Travel south on Highway 17 through Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island and about 35 miles down the road you will find Georgetown, South Carolina. This unexpected jewel of a day-trip destination is enveloped in history and is a seaport that is worth seeing by locals and visitors.

Georgetown, South Carolina is the third oldest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Georgetown County, so the old courthouse is at the town’s center. Established in 1734, Georgetown boasts historical sites at every turn, such as the Prince George Winyah Church and Cemetery from the 1700s and the Hebrew Cemetery that dates back to the 1760s. Georgetown’s Historic District includes more than 50 public buildings, homes and sites that appear on the National Register of Historic Places. This area of town runs alongside the Sampit River. The downtown area is quaint and features an eclectic collection of shops and restaurants while the neighboring residential portion of the historic district boasts homes from the 1700s.

Indigo and rice were Georgetown staples in the 1700s and 1800s. Rice plantations were established around the five rivers that convene in Georgetown—B lack, Waccamaw, Sampit and Pee Dee Rivers and the Intracoastal Waterway. The area that is now Georgetown County produced almost half of the country’s rice crops and it was the largest rice-exporting port in the world by 1840.

Spend the day in Georgetown and enjoy sightseeing, shopping and dining. A couple museums are right downtown: Kaminski House Museum and Georgetown County Rice Museum. Front Street is lined with stores that include those selling antiques, books, fine home furnishings and children’s clothing. The Harborwalk is the waterfront walkway that encourages slow strolls while you pop in and out of the back doors of many Georgetown retailers. Marinas and seafood stores also front the Sampit River. Buy shrimp as it comes off the boats or wander the wooden docks and admire all the boats that call Georgetown home. Let the kids run wild at East Bay Park, a large open space with playground and picnic areas that are right across the street from the bay.

It is worth it to visit Georgetown, SC for the day. It is not too far from North Myrtle Beach, SC and it is definitely a step back in time.

Are you hoping that Santa Claus will bring you the perfect North Myrtle Beach home for Christmas? While your dream home won’t fit under the Christmas tree and a North Myrtle Beach condo won’t fit into your stocking, the real estate market in this part of South Carolina encourages more than wishful thinking. Now is a terrific time to visit North Myrtle Beach, SC and get to know the area.

Come to the beach for a weekend during this holiday season and enjoy the lights, sounds and special events of Christmas while touring homes and visiting open houses. For North Myrtle Beach vacation rentals and real estate sales just contact Elliott Realty.

Elliott Coastal Living has home and condominium for sale that reach from Brunswick County, NC through Horry County and Georgetown County, South Carolina. There are quaint neighborhoods with tree-lined streets and sidewalks suitable to kids and their bikes. If you want acreage for horses or privacy, Elliott Coastal Living knows the areas to show you. Oceanfront condominiums and golf course town homes are also available at reasonable prices throughout the North Myrtle Beach area and Grand Strand.

Wrap your house hunting excursion with a weekend getaway in North Myrtle Beach. Elliott Beach Rentals has condos and beach houses to accommodate any size family. From oceanfront views and a lazy river to a private swimming pool and even a fishing dock, there is a myriad of amenities at the area’s vacation properties. Let Elliott Beach Rentals steer you in the right direction, based on your needs.

To house hunt and enjoy a beach vacation all in the same weekend and all in December means that you will have a variety of special seasonal events to enjoy during your stay. The live entertainment theatres around the Myrtle Beach area feature extravagant Christmas shows and singing Christmas trees, Christmas parades, choir performances and so much more fill up December’s calendar of events. Last minutes vacation rental specials and winter rates work to your advantage so call Elliott Realty today and let us help you make these plans.

There are trails to hike, paths to bike and rivers to paddle in the Myrtle Beach area so put on the sunscreen and get outdoors. Between the Atlantic Ocean, Intracoastal Waterway, salt marshes, inlets and rivers there are many interesting spots that beg you to play outside. North Myrtle Beach, SC is a seaside escape, but it is also a restful retreat with soulful scenery and plenty of natural wonders of its own.

Take a kayak tour of the rivers and inlets or paddle the ocean’s waves for more exhilarating fun. Salt marsh grasses hide shallow creeks that are accessible only by kayak. Put a picnic in your river canoe and go downstream for a day of relaxation. And keep in mind that where you paddle is likely excellent for bird watching, too. Bring the binoculars and count the birds that call this area home.

Huntington Beach State Park and Myrtle Beach State Park have stretches of undeveloped beaches. There are hiking trails through the maritime forest. Fish from shore and practice throwing a cast net to see what you pull up from the water. Go crabbing on the jetties at Huntington Beach State Park or wade through the salt marsh water to spot blue crabs that you can lure into your net. Spending time outside like this is rejuvenating and there are many opportunities for these activities in the North Myrtle Beach area.

Visit local fishing piers that dot the oceanfront in the North Myrtle Beach area. Rent a boat and travel to Bird Island for a day of collecting seashells. Relax on the undeveloped beachfront and take long naps where there are few other people around.

The East Coast Greenway is a East Coast bike path that runs about 3,000 miles from Canada to Key West and it goes right through the Myrtle Beach area. Rent bikes and enjoy the roadside bike lanes and the bike paths that meander inside park grounds.

In the North Myrtle Beach area you can even go horseback riding on the beach. There are local stables that offer horseback riding tours through some pristine sections of town and even out to the white sandy beaches in some cases.

Don’t forget about SCUBA diving. The North Myrtle Beach area has artificial reefs and shipwrecks just offshore that are home to a myriad of fish and artifacts. The Sherman was a 200-foot blockade runner from the Civil War that is now in 52 feet of water. Barracuda Alley is an artificial reef created from a 140-foot barge that has A-frames through which divers can swim. It is sunk near a platoon of armored personnel carriers. Divers also love to explore a 200-foot Civil War paddle wheeler, a Dutch merchant vessel, British sub chaser and more in the Carolina waters.

Getting back to nature in the North Myrtle Beach area is easy to do beyond the beautiful golf courses. Just put on your hiking shoes, dive suite, life jacket, cowboy boots or whatever is appropriate for the outdoors adventure that most appeals to you.

As the calendar page turns from October to November the Myrtle Beach area landscape changes. The good old days of summer are behind us and the spirit of Christmas makes a grand entrance. Usher in the holiday season with months’ worth of craft shows and holiday productions. Visitors and locals alike relish this time of year and all the magical offerings found around town.

When you are in North Myrtle Beach, SC you don’t have to settle for simply watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on television. The Myrtle Beach area has Christmas boat regattas and there are street parades from the north end to the south end of the Grand Strand. Bundle up and grab the kids for a festive parade near your North Myrtle Beach home or vacation rental.

Arts and crafts are just part of the Christmas tradition in Myrtle Beach. Welcome the holiday season by attending the Dickens Christmas Show at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on November 10-13. This Victorian holiday marketplace is a showcase for fine arts and crafts, gifts and Christmas décor. The Nutcracker Fair at Market Common’s Valor Park features food, live entertainment and arts and crafts. This one-day festival is November 19. The 25^th Annual Springmaid Beach Winter Arts and Craft Show is December 2-4 at Springmaid Beach Resort.

Starting at dusk each day, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Ball Park is transformed into Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland, from November 11 through the New Year. This kid-focused destination features inflatables, a mechanical reindeer ride, petting zoo, pony rides, games and so much more. Over at Broadway at the Beach you will find the Ripley’s Aquarium Festival of Trees. And down in Murrells Inlet is Brookgreen Gardens’ Nights of a Thousand Candles with live performances throughout the sculpture gardens that are adorned with Christmas lights and a thousand candles.

The most popular Myrtle Beach attractions in November and December are the live Christmas shows at all the area theatres. Singing, dancing, comedy, swashbuckling pirates, jousting knights, ice skaters and more fill up the calendar with holiday productions you don’t want to miss: The Carolina Opry Christmas Special, The South’s Grandest Christmas Show at Alabama Theatre, Legends in Concert Holiday Show, Christmas on Ice at the Palace Theatre, The Magical Spirit of Ireland Holiday Show at the Palace Theatre, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament Holiday Show and Pirates Voyage Holiday Show are the featured live entertainment in the Myrtle Beach area this month and next.

If you are visiting the area, enjoy all the Christmas spirit that emanates from these Myrtle Beach attractions. And if you already live here, bask in the fact that we are surrounded by award-winning productions and let the magic of Christmas begin now.

The beautiful beaches, the incredible number of golf courses and an exciting lineup of live entertainment theatres make the North Myrtle Beach area a phenomenal vacation destination. There is so much to do throughout the Myrtle Beach area that filling each vacation day is quite day. The next time you are in town, why not take your Myrtle Beach vacation day to new heights?

Check out the Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach landscape from the air. Take a spin on the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel. Tour the Grand Strand on a helicopter. Soar over the Atlantic Ocean while parasailing. Lift your sandy feet off the ground and have your camera ready as you see your favorite landmarks, beaches and attractions from the air. 

The Myrtle Beach SkyWheel is a new, oceanfront attraction that gives visitors the opportunity to see Myrtle Beach from 200 feet above sea level. It is an observation wheel with 42 glass gondolas that allow you a bird’s eye view of Myrtle Beach in total comfort. Each gondola is fully enclosed and climate controlled. Flights on the SkyWheel last up to 12 minutes and general admission tickets are available at the gate and online. The SkyWheel is located on the 1.2-mile Oceanfront Boardwalk and Promenade between 14^th Avenue and the 2^nd Avenue Pier. Purchase tickets, look for special events and see details about the VIP Gondola at www.TheMyrtleBeachSkyWheel.com.

Huffman Helicopters invites you to fly the sunny skies of Myrtle Beach. They’ve been taking to the skies for 38 years and now they offer several tours of the Grand Strand. Choose the introductory flight that encompasses golf courses, a pier, resorts and the gorgeous beachfront. Or opt for the Grand Tour that includes flying over the Cherry Grove Fishing Pier and almost to the North Carolina state line—more than 50 miles roundtrip. Enjoy a unique touring experience 700 feet in the air. These helicopters can take up to three passengers at one time. Explore all your helicopter tour options at www.HuffmanHelicopters.com.

Another way to broaden your horizons while you enjoy a Myrtle Beach area vacation is to glide effortlessly on a parasail trip. No experience is required to go parasailing and throughout Myrtle Beach, SC there are numerous opportunities for single, double and triple parasailing. Soar 300 feet or as high as 500 feet and you can even get dipped in the Atlantic Ocean. Look for sea turtles and dolphins during your flight. With some companies you board the parasail boat at a dock and with other companies you ride a banana boat to the parasail boat. Safely launch and land on the boat’s platform. In some cases you may be on the water for up to an hour as you enjoy the sun and sea while all passengers fly. For more information about parasailing, visit www.AtlanticWatersports.net, www.CaptDicks.com, www.DownwindSailsMyrtleBeach.com, www.MyrtleBeachWatersports.com, www.ParasailMyrtleBeach.com and www.ShorelineWaterSports.com.

 Whether you choose to sit comfortably in a gondola, helicopter or parasail harness, there are a handful of ways to see the Myrtle Beach area from the skies. Elevate your perspective and take flight in Myrtle Beach during your next beach vacation.