Myrtle Beach, SC
November 2010

Birthplace of Wheel of Fortune star Vanna White, MYRTLE BEACH is a brazen splurge of seaside fun, an unmitigated stretch of commercial development twenty miles down the coast from the North Carolina border at the center of the sixty-mile "Grand Strand." Predominantly a family resort, it's packed fit to burst during mid-term vacations with leering, jeering students in fluorescent beachwear – if you've seen the movie Shag, you'll know what to expect. Fans of crazy golf, water parks, factory outlet malls, funfairs and parasailing will be in heaven, and the beach itself isn't bad. The widest stretch is at North Myrtle Beach, a chain of small communities among which Ocean Drive is the center and Atlantic Beach is exclusively used by African Americans.

South of Myrtle Beach lie Murells Inlet, a fishing port with lots of good fish restaurants, and Pawleys Island, a secluded resort once favored by plantation-owners and today retaining a far slower pace than its neighbors. Between the two on Hwy-17 is the beautifully landscaped Brookgreen Gardens (summer daily 9.30am–9.30pm; rest of the year 9.30am–5pm; $8.50; tel 1-800/849-1931), a former rice and indigo plantation with an outdoor display of American figurative sculpture, and the setting for many of Julia Peterkin's novels of gullah life. There's also a wildlife sanctuary, where you're likely to spot alligator and deer, and an hour-and-a-half boat tour around the area.

Upon your arrival at Marriott’s Oceanwatch Villas, it will seem as if the majestic oaks have lined up to greet you and gently guide you down their timeless canopied walkway. Welcome to the dunes of the Grand Strand! The blue of the Atlantic quietly beckons, and it's miles of beautiful sand beaches are soon at your feet and between your toes. Like the ocean’s tide, you’ll find yourself drawn back to our shores, again and again, bringing new expectations and welcoming new memories for a lifetime - a promise that sets the world of Marriott Vacation Ownership apart. Marriott’s OceanWatch Villas at Grande Dunes located in the exclusive Grande Dunes master-planned community, promises the finest vacation you and your family will ever experience. Set amid stately southern homes, this extraordinary oceanfront resort will bestow the perfect blend of luxurious accommodations. Enjoy all the activities that water and land have to offer at a beautiful resort which marries the style of a southern mansion and a Mediterranean-style villa. Even if you've been to Myrtle Beach before - you've never been to this Myrtle Beach.

Marriott's Oceanwatch Villas 2 Bedroom Description

Unit Layout

       

Other Resort Pictures

For more information on Myrtle Beach go to the Myrtle Beach Travel Guide Website, for more information on the Marriott's OceanWatch Villas go to OceanWatch or email me for more info.