Myrtle Beach

If sunshine, cotton candy, hot dogs and sippin' a cold one under a beach umbrella is your thing, then Myrtle Beach is your kind of town. The Strand, the main drag that runs alongside mammoth beachfront hotels, is perhaps one of the best people-watching zones in the U.S. You'll see plenty of shops selling beach chairs and bikinis, arcades, amusement parks and college girls in tube tops strutting to the revving engines of passing dudes. It's all very 1950s without the modesty. For families, this is the number two vacation destination in the U.S. (first is Florida), and there's good reason. There are several amusement parks, water parks, and ...

If sunshine, cotton candy, hot dogs and sippin' a cold one under a beach umbrella is your thing, then Myrtle Beach is your kind of town. The Strand, the main drag that runs alongside mammoth beachfront hotels, is perhaps one of the best people-watching zones in the U.S. You'll see plenty of shops selling beach chairs and bikinis, arcades, amusement parks and college girls in tube tops strutting to the revving engines of passing dudes. It's all very 1950s without the modesty. For families, this is the number two vacation destination in the U.S. (first is Florida), and there's good reason. There are several amusement parks, water parks, and activities like NASCAR Speedpark, Ripley's Aquarium and Broadway at the Beach. For those seeking to get beyond the festival, nearby Murrell's Inlet is a funky little fishing town with great restaurants and Brookgreen Gardens might be one of the best attractions you ever visit. For golfers, Myrtle Beach has more than 120 golf courses and consistently ranks as one of the country's best golf vacation destinations.

About the Expert

Debra Landau has written eight Lonely Planet guidebooks, including books on the USA, Caribbean, and the South.