Apr 2

Written by: chris
4/2/2010 

Myrtle Beach - All Things for All Canadians

Myrtle Beach South Carolina has always been a favourite destination for Canadians – and now it just got a whole lot more accessible too. This was a family trip (Dara and me, plus our 15-year old son Tim), as it is for so many visitors, and we were able to fly directly into Myrtle Beach International Airport from Billy Bishop City Centre Airport in downtown Toronto on the new Porter Airlines service. Great airline, great flight and the warmest of welcomes from the US Immigration and Customs team…Hey: they like us, they really like us Canadians in Myrtle Beach!

Endless Beach, Endless Possibilities

And what a beach! It stretches for as far as the eye can see in both directions – nearly 100km in all – in parallel bands of hard-packed swash zone, silky warm sands and a dune zone made for picnicking and hide-and-seek games. At dawn on a lazy Sunday, I donned my running shoes and ran 30kms along the beach (I’m training for a marathon). It seemed effortless as I watched the sun rise from the Atlantic horizon and slowly bathe the dunes and the hotels in a rich glow that also illuminated the pelicans diving in the surf. The beach is also fertile hunting ground for shells and fossil sharks’ teeth and a number of piers punctuate the endless strand and provide fishing opportunities.

Hampton Inn and Suites Oceanfront Hotel

We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites Oceanfront, a newly renovated hotel, just seven minutes’ drive from the airport and - true to its name – situated right on the ocean and the beach. Again: the warm Southern welcome at the front desk, which was continued whenever we met with the staff. I highly recommend this hotel: central position, large rooms, spectacular views and hearty breakfasts, together with heated pools, lazy rivers and a brand new up-scale spa. There’s lots for kids to do too, including a Kids Club in summer and a Ropes Course opening up later this year across the road. Here’s the hotel website: www.hamptoninnoceanfront.com

Shopping

OK: I am not a shopper. In fact, I really don’t like shopping at all. But I can appreciate great deals when I see them - and right now they are not too hard to find in Myrtle Beach. There’s an impressive range of outlet malls and with the Canadian Dollar at close to parity with the US Dollar, the prices are right! We sampled Market Common (neatly designed village atmosphere), Broadway at the Beach (350 acres of shops and attractions), Coastal Grand and Tanger Outlets (the best deals!) with a stop at the hammock shops at Pawley’s Island.

Carolina Coastal Cuisine

Where to begin? There are over a thousand restaurants in the twelve communities that together comprise the Myrtle Beach area. Thanks to the recommendations of Kimberly Miles at the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, we experienced some fine examples of the range of cuisine available here. Brentwood Restaurant in Little River is an elegant showcase for Chef Eric Masson’s Lowcountry French cuisine, and he is opening a Bisto in the same location later this year. Sticky Fingers is a self-descriptive ribs and barbeque heaven featuring unique sauces. Quigley’s Pint and Plate is an excellent Irish-themed pub in Pawley’s Island. Creek Ratz Restaurant and Bar in Murrells Inlet has a beguiling nautical atmosphere and succulent seafood. And Coppers Restaurant in Conway is a joy for its hearty fare and the all-pervasive warmth of the owner and his family.

Entertainment and Canadian American Days

There’s no shortage of ways to enjoy the evenings in Myrtle Beach once you’ve seen the clouds over the ocean turn pink in the sunset. And in March each year, there’s a Canadian flavor to the evenings as the Canadian American Days festival heralds a range of events. We experienced several: the Long Bay Symphony performed a concert with a range of Romantic pieces, the 282nd Army Band gave a spirited concert, Good Vibrations at the Carolina Opry was full of high energy music, dance and light shows, and the Carolina Improv Comedy Show was great, spontaneous fun and featured our friend Kimberly from the Tourism team. All had a Canadian edge, and we stood to “O Canada” many times.

Attractions

Ripley’s Aquarium is South Carolina’s most visited attraction for good reason. Impressive, educative and entertaining, there’s a dive-in theatre, a ride through a shark tank and we all enjoyed their current exhibition “Lethal Weapons” which chronicles the many bizarre ways in which marine life can kill! Magiquest at Broadway on the beach is a high-tech journey through a detailed world of magic kingdoms and portals where you use your magic wand to perform quests of ever increasing difficulty. At the other end of the spectrum, good old-fashioned fishing from the end of the pier proved to be the highlight of the entire trip for Tim when he caught (and released) his first shark.

Charleston

One of the great virtues of vacationing in Myrtle Beach is its close proximity to the stately city of Charleston. Just two hours drive southwards lays South Carolina’s best preserved antebellum city, a city of cobblestone streets, courtly homes, gracious hospitality, nooks and crannies overhung with wisteria and jasmine and over 70 pre-Revolutionary buildings. We explored the picturesque streets, admired the views over the harbour to Fort Sumter where the first shots of the civil War were fired; we explored the newly restored market and took a horse-drawn carriage ride with Palmetto Carriage Works through this unique city.

Conway

One of the twelve communities that comprise Myrtle Beach, Conway is a quiet, genteel community, first settled in 1735. It’s a lovely place to spend a slow-paced day, relaxing under the stately, lichen-draped oaks, browsing the small town shops such as Pop’s Glass Gallery and Studio, and strolling the peaceful boardwalk along the Waccamaw River.

Parks and Gardens

Though the family resorts line much of Myrtle Beach, nature is never too far distant, and we found some delightful places to experience some of South Carolina’s many natural wonders. Closest of all - a short walk down the beach – is Myrtle Beach State Park, featuring a wide open beach, a fishing pier (this was where Tim caught his shark) and meandering paths through oceanfront maritime forest. Huntington Beach State park features a bizarre Moorish-style winter mansion, superlative bird watching and chance to see alligators in the wild. But the star attraction is Brookgreen Gardens, the “floral jewel of South Carolina’s coastal community” – a glorious mix of impressive sculpture and native fauna set in verdant landscaped gardens at the edge of southern swamplands.