Standing at the center of the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach (pop. 32,000) is one of the largest and most popular beach resorts in the country, attracting some 13 million visitors every year. It’s a huge place, with mile after mile of motels, Wal-Marts, and fast-food franchises lining all the main roads. Long famous for its golf courses (and for having the world’s biggest collection of miniature golf courses), in recent years Myrtle Beach has refashioned itself as a coastal version of Branson, Missouri, with numerous new theaters offering everything from medieval pageants to a mini Grand Old Opry.
So, if you want to wallow in beachfront Americana, there are few better places to head. Myrtle Beach grew up around The Pavilion amusement park, at the east end of US-501 along Ocean Avenue at 9th Avenue, which started in the 1920s as a dance hall (where the dance craze “The Shag” began). The pay-as-you-ride park, a block inland from the beach, offers a classic array of roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and a circa-1915 Herschell merry-go-round, plus go-cart tracks and multiple midway arcade games. From spring break until the end of summer, the surrounding blocks are jammed with people showing off their well-formed bodies, though after school starts up again things get suddenly quiet.
