Myrtle Beach is a great place to visit, and while it’s known for the beach, there are many options of things to do if you want to get beyond the beach.
Beach
The nice thing about Myrtle Beach is there are so many access points it’s easy to find a roomy beach spot without the crowds. Most streets have small parking lots at the end with paid parking. The streets around the 40s/50s seem to be very quiet if you like to space out from other beachgoers. The times we have been the waves have been gentle and perfect. Lifeguards patrol the beach, but aren’t in every spot so just keep that in mind.
Barefoot Landing
One of our favorite places to go is Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. You can walk around the lake and visit many stores and restaurants. The highlight for us is Crooked Hammock Brewery, which has been recently expanded to include a restaurant and fun outdoor area.
Broadway at the Beach
Another great area of Myrtle Beach is Broadway at the Beach. It’s actually located off the beach, but has many shops, restaurants, and attractions surrounding a lake.
There are a lot of different rides including the ferris wheel and a giant slide here for the little ones. The Ferris Wheel lights up in fun designs at night.
There are many different attractions including Ripley’s Aquarium, Wonder Works, Dino Park, and Jet boats around the lake. These all have a separate fee.
One of our kids favorite things to do was the water balls. They can run like hamsters on these balls over the water. This is $12 and lasts about 10 minutes.
There are lots of places to go for a drink or tasting. Kentucky Mist Distillery does Moonshine tasting as well as fun cocktails. Coastal Carolina Winery does wine tasting as well as slushies. And of course Margaritaville is a great stop for Margaritas!
There are a ton of souvenir shops in this area making it a great place to visit to pick up something to remind you of your trip!
On one trip, our kids decided on Goonies shirts from the 80s/90s store!
There are dozens of restaurants to choose from. So far our favorite is Grumpy Monk with an extensive beer list. There are also popular choices such as Paula Deens, Senor Frogs, Joes Crab Shack and Hard Rock.
Boat Rides
We rented a tiki themed pontoon boat through Island Water Sports. It held 13 passengers (and was dog friendly)! We did a half day rental (4 hours) to cruise the Intracoastal waterway. The total cost was around $400. This was a lot of fun and we got blessed with a gorgeous day! We brought our own drinks and snacks onboard. The boat was comfortably large and even had a tiny bathroom.
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade
Although we have only seen it, there is a boardwalk/promenade area. The skywheel Myrtle Beach is located in this area which is another ferris wheel option. There are also a few oceanfront restaurants. We had a good experience at RipTydz Oceanfront Grille.
There is no shortage of things to do or places to eat in Myrtle Beach. This is just a small preview of some of the things we have done. You can drive along buisness 17 and find more restaurants and shops then you could ever possibly visit.
If you are interested in camping at Myrtle Beach, check out are blog post about Lakewood Camping Resort here
Camping with the Kennedys 