the residencies on the barrier islands on the Atlantic coast - brief description quoted below.

After our trip to Georgetown, we stopped in Murrells Inlet for lunch and ate at the Wicked Tuna - started out w/ a dozen oysters (Blue Points) on the half shell followed by shared seaweed & squid salads, and then some appetizers & sushi, i.e. yellowtail ceviche, eel-avocado & spider rolls (latter fried soft shell crab). We've eaten at many other places there over the decades - a favorite is Drunken Jack's (even have a tee shirt!) - after our visit to Brookgreen Gardens the next day, we stopped again for an early dinner at Wahoos Fish House - click on the links for menus, if you might be in the vicinity.

Virtually all of the restaurants facing the water have outdoor dining areas and/or large window tables w/ spectacular views of the docks, boats, wetlands, and the ocean beyond - the pics below are pretty self explanatory; also, the docks extend for a long distance, known as the 'Marsh Walk'. Dave

Welcome to the historic fishing village of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, a quaint, little town full of history, beauty & colorful characters. Tucked away just 10 miles south of the hustle and bustle of Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet is a nature lover’s paradise.

Here, you won’t find flashing neon signs or roller coasters. In Murrells Inlet, you enter the quaint feel of a true fishing village, unspoiled by concrete and high rises. It’s a place sought out by fisherman and naturalists, whispered about by antique collectors, and revered by art lovers and horticulturists. It’s the place where golfers come to relax, families come to dine and snowbirds come to retire.

.