Myrtle Beach: What to Do and Where to Eat
Today I’m sharing the second half of my trip to South Carolina, “Myrtle Beach: What to Do and Where to Eat,” an epicurean experience that was like none other!
I was recently invited on a culinary-themed press trip to Myrtle Beach, if you saw my post last week, “Myrtle Beach: Where to Stay and Where to Eat.” My trip was sponsored by Visit Myrtle Beach, and I attended this event with other food writers.
Myrtle Beach: What to do and Where to eat
Staying at the lovely Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes Hotel, the second day we departed for Georgetown for a unique kayak fishing excursion, with Black River Outdoors Center, for a half-day guided kayak fishing tour.
Black River Outdoors offer two, four and six-hour Guided Kayak tours. In fishing kayaks, they take you where the fish are. Many big fish like to feed in very shallow creeks and inlets, where power boats can’t go. The kayak lets you go there!
Black River made it so easy! They provided the kayak, paddle, PFD, fishing gear and bait. Most of us were beginners, so not only was it fun, but we were delighted when we had success!
The experienced guides took us to the best fishing spots in the area, and we hung out and fished on the bank. We caught red fish, flounder, speckled trout, grouper, and flounder! (Check out the fish that Sommer caught!)
After a beautiful day on the water, we walked over to the Wicked Tuna for lunch. The best treat? They cooked the fish that Lori caught, an 18-inch Speckled Sea Trout, and it was delicious!
We enjoyed beautiful artful sushi rolls, paired with shrimp and grits, and other fish entrees. I just had to get their “fish and chips,” because its’ such a classic dish. And it was amazing!
At the end of the day, we traveled to New South Brewery for a brief beer tasting, Myrtle Beach’s own microbrewery that began in 1998, and that continues to brew fresh ales and lagers for local restaurants, and in regional grocery stores.
Coming from Bend, Oregon, we love our breweries! But this was a fun, happening place!
Historic downtown Myrtle Beach
Then the night began! We headed downtown to check out the food scene, and the happy night life!
Located in the heart of historic downtown Myrtle Beach, a block from the ocean, we visited newly-opened The Chemist, a restaurant that emphasizes molecular gastronomy in both food and beverages, with Craft Cocktails and Modern Cuisine!
The cocktail demonstration at The Chemist was super cool. Their Liquid Nitrogen Tuna? Out of this world!
Across the street, we made guacamole, and tasted their specialty margaritas! Have you ever had a blue margarita? Gordo’s Tacos & Tequila offers 50 different kinds of tacos and tequilas, as well as their craft margaritas. Sommer and I gloved up, and made fresh guac!
As if we weren’t stuffed already, we still made room for a delicious burger, at ART Burger Sushi.
The owner, along with his wife, created a digital video gallery on the walls to display the works of the masters, as well as work by local artists. Among the 16 gourmet burgers on the menu are the Da Vinci, the Rembrandt, the Rockwell and the Van Gogh. My favorite bite: The ART burger!
To finish off the night, we walked down the famous boardwalk, to the iconic landmark the Myrtle Beach Skywheel, a 200-foot-high observation wheel, with 42 temperature-controlled glass gondolas providing breathtaking views of the coastline. Come to find out, their “sister” Skywheel is in Seattle, and I’ve been there several times!
Our next morning, we enjoyed a fabulous meal at Croissants. To keep up our theme of daily shrimp and grits, we had to try their delicious version, plus a few bites of their famous Crunchy Cornflake French Toast. We were also able to enjoy espresso and meet with the owner, Heidi Vukov, and learned more about the blend of freshest ingredients in Croissants dish!
A drive to Myrtle Beach State Park took us out on the pier for a crabbing lesson!
We tried and tried and tried, and in the last 5 minutes before leaving, Lori finally pulled up the net, with a beautiful Lady Blue Crab.
Myrtle Beach State Park
A little history of the park–it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal Program. Myrtle Beach State Park was the very first state park to open to the public! Because of this, the maritime forest was declared a Heritage Trust Site.
It’s a beautiful and popular 312- acre park, and includes a nature center inhabited with snakes, turtles and marine animals, as well as a backyard wildlife habitat featuring a captivating butterfly garden and birdhouses.
Both the Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach State Park are known to be among the best bird-watching locations on the East Coast. Campsites, cabins, apartments and picnic areas are all available for visitors!
Back to “food” and the perfect ending to our day and trip to Myrtle Beach, we visited the International Culinary Institute!
We got to tour the brand new builidng, HGTC International Culinary Institute! It was beautiful!
We then met with the chefs, who gave us a grilling demonstration, and cooked a lovely meal in their Outdoor BBQ Center.
The International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach is a major expansion of Horry Georgetown Technical College’s culinary program, with a 30,000-square-foot state-of-the art education center. The school plans to grow its program from 180 to 500 students! The new center includes a 100-seat restaurant, with a local focus, bringing in seasonal products from local farms and fisherman, which also add an international flair.
After a full day, we headed back to the airport, and then home sweet home.
We had such a lovely time with the Myrtle Beach folks, as part of their “60 Best Bites” campaign! I’m so happy to share my experiences with you today. I hope you’ll visit Myrtle Beach, and let me know how you enjoy these same venues and activities!
Read my first Myrtle Beach: Where to Stay and What to Eat post if you want more information on Myrtle Beach. You can also visit RecipeGirl, and A Spicy Perspective (thank you Sommer, for sharing a few pictures in this post).
Visit Myrtle Beach on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
I was invited on this culinary-themed press trip to Myrtle Beach, in partnership with Visit Myrtle Beach. My trip was covered, but as always, all opinions are my own!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Ironic that this would be posted today, after a hard hit by Hurricane Matthew. Myrtle Beach is lovely in October and the sites you visited were pristine. Don’t ever visit during the summer months when hordes of tourists descend and traffic is gridlocked for miles every day. Spring and fall are definitely the best times to visit.
I’d love to visit in the springtime, too, Emily! Thanks for your input here, and I’m glad you find it lovely, too!
We have been to Myrtle Beach many times and never miss getting pizza at Benito’s Brick Oven Pizza. It is a must try if you have never been there before.
Ooooh, we love pizza. We’ll have to try Benito’s Brick Oven Pizza!
How fun. bet you’re glad you’re not there now.