It’s been a while since I’ve wrote a travel article, so I wanted to get back to it. And what better time to do it than now, with Memorial Day just around the corner and vacation season looming? Myrtle Beach has been a family favorite vacation destination for my entire life, just as it is with many others in our area, so I decided to write an article about them. From someone who has vacationed in Myrtle Beach more times than the New York Yankees have won the World Series, this list of top ten things to do there should be pretty accurate for mostly everyone.

10. Family Kingdom Water Park

There are all sorts of ways to cool off from the hot weather at Myrtle Beach, but going to Family Kingdom Water Park is different from all the rest. That’s because it’s the only oceanfront waterpark in Myrtle Beach. I’ve gone to the other water parks, and while they’re great, this one is my favorite because of the fact you are right next to the ocean. So, while you are enjoying a day going down waterslides, you still get to enjoy the beautiful views of the beach. It’s a win-win.

9. Mini-Golf

Mt. Atlanticus Mini-Golf Coursemyrtlebeachputtputt.com — Mt. Atlanticus Mini-Golf Course
myrtlebeachputtputt.com

If you’ve ever been to Myrtle Beach, you know there are mini-golf attractions around every corner. With 50 mini-golf courses, it claims to be the “miniature golf capital of the world.” I know I haven’t played at all of them, but over the years it sure feels like it. There are not many that I drive by that I cannot recall playing at. And unlike a lot of mini-golf courses around the country, these are all great with extravagant themes from Jurassic to Cancun. My personal favorite would have to be the iconic Mt. Atlanticus, one of the first mini-golf courses in Myrtle Beach.

8. Family Kingdom Amusement Park

Located just across the road from its water park, is Family Kingdom Amusement Park. This park offers a roller coaster, free-fall ride, log flume, Yo-Yo swing, bumper cars, go-karts, and more. What I really like about it is that it’s not a big-time amusement park, but instead has a more intimate, laid-back, and throwback feeling to it. It’s easy to pass several hours riding the rides and playing carnival games while eating funnel cake in between.

7. Banana-Boating

This one is sort of a family favorite thing that we try to do every year. If you aren’t aware of what banana-boating is, it’s riding a raft (that holds about eight people) while being pulled by a jet-ski out in the ocean. It is a lot of fun, especially if you tell the jet-ski driver to give you a wild ride like we always do. Along with bouncing over the ocean waves, the jet-ski driver can make it very difficult to stay on the raft if he wants to. There have been several times where we have fallen off into the ocean. But that’s all part of the fun, and a great way to cool off. And if you just want a leisurely ride like a lot of folks, that is totally fine too!

6. Pier Fishing

There are a number of ways to fish at Myrtle Beach, including charter fishing and fishing in the inlets, but I feel like pier fishing is quintessential Myrtle Beach. There are many piers to fish from, including the Apache Pier, the longest wooden pier on the East Coast at 1,206 feet. All types of fish can be caught from these piers, including flounder and Spanish mackerel. One of my favorite things to do is to stroll the nearest pier from wherever I’m staying, just to see what people are catching. Sometimes you’ll even get a glimpse of sharks swimming in the waters below!

5. Broadway at the Beach

Do you like shopping? Good restaurants? Mini-golf? Aquariums? Speed boat rides? If you answered yes to any of them, then Broadway at the Beach is the place to go. Primarily known for its unique shopping stores and great restaurants, Broadway at the Beach has a number of other attractions as well, such as Ripley’s Aquarium and a speed boat ride on the lake. It’s a great place to go for a night out at Myrtle Beach and somewhere that we usually go every single year.

4. Myrtle Beach Boardwalk

Nothing may be more iconic of an American beach than its boardwalk. Although it isn’t very old (completed in 2010), the Myrtle Beach boardwalk offers many places to eat, shop, play, and relax along its more-than-a-mile length. When you are walking on the Myrtle Beach boardwalk, not only are you walking next to the ocean, but you are in the heart of it all in Myrtle Beach. Arcades, bars, shops, and interesting people are everywhere. It is also where the famous Sky Wheel is located, which gives you a great view of Myrtle Beach, day or night.

3. Parasailing

There’s no experience that is quite like taking in Myrtle Beach from a bird’s eye view with the beach breeze blowing in your face. Even if you have been to Myrtle Beach 100 times, until you take a parasailing ride, you have yet to fully appreciate the beauty of the beach and its surroundings. You’re high above all the hotels, giving you a great view of the sandy shores, the thousands of people that occupy it, and the long strand of hotels that line up and down it. One of the main takeaways from my experience was just how quiet and peaceful it was up in the air. Down below is nothing but crowds and noise, but up above is total peace and quiet. And if you’d like, you can be lowered and dipped into the ocean to cool off.

2. Golf

You can’t think about Myrtle Beach and not think about golf. The two go together hand in hand, and with over 100 courses to play, it has deservedly earned the nickname of “Golf Capital of the World.” With golf courses designed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, among many other legends, a lot of people plan their Myrtle Beach vacation around their golfing schedule. If you are a golf enthusiast, you definitely don’t want to miss out on the wonderful golfing opportunities at Myrtle Beach.

1. The Beach

Of course, enjoying the beach itself is the absolute best thing to do at Myrtle Beach. Though there are many, many attractions in this beach town, the sand and ocean water is number one. You can set up an umbrella, or rent one, and spend the day on the beach enjoying the ocean breeze while you relax. You can get out into the ocean and swim, ride the waves, surf, or just float around. The beach here is for all types of people, those who want to relax on their vacation and for those who want to be active. The beach can get a bit crowded in front of some of the larger hotels, but to be honest, it provides a sense of security when you’re swimming in the ocean with people all around you. After 4:00 p.m., the lifeguard takes the umbrellas down and the beach starts to clear out. As the evening hours pass, you’ll see people skimboarding the tides, tossing around a football or baseball, playing cornhole and other beach games, or simply setting up a chair and enjoying a much more quieter beach atmosphere than in the earlier hours of the day. Whatever you come to the beach to do, you’ll be able to do it on the shores of Myrtle Beach.

Garett

Top 10 Things to Do in Myrtle Beach