Brookgreen Gardens, courtesy Myrtle Beach Area CVB
Myrtle Beach
South Carolina
Known as the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach stretches for 60 miles and includes 12 communities and two state parks.
“The 312-acre Myrtle Beach State Park offers a nature center, a wildlife habitat and a pier for fishing,” said Kimberly Miles, public relations representative for Visit Myrtle Beach. “Rangers offer fun and fascinating programs about this natural environment.”
This park and the Huntington Beach State Park are known to be the best bird-watching locations on the East Coast.
“The Huntington Beach State Park, a prime habitat for more than 300 species of birds, is located on Murrells Inlet, the seafood capital of South Carolina,” said Miles.
“It features a lagoon, maritime forest and the most well-preserved beach on the Grand Strand, as well as Atalaya, the former home of American sculptor Anna Huntington. Her works are displayed at nearby Brookgreen Gardens, considered the finest outdoor presentation of American figurative sculpture in the world.
“Brookgreen Gardens is one of my favorite places to visit. Groups should plan for an off-road trekker tour that takes them to places not open to the public.”
Groups might also want to spend an afternoon at Hopsewee Plantation. Built 40 years before the Revolutionary War, this property is located on the North Santee River and offers tours of the main house and the landscaped grounds.