Myrtle Beach, SC

We've been there once..and we didn't really like the overboard touristy stuff. It was kind of a dirty downtown, lots of tattoo/piercing shops, sketchy bars, and over-the-top souvenir shops. However, North Myrtle (we stayed in Surfside) seemed much nicer, more family friendly, and less..senior week/college singles like. We probably won't go back anytime soon. We felt too old to be there (27, 30).

But if you're looking for beaches, maybe try the Outer Banks in NC? They're so much more worth it!!

The Dunes with the indoor/outdoor small waterpark is right on the beach.
The downside is the restaurants and such are a drive away.

We LOVE Myrtle Beach. I have heard the things listed below about South Myrtle (dirty, dive bars, etc) but we stay in North Myrtle and love it. We stay at Island Vista Resort. Broadway at the Beach is awesome to visit, Nascar Race Park is fun, and many other things to do.

We go to the Outer Banks in NC every year also and love it but there are not as many fun things to do there.

We love Myrtle Beach, we go every few years because it's an easy and fun vaca for us - driving distance from Pittsburgh. We usually get a condo on the beach in North Myrtle - there are lots if you look on the VRBO website. We always try to get either on the beach, or just 1 block off, because there is not parking and I don't know how you would drive back and forth. We stay on the ocean side of North Myrtle straight east from Barefoot Landing. Barefoot Landing has everything there - cute shops, ice cream parlors, a carosel in the middle. They do have a resort, but I wouldn't stay at the resort because it's too far from the beach.

We like North Myrtle. Quieter.
Check out www.oceancreekresort.com.
Nice place to stay. They have condos near and oceanfront tower options.

There is a LOT to do...much of it is typical to touristy places.

But my favorite restaurant there is Benjamin's Calabash. Best seafood buffet EVER!

Enjoy!

We have been 2 times. It is a great beach and there are tons of things to do. I prefer the North Myrtle Beach area. It is quieter than the strip area. We didn't do a whole lot, other than the beach, while we were there. We did go to the Aquarium on a rainy day. There are some shopping areas that are fun to walk around, one is Barefoot Landing and the other is Broadway at the Beach. We stayed at the Baywatch and enjoyed it. They have an indoor and outdoor pool and a lazy river. They are condos and you can find them on VRBO.com or HomeAway.com. There is also Elliott Beach Rentals, a local place that handles rentals which we used. Good Luck!