Outdoor Adventures in Myrtle Beach!

Calling all outdoor lovers and adventure travelers: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is not just America’s favorite beach destination. With 60 miles of coastline, backwater creeks, marshes and sandy beaches, visiting Myrtle Beach in the fall offers outdoor adventure for the whole family. Average temperatures in the low 70’s extend the summer vacation season into fall and make Myrtle Beach the ideal destination for outdoor sports and wildlife enthusiasts.

Here are some of the great outdoor activities that the Myrtle Beach area has to offer:

• Sail, Surf, Dive – Enjoy the mild fall weather in the South! Sailboat and Jet Ski rentals are offered up and down the Grand Strand. For those looking to descend below the water, there are several historical shipwrecks that can be explored while scuba diving. Other above-water activities along the beach include parasailing, surfing, boogie-boarding, windsurfing and kite surfing.

• Kayak, Canoe, Tube – Rent a boat to explore the Waccamaw River in Conway. Visitors to the Riverwalk can partake in a number of activities from canoeing and kayaking to pontoon and fishing boat rentals. Or, check out Black River Outdoors for a unique guided kayak eco-tour of the tidelands of South Carolina.

• Fishing – Fishing within the Myrtle Beach area can be enjoyed from one of eight fishing piers located along the beach, as well as from backwater creeks between Georgetown and Little River – where the crabbing is also great! More serious anglers can board a boat for bottom fishing, or venture all the way to the Gulf Stream, just 60 miles offshore, for true deep-sea sports fishing experiences.

• Running Enthusiasts – Visit the Grand Strand in October for the Myrtle Beach Triathlon (October 8th) and the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon (October 23rd). Athletes will enjoy Myrtle Beach as one of the most exciting triathlon venues in the sport. Closed bike and run courses highlight the incredible effort the city and county have put forth for this event. The Mini Marathon is expected to bring in 6,000 runners and walkers.

• Carolina Wildlife – Experience the “Green Strand” with a visit to the Brookgreen Gardens Sculpture Garden and Lowcountry History and Wildlife Preserve, containing acre upon acre of native plants and animals. Amplify your visit to Brookgreen with Springfield tidal creek excursions and Trekker back-roads excursions.

• Natural Beach – Adventurous beach lovers will not want to miss Huntington Beach State Park, boasting a lagoon, maritime forest, salt marshes and three miles of the most well-preserved beach in the area. The lush park environment provides prime habitats for wildlife including alligators and more than 300 recorded species of birds. This is also a great spot for camping in the Myrtle Beach area.

The Myrtle Beach area, popularly known as the Grand Strand, stretches from Little River to Pawleys Island, comprising 12 distinct cities along the South Carolina coast. Home to world-class golf, 60 miles of sandy beaches, an assortment of entertainment and family attractions and Southern hospitality, the Myrtle Beach area presents the quintessential vacation experience.

For additional information on the Myrtle Beach area, visit www.visitmyrtlebeach.com or call (888) Myrtle-1.

SkyWheel Coming to Myrtle Beach

May 2011 will mark the grand opening of Myrtle Beach’s new attraction, SkyWheel Myrtle Beach. The giant attraction will stand at 196 feet (60 meters) and 18 stories high and span 2 ocean front lots along Ocean Boulevard, on the north side of Plyler Park. It has been specifically designed to include 42 glass-enclosed, temperature-controlled gondolas manufactured in Switzerland that can hold six people. The SkyWheel Myrtle Beach is an exciting new addition to the Grand Strand area, along with the newly renovated Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade. Plans for the SkyWheel Myrtle Beach’s upcoming launch include a full service Jimmy Buffett’s Landshark Bar and Grill restaurant, observation deck overlooking the ocean and gift shop. The SkyWheel Myrtle Beach will also incorporate a complete light show in the evening. The only one of its kind in the United States, this family-friendly attraction is sure to become an iconic staple for Myrtle Beach. The SkyWheel Myrtle Beach is owned by Myrtle Beach SkyWheel, LLC, a joint venture between Koch Development Co. and Pacific Development, both of St. Louis, Missouri.

Westgate Myrtle Beach: Something for Everyone!

A true Myrtle Beach landmark, Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort lies in the heart of this beautiful coastal resort, which is known as the “Jewel of South Carolina.” Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort is located across the street from Family Kingdom Amusement Park, just 2 miles from the Myrtle Beach Convention Center and 2.5 miles from the Broadway at the Beach dining, entertainment and shopping complex. Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort also provides easy access to Myrtle Beach’s world-class dining, live entertainment venues such as Alabama Theatre and The Carolina Opry, factory outlet shopping, more than 100 championship golf courses (Myrtle Beach is known as the “Seaside Golf Capital of the World”), trendy nightlife, cultural offerings, outdoor recreation (fishing, boating and water sports are extremely popular here), miniature golf and eclectic attractions such as Ripley’s Aquarium and Alligator Adventure. Popular Myrtle Beach day trips include Brookgreen Gardens, Huntington Beach State Park, Hopsewee Plantation and Murrells Inlet, known as “The Seafood Capital of South Carolina.” Myrtle Beach hosts a variety of annual events such as Canadian-American Days in March, Sun Fun Festival during the summer, Beach, Boogie & BBQ in September and the SOS Fall Migration. 

In addition to providing access to the beautiful white-sand beaches of the Grand Strand, Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort features a large heated outdoor pool, heated lazy river, children’s water play area, lap pool, hot tub spa, recreation center, exercise facility and game room, as well as an onsite golf director, and a multitude of scheduled activities and special events. The resort’s onsite restaurant, the casually elegant Seaside Café, serves breakfast and dinner daily, while the seasonal Coconut Willy’s pool bar offers cocktails, live entertainment and spectacular oceanfront views. In addition, Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort boasts six floors of interior corridor guestrooms and several types of comfortable accommodations ranging from traditional hotel rooms to spacious two-bedroom suites.   

For more information about Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort, call (866) 790-0977 or visit www.wgmyrtlebeach.com.

Myrtle Beach Boasts New Downtown Boardwalk

The new downtown Boardwalk is part of the new efforts Myrtle Beach is taking to revamp the old downtown area. The mile-long Oceanfront Boardwalk and Promenade lies between the 14th Avenue North Pier and the Second Avenue North Pier, and extends all the way to First Avenue. Construction, which began in the fall of 2009, was completed in May 2010 at an estimated cost of $6 million. The Boardwalk is a project of the Downtown Redevelopment Corporation. In addition, the Second Avenue Pier has undergone renovations that include the new upper level home of a casual, open-air lounge called Pier View that features spectacular views of the Boardwalk and Atlantic Ocean, as well as additional restroom facilities in the main floor tackle shop and the new Pier House full-service restaurant. For more information, call (843) 445-PIER (7437) or visit www.2ndavepier.com.

Traveling to Myrtle Beach this fall for a vacation getaway? Check out the latest specials at Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort! Visit www.wgmyrtlebeach.com for details.

Don’t Miss The Ripken Experience!

The Ripken Experience offers a unique opportunity for players, coaches and families to enjoy tournament baseball while visiting Myrtle Beach! A state-of-the-art baseball complex, The Ripken Experience, which opened in 2006, features five youth fields and two regulation baseball diamonds, as well as a Training Island for both beginner and advanced ballplayers. The Ripken Experience offers summer weeklong baseball tournaments. For more information about The Ripken Experience, visit www.ripkentournaments.com/myrtlebeach.cfm.

Traveling to Myrtle Beach for a fall vacation getaway? Stay at the family-friendly Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort, which boasts a large outdoor pool, whirlpool, pool bar, outdoor lazy river, sauna, recreation center, exercise facility and game room, as well as an onsite golf director who will be pleased to assist you with a golf vacation that meets your needs. For more information about Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort, visit www.wgmyrtlebeach.com.