If you're looking for the world's best beach to dip your toes in the surf this summer, look no further than South Carolina. Myrtle Beach, the Grand Strand, is one of the world's top beach destinations. Yes, world's! More than 14 million visitors a year come to these sunny, sandy shores to relax and play. Yahoo recently ranked Myrtle Beach as the number one best beach in the world, right behind Miami, Florida. Number three and four were Cancun, Mexico and Kaanapali, Hawaii. That's some pretty heady company, but you'll find, if you don't know already, that this 60-mile long string of beaches that hugs the Atlantic along an oceanic shelf known as Long Bay, truly is one of the best vacation spots anywhere.

Known by locals and long time vacationers simply as "the Beach," Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand offer a mild climate, wide sandy beaches, and hundreds of miles of rivers, marshes and natural areas. It gets an automatic thumbs-up from kayakers, canoeists and eco-tourists, and beachgoers love the 215 days per year of sunshine. Temperatures average 61 in the winter months, 88 during the summer, and a balmy 73 during the spring and fall, perfect golf weather.

Speaking of golf, Myrtle Beach, long known for its numerous and challenging golf courses, has competition these days from its little brother north of the state line. South Brunswick County, North Carolina, known as the Brunswick Islands, has been steadily building championship golf courses and award winning golf course communities for the past ten years or more and now has nearly one fourth as many courses as the whole of the Grand Strand. Nearly two thirds of the county's 35 courses are within a few minute's drive of South Carolina.

On both sides of the "border," you'll find excellent fishing, sumptuous dining, fabulous shopping and lots of things to do. Southern Living magazine has consistently recognized the area as a favorite family vacation destination, with a wide variety of activities to amuse both kids and grownups. In fact, there's so much to do here, it's difficult to know where to begin. So for a quick tour, let's start in North Carolina.

From East to West and North to South
Although there are hundreds of small islands dotting the coast of Brunswick County, three main barrier islands make up the South Brunswick Islands chain, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, and tiny Sunset Beach. Quiet and laid back, these islands enjoy a unique position on the Atlantic Ocean; they face south. Standing on Ocean Isle Beach, for instance, and looking out to sea, you are actually looking toward Miami not the coast of Africa. This unusual southward direction allows for both sunrises and sunsets over the ocean. Cut off from the mainland in the 1930's when the Army Corps of Engineers created the Intracoastal Waterway, these narrow barrier islands remained largely undiscovered until about ten years ago.

Each of the Brunswick Islands has its own personality and charm. Holden Beach, the easternmost island, is eleven miles long and is approximately 28 miles from the South Carolina state line. It is home to the Day at the Docks Festival in April and the North Carolina Festival by the Sea in October. Ocean Isle Beach, the central island, offers eight miles of beach with restaurants, specialty shops, public tennis courts, a water park and the Museum of Coastal Carolina. Each October the island's 700 full-time residents host 30,000 visitors at the North Carolina Oyster Festival. Sunset Beach, the eastern most island, is only three miles long, but has over 2000 full time residents. It is reached by a one lane pontoon bridge that rises and falls with the tides, and is the only one of its kind on the east coast.

As you travel east to west on the islands, you also travel north to south on U. S. Highway 17, the main thoroughfare through Brunswick County and the Grand Strand. As you near the South Carolina state line on the mainland, you come to the quaint fishing village of Calabash, known as the "Seafood Capital of the World." Nestled on the banks of the Calabash River, directly off the Intracoastal Waterway, Calabash is famous for its fresh-off-the-boat seafood, cooked Calabash style (lightly breaded, deep fried and served with hush puppies). Calabash boasts some 30 restaurants within a mile of the docks, which is where you'll find the Hurricane deep sea fishing fleet as well as numerous commercial fishing boats that sell freshly caught shrimp and fish at great prices.

The North Strand
Cross into South Carolina and you are in Horry (pronounced Or-ee) County, named for Revolutionary War General Peter Horry. This is the north end of the Grand Strand, or simply the North Strand. Here you'll find the charming fishing village of Little River. Deep sea fishing boats dock here, as well as casino cruise ships that sail twice daily. Each year in May, Little River plays host to nearly 100,000 visitors at its Blue Crab Festival.

Cross the Intracoastal Waterway on U. S. Highway 17 south of Little River, and you're in North Myrtle Beach, birthplace of the state dance, the Shag. When you hear shaggers talking about beach music, they aren't talking about surfing songs by the Beachboys. They're talking about smooth and easy flowing rhythms that lend themselves to the fluid steps of the dance. With a population of about 15,000 year-round residents, North Myrtle Beach is a growing community, with approximately 16 golf courses, upscale shopping, and live entertainment to rival anything in Vegas. Barefoot Landing, a major shopping and attractions complex on U. S. Highway 17, is also the home of the House of Blues and Alabama Theater, two entertainment venues that host top named musicians and entertainers.

Myrtle Beach and the South Strand
Further south on U. S. Highway 17, you'll come to an area known by locals as "Restaurant Row." It's where U. S. 17 splits into Business 17 and Bypass 17. Restaurant Row has all the major chains as well as lots of local eateries, featuring various prices, service and menus. Near Restaurant Row, too, you'll find Broadway at the Beach, another major attractions and shopping venue, featuring some of the best night spots in the area all at one location. It also features a number of major family attractions.

Surprisingly, the year round population of Myrtle Beach is only about 25,000. Actually, the entire Grand Strand is made up of numerous small towns that still retain their small town flavor. From Cherry Grove and Ocean Drive Beach on the North Strand, to Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island on the South Strand, one town seems to merge into another, yet they are all different and offer a variety of vacation experiences.

So close to home, yet so far from the ordinary, the Grand Strand offers plenty to do. All you need now is more time.

For more information:
Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce
(800) 426-6644, (910) 754-6644
www.brunswickcountychamber.org

Little River Chamber of Commerce
(800) 936-2322, (843) 249-6604
www.litteriverchamber.org

North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce
(866) 827-2047, (843) 281-2662
www.northmyrtlebeachchamber.com

Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce
(800) 356-3016, (843) 626-7444
www.myrtlebeachinfo.com/chamber

Myrtle Beach Vacation Offers A Variety of Experiences, copyright 2008, Pamela Watson. No part of this article may be reproduced or reprinted without written permission from the author.