You'll also find gently rolling dunes as you explore the beach, similar to what the Waccamaaw and Winyah Indians saw when they inhabited Myrtle Beach and its environs. Historians don't know a lot about these native americans, but artifacts are discovered regularly, such as arrowheads, pottery, and other clues, that shed more light on the Waccamaaws and Winyahs. These original inhabitants called the area "Chicora", and during the period when they lived here, they would have also found giant oak trees just behind the dune line, giving the area a grand sense of wild beauty and protection.
Nobody found oak trees much protection from pirates, however, who arrived on the Carolina shores in the 1700's, regularly appearing and wreaking havoc, reveling, or just hanging out waiting for their next adventure. Maybe you've heard of the legend of "Blackbeard"...who pirated up and down the Carolina coast, and for a couple of years the inhabitants, especially the sailors of North and South Carolina lived in terror, never knowing when the next ambush at sea would occur, turning passengers into hostages and cargo into loot. The area has a robust history of pirate legend and folklore, drawing on the activities of English colonists who used the waters of the Atlantic, and off Myrtle Beach, for trade routes. Merchanats needed to move goods from place to place, up and down the Atlantic, and Pirates needed to steal those goods. Pirates' favorite tactic was the ambush, which requires hiding spots. The Carolina coast, and places like the inlets along the Grand Strand, were ideal nooks for hiding a pirate ship and waiting for rich merchant cargo ships loaded with wonder booty. Treasure hunters still hope to find sunken items from ambushed ships in the 1700's. One pirate's loot in particular is still sought in the inlets of Myrtle Beach, Captain Kidd. Local legends like Blackbeard and Drunken Jack awaken our imagination, even though their origins are a bit cloudy, and most of the stories have been handed down from generation to generation, embellished at each telling.
Other Myrtle Beach folklore, rivalling the romaticism and excitement of pirate stories, are local ghost legends the Gray Man, and Alice Flagg. Poor Alice fell in love with a young man who somehow failed to meet the strict standards of her family. To add to her troubles, she developed a high fever and became bed-ridden, fighting for her strength. With her lover's ring strung on a ribbon worn around her neck, she lay in bed fighting for her life and her heart. Poor Alice Flagg, instead of finding comfort from her family during her illness, she was met with rage and hostility from her brother, who lost control when he saw the ring-ribbon necklace she wore, ripped it off her neck, and threw it into the ocean. She never recovered from the heartache, and her ghost creeps around in the waters trying to find her lover's ring, so rudely flung into the inlet by her mean-spirited brother so long ago. The Gray Man is another ghost who roams the area around Myrtle Beach pining a lost lover. He was a soldier returning from war, counting the minutes unti he could see his beloved wife, who had been waiting and waiting for his return. After surviving the war, he was ironically killed on horseback on the way home, and never reunited with his wife. He was able to communicate to her from the other side of the spirit world, to warn her of an approaching hurricane. He saved her life, and since that initial warning locals have reported being warned by the Gray Man before hurricanes.
If you need to get out there and be thrilled, Myrtle Beach has adventure galore in its two major amusement parks. Roller coasters await screaming riders, and afterwards you can fill up on amusement food available only at places like these: corn dogs, cotton candy and more delicious treats for the kid or kids at heart. To cool off, there are water parks where getting splashed is the goal, and sculpture gardens for calm meditative speculation, or simple appreciation as you get away from the fast-paced nightlife or sultry beaches for a cool afternoon exploring Myrtle Beach.
Barefoot Landing and Broadway at the Beach are part entertainment and part discovery museum, with Ripley's Aquarium and Alligator Adventure. These are places that kids love, since they are packed with exciting displays and cool activities. Barefoot Landing houses Alligator Adventure, a large exotic reptile farm where you can get to know these lovely creatures. Ripley's Aquarium is very slick entertainment with it moving glide path, the largest one in the world. Along this path you'll come face to face wtih fish and sharks and the petting area boasts horseshoe crabs and stingray. This is an excellent way for kids to learn about what's in the waters of Mytrle Beach, a wonderful way to awaken the learning spirit in you child, open new doors, create new interests. Who knew Myrtle Beach could offer so much? Myrtle Beach leaves nobody behind, as there is something for everyone to do here. If looking for bargains in fresh territory is your ideal day on vacation, you'll find a world of shopping to roam...everything from bargain outlets to boutiques and high-end fashion houses. The Grand Strand seems to be designed for shoppers, so don't forget to pack your walking shoes and shop 'til you drop.
You won't have any problem keeping up your energy, since there are over fifteen hundred restaurants along the Grand Strand, and of course seafood is the specialty around here, but you'll find everything you could imagine. With so many choices your only problem will be you'll have a hard time deciding where to eat. You can enjoy lunch right on the boardwalk close to the sand and sun, then stroll down a ways and get dessert somewhere different, all without leaving the beach area. Boardwalk shopping is tons of fun. Try the down-home cookin'southern style with some blackened, grilled, or broiled seafood, or try deep-fried batter bits of fresh tender fish, local style. Set out for the boardwalk bright and early for a sunny beachside breakfast...what a day to start the day!
And, to end the day perfectly the nightlife of Myrtle Beach comes alive under the stars and ocean breezes with discos, beach clubs, nightclubs and bars, including sports bars. So, whether you feel like dancing or sipping a cold one with friends or even belt out some tunes at a karaoke club, you'll find it all right here. And it's all twice as much fun because you're in Myrtle Beach, on vacation, taking in that magic ocean air, as the moonlight dances over the waters of the Atlantic.
NASCAR fans, you'll appreciate the Myrtle Beach Speedway which features professional and amateur racing every Saturday except in Winter.
Bikers, don't miss Bike Week, held twice a year in Myrtle Beach, once in the Fall, and again in the Spring. All bikers are welcome, and many come from around the world to cruise in Myrtle Beach's gentle warm climate, check out the vendors, and feel welcomed by the biking community as it comes together in this ideal location for Bike Week. Brought to you by Sonny Productions / Chopper Road Shows.
Baseball fans, catch a Pelicans game at their home field, the Coastal Federal Field in Myrtle Beach. Baseball, the beach, and some world-class dining make for a superb vacation. The Pelicans are a Carolina League Class-A team, who won league championship two years in a row 1999-2000.
The waters of the Atlantic off Myrtle Beach offer world-class sport fishing activity and Myrtle Beach has eight fishing piers for anglers to fish from. You can also throw in a pole at any of the area's backwater creeks, where you might try crabbing while you're there, since it's fabulous. Charter a boat to take you to the Gulf Stream for action deep-water fishing or hop on a party boat for some bottom fishing out on the ocean. If you land a big one, be sure to enter your prize in the Grand Strand Fishing Rodeo, which operates from Spring through Fall seasons. Any fish caught from a pier, deep sea, surf, or inlet is eligible to win prizes like cash and merchandise. There's no age limit and total prizes amount to $10,000. In Myrtle Beach, not only can you have the time of your life on vacation, but they give you prizes for it too!
If you like boating, there are rentals of every type to be found...try some zippy Jet Skis or explore the inlets in a canoe of kayak. Harness the wind and set out on a sailboat for the day, or scuba, parasailing, windsurfing, boogieboarding, whatever makes your day perfect, Myrtle Beach makes it possible.
Huntington Beach State Park is one of the finest best bird-watching sites on the East Coast. Like castles? This state park has on its grounds the historic "Atalaya" a National Historic Landmark castle. Built in the 1930's as a winter retreat by an eccentric wealthy couple, Atalaya is an odd architectural vision, modeled after Spanish Moorish castles of an earlier age, but strangely incongruous on the beaches of South Carolina. The place was taken over by the US Army during World War II, and used only a few years after the war by the couple. It's now a beloved, crumbling centerpiece of this state park near Myrtle Beach, and worth a trip if you want to see something out of the ordinary. It lends a sense of mystery and uniqueness to the beach in this area, which you won't find anywhere else on earth.
There's a very popular arts and crafts festival every year at this park, a super event for picking up gifts.
843-237-4440 3 miles south of Murrells Inlet on US Highway 17 ($5 entrance fee for adults)
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