what to do in Pawleys Island? (Myrtle Beach, Georgetown: real estate, oceanfront, 2009)

[Nique]

My extended family and I will be renting a house in Pawleys Island next week. We don't know anything about the area... is there anything we should make sure to see/do? Good non-chain restaurants to hit? And for the 20-somethings, any good bars or nightlife?

Your recommendations are appreciated!

[PawleysDude]

Wow, I could write pages on restaurants, alone. It depends a lot upon ages and what you enjoy doing. A few suggestions...

Huntington Beach State Park - Great beach, guided tours, excellent education center for kids (they feed the alligator ~ 11am?)

Brookgreen Gardens - A "don't-miss" kind of place. Beautiful sculpture gardens, pontoon boat tours of lowcountry creeks. Great place for a picnic.

Georgetown, SC - A neat little town about 15 minutes below Pawleys, full of history, old homes, RiverWalk, shops, excellent restaurants, all along Front Street. 3rd oldest town in SC.

MarshWalk - Murrells Inlet is about 10 min north of Pawleys. Great restaurants. After dinner, stroll the MarshWalk with your favorite beverage while enjoying live music from a half dozen different outdoor restaurants and bars.

Take a kayak tour or rent kayaks from Blackriver Outfitters. You haven't experienced the lowcountry if you don't see the marshes from a kayak.

Lots and lots of good restaurants. In Pawleys, Frank's is the name restaurant, very pricey. Roz's in the Hammocks Shops is very good. Hanser House is an excellent family-friendly restaurant. In Georgetown, our favorites are River Room and Goat Island Grill. The Rice Patty is also excellent, although a little more pricey. Murrells Inlet is ground zero for restaurants. We prefer Russell's for simple, well-prepared, and freshest seafood around. Hot Fish Club and Divine's are excellent, little more sophisticated restaurants. DeadDog Saloon and CreekRatz are popular casual, family-friendly fun places. Many others...

Nite Life - The Gazebo @ Hot Fish Club in Murrells Inlet is usually the 20's crowd favorite. They crank up at 9:30 Weds-Sat. As I mentioned earlier, lots of restaurants and bars along the MarshWalk in Murrells Inlet have live music but none or limited dance floor.

Have fun.

[creekgirl4life]

You should check out the kayak tours from Surf the Earth located in Pawleys Island. They also rent equipment.

Also the PIT is a great place for good tunes.

Many great places to eat in Pawleys Island.

[innovator82]

The Hammock Shops are the main outdoor shopping attraction in Pawleys. Plus your close enough to go into Myrtle to shop at Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing (both must-sees if you've never been to the Grand Strand) and all the Myrtle Beach outlets.

Dittos on Russell's for seafood. Another favorite is Drunken Jacks along the Murrells Inlet marshwalk, although go early or be prepared for a two-hour wait.

Another surprisingly good restaurant that I keep hearing more people talk about is Flo's Place on the main drag in Murrell's Inlet. I went there on my last visit and I was impressed--great seafood in a New Orleans atmosphere.

Also: if your interested in good no-frills Italian food, there's a hidden gem right in Pawleys. It's called Pastaria 811. We found it by word of mouth on our last trip. It's located in the rear of the Litchfield Exchange which looks like an old-time shopping mall. It's a sit-down but casual restaurant and it's some of the best Italian food I've found in SC.

[burr]

Get a nice comfortable chair, a drink and maybe a book; go sit on the beach, relax, and watch and hear the tide come in. This is especially effective from 4pm till dark.

[travelerjake]

I've stayed in Pawley's Island before, at the Litchfield Inn. It was an oceanfront hotel and lots to do in that area. I booked my stay with Vacation rentals, homes, resorts, condos and hotels | A Better Stay, check them out!

[southernbychoice14]

Salt Creek Cafe in Murrells Inlet is great for large groups because they have something for everyone.
Go to the White Harvest for cool gifts and neat things....very inexpensive.
Also Ace Hardware has cool things.

[Teddyterp]

Two nice places to eat in Pawley's are La Playa if you like Mexican, Cuban food for lunch or dinner, and Roz's Rice Cafe for lunch. LaPlaya is on Rt. 17 just south of McDonald's. Roz's is at the back end of the Hammock Shops.

[goldie1706]

Hi. I am a single woman in my 40's and are looking to relocate to NC or SC. I would like to buy an oceanfront condo. I have so many questions, it seems that NC is cheapest in general than SC. I am spending the month of January on Caolina Beach, NC to check it out more. I am looking to spend the month of Feb. around Pawley's Island I think (Maybe Murrells Inlet??). I want to rent something oceanfront that would allow a cat (seems like a problem). I would like to look at job availablity, real estate that is not crazy, and somewhere where there are things to do.

Any recommendations or suggestions would be more than appreciated. Thanks.