Things to Do in North Myrtle Beach

Wilmington Water Tours owners decided to fulfill a lifelong dream, bought a boat, and took to the waters. The owners' passion for boating and local history soon garnered attention, and with the help of some friends, they founded Wilmington Water Tours to show off local history and sights.

Today, they own the Wilmington, a wake-canceling catamaran with a fully enclosed, heated cabin capable of seating up to 49 people. Groups board the vessel to explore the waters of Cape Fear. They cruise the coastline, watching the silhouettes of buildings transform into molten-colored spires in the sunset. They can also explore the history, wildlife, and mysterious channels of the Cape Fear River. Sometimes they just absorb the sounds of the state, inviting a musician to play on their Acoustic Spotlight tour as they drift down a river or pull loop-de-loops in the harbor.

Cleaved into a dense forest of long-needle pines, Beau Rivage Golf & Resort’s course takes golfers careening across 18 holes of immaculate fairways as they gently undulate into picturesque elevation changes. Towering tree lines, tight doglegs, and intervening water hazards haunt golfers throughout the round, forcing clubbers into multiple blind shots and at least one shot from a tree canopy.

Suites stretching to 900 square feet, replete with a separate common area, kitchenette, and in-room wet bar, overlook the verdant greens. Private patios and balconies proffer views of the lush course, and the hotel's 19th Hole bar and lounge serves libations and heaping helpings of trivia and karaoke. The resort ensures days start off right, dishing out hot breakfast at the Verandah Bar & Grill at 7 a.m. and encouraging warm-ups on the 10,000-square-foot putting green and elevated driving range.

Purchased by philanthropist Archer Huntington and his wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, in 1929, the 9,127 acres of forest, swamp, rice fields and beachfront that became Brookgreen Gardens were originally intended to become the couple’s winter home. Instead, they created a nonprofit institution in 1931 that transformed the property into the first sculpture garden in the United States. Brookgreen Gardens now adorns more than 300 acres of gardens and facilities with more than 1,400 works. A National Historic Landmark, Brookgreen Gardens fields a staff that edifies guests on the property’s plantation history and its gardens’ evolution during seasonally shifting programs, exhibitions, and tours. A medieval, seven-circuit Chartres labyrinth lures visitors with its serene quietude, an exhibit chronicles the narrative of the land from Native American occupation through the present, archeological sites unearth information about life on rice plantations, and the museum’s zoo beckons the intellectually curious with its critters.

On the same strip that Myrtle Beach Zipline Adventures inhabits today, the beloved Pavilion amusement park entertained beach-going families for 58 years. A sextet of 600-foot zip lines renews this sense of excitement as riders fly downward at up to 40 miles per hour, much like an energy-drink-fueled seagull that spots an unattended sandwich. To seal the ride’s thrill for patrons young and old, flights end with a free fall from a 60-foot tower.:m]]

Seaward Action Charters offers a sport-fishing opportunity for brave boaters to reel in the fish of their daydreams. Gird your nautical forearms and cruise around the ocean on a four-hour fishing trip that ventures no further than 5 miles from the shore. As USCG-licensed captain Mark Gorges and fellow captains pilot a trustworthy 30-foot Grady-White, guided by GPS and radar, guests plant their feet firmly on the deck and harvest piscine fare from the ocean. Whether awaiting the strike of a spanish mackerel, a flounder, or simply playing catch-the-Spam-can with a bluefish from the bow, there will be plenty of fun for every rod-wielding bait-chucker. In addition to high-quality fishing tackle, the boat boasts modern amenities such as an electric toilet and a sink.

In a city known for its Hollywood ties, it’s no surprise that many of Wilmington's residents moonlight as actors. Such is the case with Glide Dynamics & Cape Fear Segway Tours' guides, who tap into their flair for theatrical performances and excellent autograph penmanship, as well as their intimate knowledge of Wilmington’s famous filming sites. The TV Series tour leads small groups of no more than six riders past the streets made famous by Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill. Glide Dynamics & Cape Fear Segway Tours also offers advanced tours for seasoned segway riders and waterfront tours that glide past museums and historic landmarks.