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.

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.

Upcoming Myrtle Beach Fall Events

The Myrtle Beach area celebrates food, music and fun this fall! Mark your calendar for these upcoming events:

Aynor Harvest HoeDown – September 19, 2009
There’s something for everybody in the family at the Aynor Harvest HoeDown such as more than 140 craft booths, live entertainment, food, games, a parades and street dance.

Darlington Historic Racing Festival – September 26-27, 2009
A lively celebration of motorsports history, the Darlington Historic Racing Festival boasts legendary drivers and cars.

House of Blues Annual Folk Art Festival – October 3-4, 2009
Local and regional artists will mingle with visitors are the House of Blues for a weekend of art, food, handmade collectibles and live music at the Folk Art Festival.

Shrimp & Jazz Festival – October 10-11, 2009
Combining the very best in live jazz and flavorful locally sourced shrimp, the Shrimp & Jazz Festival in Little River is a fall afternoon treat held each year in early October.

South Carolina Fossil Fair – October 31, 2009
Sure to bring out the inner scientist in everyone, the South Carolina Fossil Fair at the Ocean Lakes Family Campground’s Recreation Building features fossil identification and a fossil hunt.

Loris Bog Off – October 17, 2009
The community of Loris’ annual Bog Off is a celebration of heritage expressed through a top-notch cooking competition to determine the best chicken bog – a spicy blend of rice, chicken sausage, onion and black pepper served in a “big ‘ol bowl.” The festivities include a parade, arts/crafts and live entertainment.

Brookgreen Gardens Harvest Home Weekend Festival – October 24-25, 2009
Visitors of all ages will enjoy the fall festivities at the Harvest Home Weekend Festival at Brookgreen Gardens. Highlights will include live entertainment, scarecrow building contest, pumpkin painting, hay rides and more.

Murrells Inlet Annual Oyster Roast – November 21, 2009
The historic fishing village of Murrells Inlet serves up an afternoon filled with bushels and bushels of sweet local oysters during the community’s annual Oyster Roast. Oyster fans can enjoy a great all-you-can-eat afternoon of steamed oysters and great offerings from Dead Dog Saloon, Drunken Jack’s, Divine Fish House, Bovine’s, River City Cafe and more.

Seeking affordable accommodations during your next Myrtle Beach getaway? Look no farther than Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort, which features spacious accommodations, a variety of onsite amenities and an ideal location that provides easy access to area attractions. For more information about Westgate Myrtle Beach, visit www.wgmyrtlebeach.com.

Myrtle Beach: The Ideal Spring Break Destination

South Carolina’s Grand Strand stretches 60 miles from the quaint fishing village of Little River along the North Carolina border to the Tidelands of Georgetown and encompasses Myrtle Beach, a bustling year-round resort area known as the “Jewel of South Carolina.” The Myrtle Beach area enjoys a mild annual average temperature of 64° F with an average of 215 sunny days each year and boasts white-sand beaches, eclectic attractions, word-class dining, great shopping opportunities such as Broadway at the Beach, outdoor recreational opportunities and more than 100 championship golf courses – making it the perfect destination for Spring Break in 2009.

Getting to and Around Myrtle Beach
Ideally located just one mile inland from the Atlantic Ocean, the Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) provides easy, one-stop and connecting flights to more than 350 destinations worldwide. By car, U.S. highways 17 and 501, as well as S.C. highways 9 and 544 provide direct access to the Myrtle Beach area. Veterans Highway (S.C. 22) links U.S. 501 West of Conway and U.S. 17 North of Myrtle Beach. Interstate travelers use interstates 95 or 20 to arrive within close proximity of Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach Attractions
The Myrtle Beach area offers visitors hundreds of fun-filled activities for an amazing Spring Break vacation getaway. Whether your preferences include riding a roller coaster, zooming around a racetrack, observing wildlife and nature, or chilling out on the beach or at a water park, Myrtle Beach provides your ticket to fun. Not-to-be-missed attractions include Alligator Adventure, Ripley’s Aquarium, Family Kingdom Amusement Park, Myrtle Waves Water Park and more. The Myrtle Beach area is also considered the “Miniature Golf Capital of the World” with approximately 50 miniature golf courses to choose from such as Jungle Lagoon Miniature Golf and Hawaiian Rumble Miniature Golf. Popular day trips from Myrtle Beach include Huntington Beach State Park, Hopsewee Plantation and Brookgreen Gardens.

Myrtle Beach Golf
The abundance of championship golf courses throughout Myrtle Beach – along with beautiful weather year round – combine to make for the ideal Spring Break golf getaway. A golfer’s paradise, the “Seaside Golf Capital of the World” offers beautiful courses designed on former rice plantations by some of the world’s top course designers such as Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones, Tom Fazio, Pete Dye, Greg Norman and Arnold Palmer. Nearly one-third of the Myrtle Beach area’s golf courses are rated with four stars or higher in Golf Digest’s “Places to Play” and seven courses are ranked among the “Top 100 Public Courses in America.”

Myrtle Beach Live Entertainment
From comedy to country music to celebrity impressions, from bluegrass to gospel to old-time rock – you can experience the best in live entertainment in Myrtle Beach! These amazing shows feature award-winning casts, high-energy productions and lighthearted comedy. Some shows even include fabulous country feasts. Popular Myrtle Beach live entertainment venues include Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede, Alabama Theatre, Palace Theatre, Carolina Opry, House of Blues, Legends in Concert and Medieval Times.

Myrtle Beach Dining
The Myrtle Beach area features approximately 1,800 restaurants, many of which specialize in fresh seafood and Lowcountry specialties. Myrtle Beach, as well as North Myrtle Beach, Little River and Murrells Inlet (“Seafood Capital of the World”) are all known for their quality seafood restaurants. In addition, a variety of themed restaurants can be found at Broadway at the Beach such as Joe’s Crab Shack, Planet Hollywood, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and Key West Grill.

Myrtle Beach Shopping
Surf, sand, amusement parks and golf aren’t the only activities in Myrtle Beach. A vibrant shopping destination, Myrtle Beach lures travelers for whom shopping is the No. 1 priority, as well as those for whom shopping is only a part of their fun-filled day. Myrtle Beach abounds with retail options from boutiques to factory outlets to mixed-use shopping and entertainment complexes such as Broadway at the Beach that tempt every imaginable budget, taste and style.

Myrtle Beach Accommodations
A multitude of comfortable and affordable accommodation choices are available in the Myrtle Beach area. For instance, the Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort is centrally located within 2 miles of numerous area attractions such as Ripley’s Aquarium and Broadway at the Beach. In addition to a relaxing beach atmosphere, the family-friendly Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort 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.westgatedestinations.com.

As you can see, Myrtle Beach offers everything for an enjoyable and rewarding Spring Break 2009! So what are you waiting for? Book your Myrtle Beach Spring Break vacation getaway today!