The Grand Strand: Something for Everyone
by Leon Schwarzbaum



Stretching south for 60 miles along the east coast of South Carolina, from the Little River near the North Carolina border to the banks of the Santee River, The Grand Strand is home to a mind-boggling number of resorts, hotels, motels and restaurants. But in the early years of the 18th century, the first settlers were drawn to the area by the sheltered harbors at the north and south ends of that low-lying piece of land facing the Atlantic Ocean and separated from the "mainland" by what is now the Intracoastal Waterway.

On the southerly end, Georgetown was settled as a seaport on Winyah Bay. Rice plantations flourished along the four rivers that spill into the bay. By 1840, more than 90 planters lived in the Georgetown area and provided half the rice consumed in the entire U.S. The port of Georgetown was one of the busiest in the nation and even today, its deep-water harbor makes it a popular seaport.

About two miles north, a community was dubbed Murrells Inlet, after the pirate who used it as a base for his forays along the Atlantic coast. Today the area is known for its bountiful supply of seafood, including oysters, shrimp, crabs and clams.

Further north, resort communities have sprung up since the early years of colonization. Garden City Beach, Surfside Beach, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach were developed as resort communities. The largest of these, Myrtle Beach, has become a world-famous playground offering fun in the sun, fishing, boating of all types, resort hotels, motels, restaurants, theaters, museums and parks.

North of Myrtle Beach, Atlantic Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Cherry Grove Beach, across the Mineola River (now the IC Waterway), the village of Little River marks the northern limit of The Grand Strand. Pirates Kidd, Blackbeard and Anne Bonney found the small protected harbor a safe haven where they could repair their ships and coerce the settlers into refueling them with food and supplies. Today, Little River still retains its Colonial ambiance. Quaint shops and excellent restaurants join family-owned motels and guest homes in offering old-fashioned hospitality to vacationers.

With an average of 215 sunny days per year and 150 days when the sky is overcast but no rain falls, and temperatures averaging 56 degrees F on the coldest days and 91 on the hottest, vacationers are drawn to the white sands. The Gulf Stream, usually not more than 40 miles offshore, modulates the water temperatures, making ocean swimming enjoyable on all but the coldest days. During an average winter month, half the days are usually sunny, and October and November have been the driest months.

Young families traveling with children make up almost half of the area's visitors, but almost all visitors are sports- and entertainment-oriented. Approximately one third of the visitors are between 18 and 34 years old, and less than 20 percent are over 55. Two thirds of the visitors, according to the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, are professionals, and less than 10 percent are retired.

There are some 90 golf courses in Myrtle Beach, with others up and down the Grand Strand. Water parks feature wave pools, tube rides and children's amusements. For thrill-seekers in family fare, several theme parks offer amusement rides from high-speed roller coasters to old-fashioned merry-go-rounds. Grand-prix style racing cars, go-carts of speedboats are available for visitors looking to test their racing skills. At the beaches, personal watercraft, sailboats, kayaks or parasails are available to rent, while most beach frontages are available for swimming or just plain "dunking" in the waters of the Atlantic.

Anglers can choose between pier fishing, surfcasting, deep sea fishing, seining, crabbing or shrimping - all or any are available. As are more than 200 tennis courts. Safari tours through the forestlands and salt marshes, paddle tours by canoe or kayak through the coastal waters and swamps or nature tours at Brookgreen Gardens are all at the visitors' command.

Festivals and holiday celebrations are held throughout the year, attracting visitors to celebrate the sun, the moon, any and all holidays and anything else a resort promoter can think of.

If anyone has any energy left after a day of activities, Myrtle Beach's nightlife beckons. There are 11 theaters, presenting the best in country music, comedy, ice skating, dinner theater and magic shows. World-famous stars, singers, comedians and performers appear in the theaters and clubs, and Broadway show touring companies bring the hits to the area. In the coming months, stars such as Willie Nelson, Brenda Lee, Alabama, Chuck Berry, Shirley Jones, Mary Tyler Moore, Paul Anka, Isaac Hayes, Patti LaBelle, The Statler Brothers, Debbie Reynolds, Aretha Franklin and scores of others are booked into the area's theaters and clubs. Performances of the musical Fame, the Bolshoi ballet, A Chorus Line, An Evening With Julie Andrews and Ain't Misbehavin' are scheduled.

Country & Western music fans call this area "Branson East" because of the number of stars who appear in local theaters and clubs. One of the largest entertainment establishments in the area is "Broadway At The Beach," a 350-acre complex featuring a park, a 23-acre lake, theaters, nightclubs, restaurants and shops. Some readers will recall The Shag, a dance popular several decades ago, which originated in Myrtle Beach. These days, shag music can still be heard along with C&W and blues at Celebrity Square in the park.

Many of the hotels lining the beaches are self-contained resorts, offering one or more of the following amenities: indoor and outdoor pools; kiddie pools and playgrounds; sundecks; restaurants; health and exercise facilities; raquetball; tennis; video arcades; and in-hotel shopping. Some of the facilities are time-share condominiums, available for limited periods as fully-equipped resort accommodations.

Ranked by many travel magazines as one of the most popular vacation areas in the U.S., yhe Grand Strand's hosts and merchants are dedicated to seeing to it that vacationers are happy while visiting and eager to return after they go home.

Many visitors take a break from the more active pursuits by seeking the many spectacular views and vistas for photography, abetted by the clear skies and bright sunshine. History buffs will find many places of interest, including eh Prince George Winyah Church built in Georgetown in 1721, Horry (pronounced O-ree) County Museum in Conway, in an old post office building, Old Town Hall Museum in Andrews, The South Carolina Hall of Fame in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center and the Rice Museum in Georgetown, where the story of rice and indigo is told through dioramas and artifacts.