We are planning on going to Myrtle Beach this summer. It will be a family vacation, including a 9 year old. Other than the beach, what is there to do? Especially for kids.
We also want to be sure to stay in a quiet family type hotel/motel. Any good suggestions?

Hi Laura:
I recommend the Embassy suites complex called Kingston Plantation. They are furnished villas with kitchen, living room, 1-2-3-bedrooms with a deck. There's a pool on the complex. They are lovely and pretty reasonable. www.embassysuites.com.
As I am not a golfer, I need to keep myself busy when others leave to go play. I found Barefoot Landing the last time I was there. I am not sure if there is any thing special for kids but it was a large shopping and entertainment complex a bit north on Route 17. The Chamber of Commerce has a website with all kinds of information, www.myrtlebeach.com. Have a great trip!

There are miniature golf courses (putt-putt) all over Myrtle Beach. This seems to be the favorite evening activity for families.

North Myrtle Beach is quieter than Myrtle Beach. The area in between the 2 is less busy and has nice beaches (about 5 miles north of downtown MB). Get a hold of a AAA NC/SC tourbook. Lots of good hotel info with lots of pictures.

Laura, Please take my advise and stay away from M.B.--it is an awful toursit trap! The beaches are so crowded you can count the nose hairs of the person swimming beside you in the ocean--not to mention the fact that your towell will butt up to the stranger beside you on the beach! As for food--hope you like buffets...that's what you'll see for mile up and down the drag. And you'll have plenty of time to see them--the traffic is absolutely horrible. You'll creep along and be frustrated and starved before you can find a buffet that doesn't have a line wrapped around the building. As for the "show"--Well, M.B. is famous for their dinner theaters and the tourist pack in--I've seen 3--All were barely average. My family has suffered through M.B. for years (Grandma and Grandpa live there) Now we avoid it at all costs. Go to Sunset Beach or Holder Beach--Even Litchfield is better than M.B.! Please heed my advise!!!

To me- Myrtle Beach is very very commercial. You will find plenty to do. We camped there with our children a couple of years ago and we all had a good time - but not my idea of relaxing. Below Myrtle Beach is a really neat town calle Merles Inlet (spelling?) I loved that town! We went there for dinner and I've been dreaming of a summer home there! Have fun

We go to Myrtle Beach every year atleast once. We live about 31/2 hrs north. I love going there. Yes, it's touristy(!?!) but fun. I enjoy staying at the Sands resorts. There's Sands Beach Club, Ocean Club and others. There is a great place called Broadway at the Beach with restaurants, shopping, miniature golf, IMAX, there's tons to do in M.B. Nascar cafe' and a nice Nascar race track where you and the kids can drive on different courses. I say go for it!

Just came across your post, as I am a relatively new visitor to this excellent site. I hope you're not too disheartened by LisaH's comments about Myrtle Beach being a tourist trap, etc. There are obviously a wide range of preferences out there. Myrtle Beach is not the place for a quiet getaway (except the off-season: Sept. through April/May), but it is fun.

In addition to some of the other suggestions, you should check out the new aquarium at Broadway at the Beach; the Pavillion (at the heart of MB) with Ripley's Believe It Or Not and an amusement park w/coaster; Alligator Adventure at Barefoot Landing (my wife & I really liked this--lots of gators up close & personal); boat tours that leave from Little River (a few miles north of MB) or Murrell's Inlet (a few miles south of MB); and last but not least, a ride in the 1940's open cockpit bi-plane that operates out of North Myrtle Beach--the overflight of Bird Island and views of the area are well worth the price (2 can fly almost as cheaply as 1).

If you want to eat at buffets, there are a billion of them--but you can easily avoid them and eat at other good restaurants (e.g., Duffy Street Fish Market in North Myrtle Beach/Cherry Grove; Sea Captain's House; Atlantic Grille; or any number of chain restaurants).

If you want to avoid the worst crowding, you may want to consider staying in North Myrtle Beach (perhaps a condo instead of a hotel--check out www.myrtlebeachonline.com which I believe has real estate co. links). There will be a lot of people there in the summer, but I still think it's a great place for a family vacation.

Have a great time!

I live in Virginia and travel with my family to Myrtle Beach every year. I have an 8 year old and he loves it there. Never wants to vacation any where else! There is plenty to do. Putt Putt, water parks, aligator farm, shopping (for you, maybe). North Myrtle is quieter and the Sands resorts are pretty good. I've stayed there before and they are privately owned condos that are rented out, so each is decorated differently, I think. I personally like South Myrtle better because of all of the activity. I think you stated you wanted quite, so I would definately recommend North Myrtle. All in all, it is pretty fun there, however it can be crowded. Dinners are particularly tricky, so go early. Or, if you have an efficiency, you can cook in and avoid the crowds.

If you do go to Myrtle Beach this summer, don't go on Memorial day weekend...it's biker weekend and you can't move onthe roads--literally. If you're bound and determined to head downthat way, I suggest going to Wilmington, North Carolina (only 60 miles north, instead). THere's a great B&B called the Verandas in the historic downtown area (along with many others). Or, go further south and spend the vacation in Charleston, South Carolina. They've got great ghost tours, and lots of other things to do. Or you can always visit Savannah, Georgia. All three are better bang for your vacation buck than Myrtle Beach.

May I suggest the Sea Island off of 62nd
in the northern part of Myrtle Beach. It is a quiet place in a relatively quiet neighborhood. The new Ripley's aquarium at Broadway on the Beach is very good. If you are trying to avoid the hideous buffets, may I also suggest Cagney's and Chestnut Hill.

I agree with the info about Embassy Suites. We've stayed there four times and really like it. We do some 'cooking'...toast, bagels, cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Helps cut down on expenses since restaurant meals can get pretty expensive for a family. (There are five of us) No one mentioned 'Broadway at the Beach'. It is a unique shopping and entertainment complex on Route 17 North. There are many types of shops, an Imax theater, a wonderful aquarium, a first run movie theater and restaurants, both fast food type as well as 'sit-down' nicer ones. Also check out Myrtle Square Mall, also on Route 17. It's not much of a mall for shopping, but it has a unique clock that will fascinate everyone. Just look up when you get to the food court there. Have a great vacation.

Laura, we love Myrtle Beach, but went to Cape Cod this summer for a change. We usually stay at Maison-Sur-Mer, I think spelling is right. It is privately owned condo's on Shore Drive toward North Myrtle Beach near Arrowhead area. Very nice and private feeling.