First time to Myrtle Beach

Hi everyone! We are currently planning our first visit to Myrtle Beach. We have booked three nights (July 10-13) at the Marriott Grande Dunes hotel. It seems like a great hotel and the reviews are outstanding! My only concern is that it seems far from the main strip where all the action is. The website says the hotel is located in the Grande Dunes community of Myrtle Beach. Anyone have an idea of how long it might take to drive or walk into the main area?

Also, what are the best attractions to visit? We have our 15 year old son coming with us, and Im pretty sure he wants to do more than sit on the beach the whole time! I%26#39;ve been looking for attractions, but im overwhelmed by the amount of things to do, and I doubt we could do everything there is to do in less than 5 days. If anyone has any other advice, tips or recommendations for us, we would really appreciate it!

First time to Myrtle Beach

One other thing:

I was looking at some other posts about first timers to MB. I noticed alot of people ask about the half way point to Myrtle Beach. We will be driving from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. It seems the best place for us to stop is Wyteville Virgina, but we have relatives in the Raleigh area, and I%26#39;ve been thinking about visiting on the way down. Would stopping in Raleigh for a night make things more complicated getting down to Myrtle Beach? Because im looking for the easiest way, since I always get confused with all the different interstate%26#39;s when driving in the US!

First time to Myrtle Beach

We went to Myrtle Beach the first time with an 18-yr old and 2 16-yr olds. They enjoyed the beach during the day, and at night we went to Broadway on the Beach or Barefoot Landing. We also hit a few of the miniature golf places. They had a great time playing. Not sure if your son enjoys fishing, but you could probably arrange for a fishing trip. We also did a day trip to Charleston.

As for a stopping off point, it may be dependent upon the route you%26#39;re taking. We usually take Route 95 South to 501 (Dillon, SC) to 17. To avoid the traffic on 95, some people from this area take Route 81. Wytheville, VA is easily accessible by 81. Raleigh, I believe, is off of 40. From our home in western NJ, the trip to MB has taken us 12-13 hours, depending on traffic. But we also leave around 3-4 am.

I doubt if you%26#39;ll be upset with the location. It would be a good hike down to the main strip but unless you planned on spending every night there it won%26#39;t be a problem. One trip for the adults is about all it will take. More than likely your 15 year old will meet other kids his age and maybe you could drop them off and pick them up later.

Most of the major attractions are out on RT 17. Being near the ';strip'; isn%26#39;t all that important.

15 is an odd age. Too old for the kiddie stuff but not old enough for other things. Unless he was with a group his own age I doubt if he would enjoy the amusement parks. You might try one of the race car parks. Either Grand Prix or NASCAR.

Parasailing would occupy him for and hour or two. For a family outting you might try horseback riding up in Little River.

Thankyou for the advice maggymae and pop2748!

The Pavilion amusement park has a place called %26#39;The Attic%26#39; , a place for teens. Would it be safe to drop of my son and maybe pick him up later like pop2748 suggested? Do they have some sort of adult supervision on the premisies, because I don%26#39;t feel too comfortable with my son being on his own in a city he%26#39;s never been to before.

I%26#39;m sure you will very much enjoy the Marriott...it is a new hotel and very nice! It is on the north end of MB but it is a good location...not right in the middle of everything but not too far from attractions (not walking distance but a short drive). Your son would definitely enjoy at least one trip to the Pavilion amusement park and yes, I think it would be fine to drop him off right in front of the Attic and pick him up there. As a few of the other posts stated, he would love Grand Prix or Nascar speedpark. Parasailing, banana boat riding or jet sking would be fun as well. Broadway at the Beach has a lot to offer...shopping, tons of great restaurants (that is where Hard Rock Cafe %26amp; Planet Hollywood are located), A great putt-putt golf course, Ripley%26#39;s Aquarium, the IMAX theater, it is surrounded by a lake where they have paddleboats, Magicquest is there and on Tuesday evenings they put on a spectacular firework display at Broadway. The Pirate Ship, Jolly Rover in Georgetown (www.rovertours.com) is a 2 hour boat tour about tales of plank walking and buried treasure the whole family would probably enjoy. The Carolina Jeep Safari is also a very interesting and fun tour (approx. 3 hrs long). The guide will tell you about some MB history, the ghost legends, animals,etc.

Hope this helps some. Enjoy your trip and welcome to Myrtle Beach. Please see my post at the very top of the page under the ';Sticky%26#39;s'; for some great restaurant choices (under the topic ';a locals restaurant recom for any type of food';).

Some great suggestions! And as for the teen club - the Attic - its a great little club , very well managed and really popular with the under 21 set in the summer months. And with the Pavilion being right across the street its a great hangout for your sone age.

Another option for a night out for him would be the House of Blues...I beleive their teen night is on Saturdays (check out their website at www.hob.com) They open the concert hall and have a DJ doing the music...pretty well attended, and while they are there, you all could stop by one of the restaurants, or even enjoy the outdoor deck at the HOB.

I know my son when he was that age really enjoyed the go-karts and surfing. You can rent surfboards from the local Surf City and they also offer lessons. And its a great way to meet girls! :)

Most 15 yr. olds really get a kick out of Dicks Last Resort and also a good one time gimmick for adults. Dont expect much from the food,but your 15 yr. old will really talk this experience up with his or her friends.

Well it is a little far away from the strip (also known as southern myrtle beach) but actually they don%26#39;t really have all that much either. The only problem will be getting to Broadway at the beach. The traffice on 17 can be a nightmare sometimes. Especiall in the middle of the summer. Broadway at the beach is ok. but most teenagers like ';the strip'; all of their young counterparts are hanging out at night and lighting fireworks, kids that age get excited when there is excitement around them. They don%26#39;t want to have to drive/ride far to get to the action. The Marriott your staying in is probably not the best place for a 15 year old. It is very secluded from other hotels. The hotel is beautiful and has a lot of amenities, but I would say it is for more of the younger family mom/dad and baby or honeymooners, or couples getting away.

The way you deal with the traffic on 17 is not to use that route...from the hotel I%26#39;d take Ocean Blvd down to 38th Ave N (a nice drive along the beach) and then turn right onto 38th to the 3rd Stoplight which is Grissom Pkwy, turn left go just past the next stoplight and Broadway is on the right. Not alot of traffic at all. Or, do one better and take the bus.

:)

Thanks again for all the great advice! Everyone was very helpful. My son won%26#39;t be with his friends so I doubt he would enjoy the attic or any of the other teen clubs very much just on his own, but he definantly likes the idea of the Grand Prix and the other raceway areas. Were all looking forward to out trip to Myrtle Beach :-)

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