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Just a two hour flight from New York or one hour flight from Atlanta,
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Myrtle Beach is the jewel of the Grand Strand, a string of seaside towns that run down the South Carolina coastline.
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Sandwiched between the Atlantic rollers and the calm waters of the Intracoastal Waterway, Myrtle Beach has grown from a rural backwater into a city, which attracts millions of visitors annually, many of whom return year after year.
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In Myrtle Beach, all footsteps lead toward the sand, all 60 miles of it.
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Don't let those millions of visitors put you off.
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Here, you'll always find space to spread out your towel.
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Myrtle Beach is not one but many fabulous beaches, each with its own blend of Southern seaside charm.
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From the downtown, followed the sands to North Myrtle's Cherry Grove Beach, where the skyline of gleaming condos softens into a pastel haze of classic beach houses.
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Just south of the downtown is Myrtle Beach State Park, where beachcombers can enjoy a mellow slice of undeveloped coastline.
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Whichever beach you choose, you'll discover classic peers all along the coast, special places which hang in the space between terra firma, and the wild blue beyond.
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Another place that bridges earth and sea is the Myrtle Beach boardwalk.
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Follow the mile long boardwalk through the entertainment district, which lights up with a special magic when the sun gets low.
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Of course, no all-American boardwalk would be complete without an old school wooden roller coaster.
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So climb aboard the Swamp Fox, which has been rattling the nerves of holiday-makers since 1966.
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Just a few blocks back from the waterfront is Broadway at the Beach, where you'll find even more ways to soar through the air, get sugared up, and learn more about this incredible blue planet of ours.
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While Myrtle Beach offers plenty of fun fairs, water parks and family attractions,
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one form of fun reigns supreme. With over 50 miniature golf courses, many of which received mind-blowing $1,000,000 makeovers each year,
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Myrtle Beach is the undisputed putt-putt capital of the universe.
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When it comes to full-size golf courses, Myrtle Beach also hits a hole in one.
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The city offers 100 quality golf courses, many designed by some of the games' legends and nearly all of which opened their daily tee sheets to visitors.
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As you'd expect the fairways at Myrtle Beach are never far from the water.
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At the end of a day of beach-combing, thrill-seeking, and divot-digging, sit down to a platter of some of the freshest seafood on the East Coast.
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Then, make tracks to the House of Blues or the acclaimed Carolina Opry for a night of pure toe-tapping Americana.
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After a night on the town, you'll find plenty of shady green spaces in and around Myrtle Beach to ease into the new day.
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Be sure to stop by Warbird Park, dedicated to the men and women who served in Myrtle Beach Air Force Base between 1954 and its closure in 1993.
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Hoist your mainsail and tack south to Murrells Inlet, which was once the layer of pirates and plunderers like Black Beard and Drunken Jack.
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After taking in the half mile Marsh Walk at Murrells,
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continue south to Huntington Beach State Park, which offers miles of pristine dunes and some of the South's finest birdwatching.
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The park is the generous legacy of the Huntington's who built their winter retreat here.
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Explore the courtyards of Atalaya Castle, where Anna Hyatt Huntington, a giant of 20th-century sculpture, created many of her greatest works.
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Then, just across the highway, visit Brook Green Gardens, which showcases works by Huntington as well as other renowned American sculptors. Spend an afternoon exploring this 9000-acre nature retreat built atop the rice and indigo fields, which once dominated the South Carolina coast.
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To learn more about low country plantation life, head to Hobcaw Barony
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and take a reflective walk through the eerie stillness of Friendfield and immaculately preserved slave village from the 18 hundreds.
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Just a few miles down the road, call into the Hopsewee Plantation,
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and explore the plantation house whose heart pine floorboards have been softly creaking under the footsteps of residents and guests since 1740.
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Whether it's venturing through the past, strolling the boardwalks or walking the greens,
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it's a rare place that slows our footsteps, allowing us to share life's moments with family and friends.
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Sometimes footsteps represent a single journey.
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Other times they are retraced over and over.
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Once you've felt the sand of Myrtle Beach between your toes,
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you might just join the many who make the journey here time and time again.
