The Sun

Myrtle Beach

Wild Encounters

On the Wild Encounters tour, older children and grown-ups explore the 50-acre preserve alongside uncaged tigers, leopards, chimpanzees and more. The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, 4898 Highway 17S, Myrtle Beach, 843-855-2699, myrtlebeachsafari.com Albino American alligators, giant tortoises, pythons and even kangaroos star in the hourly shows here, which includes feedings and petting opportunities. Alligator World, 4604 US-17, North Myrtle Beach, 843-361-0789, alligatoradventure.com (VisitMyrtleBeach.com / Handout photo)

by Stephanie Citron

The beaches

Oceanfront from Little River to Georgetown. gotomyrtlebeach.com/information/beaches/beach-access-map

Called The Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach’s 60-mile coastline encompasses a collective of beaches and seaside towns. Sport fishermen cast their nets into the estuaries around Little River, and lovers loll on deserted sands at Pawley’s Island, while the seashore around the town of Myrtle Beach buzzes with families, watersports and restaurants.

The boardwalk

Oceanfront, between 14th Avenue and the 2nd Avenue Piers, myrtlebeachdowntown.com

Families, gaggles of teens and couples love strolling this 1.2-mile-long oceanfront promenade lined with eateries, shops, amusements, rides and the free nightly entertainment show, “Hot Summer Nights.” “People come from around the world to see the show,” says David Chaney, the show’s Elvis impersonator.

World-class live entertainment venues

Families visiting Myrtle Beach will find great entertainment beyond the boardwalk, says Myrtle Beach’s visitors bureau. The coastline dazzles with high-quality theater and music venues, including The Carolina Opry (thecarolinaopry.com), Alabama Theater (alabama-theater.com) and Palace Theatre (palacetheatremyrtlebeach.com). And wee ones will yar-har-yar at the rollicking Pirates Voyage (piratesvoyage.com).

Brookgreen Gardens

1931 Brookgreen Drive, Murrells Inlet, 843-235-6000, brookgreen.org

This outdoor flora and sculpture garden is also home to the state’s only coastal zoo. Young children love the interactive playhouses in The Enchanted Storybook Forest. Best of all, tickets are good for seven days, enabling you to return for the Cool Summer Evening series featuring activities, entertainment, boat rides.

Free Carolina shag dancing lessons

Fat Harold’s Beach Club, 212 Main St., North Myrtle Beach, 843-249-5779, fatharolds.com

“Shag is a slowed-down jitterbug. Sort of a front-to-back form of swing dancing,” says Jeppy McDowell, who provides free lessons to nostalgic dance-craze devotees at Fat Harold’s on Tuesday nights.

“Everyone wants to learn! Even in the dead of winter, we have 50 or more showing up,” McDowell says.

Wildlife encounters

The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, 4898 Highway 17S, Myrtle Beach, 843-855-2699, myrtlebeachsafari.com

On the Wild Encounters tour, older children and grown-ups explore the 50-acre preserve alongside uncaged tigers, leopards, chimpanzees and more.

Alligator World, 4604 US-17, North Myrtle Beach, 843-361-0789, alligatoradventure.com

Albino American alligators, giant tortoises, pythons and even kangaroos star in the hourly shows here, which includes feedings and petting opportunities.

Hopsewee Plantation

494 Hopsewee Road, Georgetown, 843-546-7891, hopsewee.com

History buffs are enchanted touring this authentic 18th-century rice plantation. Distinguished for being immaculately preserved, not restored, Hopsewee is the birthplace of Thomas Lynch Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Also on site are former slave quarters and sweetgrass basket-weaving classes taught by a Gullah/Geechee slave descendant.

Golf

Various locations, myrtle-beachgolf.com/golf-courses

Golf enthusiasts flock to the Grand Strand to break par at one of Myrtle Beach’s 100-plus golf courses. Often called an “everyman’s golf destination,” the local courses range from the serious PGA and pro-level Dunes Golf & Beach Club (thedunesclub.net), to casual courses like Midway Par-3 (midwaypar3golf.com).

Black River Outdoors Center

Myrtle Beach, 843-546-4840, blackriveroutdoors.com

Eco-Adventurists bypass the beach, opting instead to kayak the Waccamaw River, surrounding inlets and marshes. “Take our 11/2-hour paddle to Sandy Island Preserve, the East Coast’s largest undeveloped freshwater island,” says guide Paul Laurent. “There’s crazy wildlife: red-cockaded woodpeckers, screech owls, and alligators … aw, they’re just scaly teddy bears.”

Conway, S.C.

exploreconwaysc.com

This quaint, Mayberry-like inland town is worth of an afternoon away from the beach. Conway’s historic downtown is charming. The River Walk, a bucolic, historic trail, leads to an arboretum. And you can experience early 20th-century life on a local farm at LW Paul History Museum (www.horrycountymuseum.org/farm/).

 Copyright © 2016, The Baltimore Sun

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Copyright @ 2016, The Baltimore Sun