Looking for a great vacation? How about South Carolina’s acclaimed Hammock Coast? Comprised of six coastal communities – Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island, Georgetown and Andrews – in Georgetown County, the Hammock Coast is the destination of choice for savvy Palmetto State travelers. Located to the south of Myrtle Beach and just north of Charleston, the Hammock Coast offers the best of both destinations in a more casual environment.
Here are six activities that will make the visit special:
• A shelling and lighthouse cruise ferries passengers on pontoon boats, passing by the site of a Civil War wreck en route to North Island, a barrier island at the point where Winyah Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The quality of the shelling is matched only by the undisturbed views of the Atlantic Ocean coast.
• A spring fishing trip is a must-do for outdoors-inclined travelers. The Hammock Coast is home to great in-shore fishing and has access to the Gulf stream, where everything from bluefin tuna and dolphin (mahi-mahi) to a marlin might be on a happy angler’s line.
• Waccamaw Trail is a collection of 12 unforgettable golf courses, and in the spring there are few layouts in America as pretty as Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. When the azaleas are in bloom, the Mike Strantz design is at its stunning best. If you don’t play golf, you can still enjoy the drive through a half-mile alley of oak trees and have lunch on the clubhouse deck, which overlooks the 18th green and the marshy waters of the Waccamaw Neck.
• Huntington Beach State Park (HBSP) is one of the premier bird-watching destinations on the East Coast and that’s just the tip of the popular park’s offerings. With three miles of pristine beach, Atalaya, the Moorish-style winter home of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, a nature center and miles of bike trails, HBSP is one of the area’s landmark attractions.
• The Marshwalk, a half-mile wooden boardwalk that is home to seven restaurants and endless live music, is one of the Palmetto State’s most popular dining and nightlife destinations. The views of Murrells Inlet and the accompanying marina are spectacular.
www.HammockCoastSC.com.
