Greetings from the Myrtle Beach area � or Grand Strand, as our 60-mile stretch of coastal South Carolina is often called.

If you�re familiar with the Myrtle Beach area, you know about our beautiful beaches, abundant golf courses (more than 120 at last count), and fun-filled attractions. These are things we�re famous for, and they�re as terrific as ever. If you haven�t paid us a visit, come on down, and find out what makes the Grand Strand a great place to visit. In the meantime, here�s a clue: E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

That�s right, the Myrtle Beach area has everything going for it. Along with the awesome Atlantic Ocean, there are rivers and inlets and other waterways where visitors can enjoy fishing, crabbing, water sports, or simply observing nature. For family fun, there are water parks, miniature golf courses, amusement parks, and more. Eight entertainment venues serve up everything from music and dance to dinner shows and celebrity concerts. Attractions like Ripley�s Aquarium and Alligator Adventure are both entertaining and enlightening. Brookgreen Gardens, a magnificent outdoor sculpture garden, continues to captivate visitors. And the Grand Strand is home to two outstanding oceanfront state parks.

Shoppers can make the rounds through outlet parks, village-style shopping centers, malls (including the newly opened Coastal Grand), and mega-complexes like Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing. And with 1,700 full-service restaurants, visitors will have a tough time deciding where to dine.

More and more travelers are looking for adventures in the great outdoors or opportunities to explore a destination�s history and culture. As part of South Carolina�s Lowcountry, the Myrtle Beach area abounds in natural beauty and fascinating historical locales.

No matter what activities you have planned during your visit, you can count on pleasant weather. The average temperature is 74 degrees, and the sun shines about 215 days each year. Ocean water temperature averages 66 degrees, warming up to the 80s in mid-summer. With so much to see and do, it�s no wonder people choose the Myrtle Beach area as their vacation destination.

What�s New The Myrtle Beach area is always coming up with something new! Here�s a look at just a few of the newcomers:

Coastal Grand-Myrtle Beach, the area�s newest mall (and South Carolina�s largest), opened in March 2004. The 1.5-million-square-foot, fully enclosed mall is on U.S. 17 Bypass near Myrtle Beach International Airport. Coastal Grand now features three anchor stores (Belk, Dillard�s, and Sears) with more to come, plus restaurants and more than 100 other shops. Among the tenants: Abercrombie & Fitch, Ann Taylor Loft, Bed Bath & Beyond, Dick�s Sporting Goods, Hot Topic, Kirkland�s, Victoria�s Secret, Starbucks, Sticky Fingers, and Cinemark-14, featuring 14 theaters with stadium seating.

In December 2003, the 14-story, 400-room Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes opened in the Myrtle Beach area. The oceanfront hotel offers the Strand's only on-site oceanfront European day, along with golf, tennis, and 45,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space.

The eagerly awaited Radisson Plaza Hotel at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center opened in January 2003 and quickly earned AAA�s coveted Four-Diamond Rating. The 12-story, 402-room Radisson Plaza features luxurious guest rooms and suites plus a restaurant, bar, and coffee shop. A 30,000-square-foot Special Events Plaza provides outdoor space for themed parties and receptions.

Legendary singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffet has chosen Broadway at the Beach as the location for his new 14,000-square-foot Margaritaville Restaurant, to open in the summer of 2004. The eatery will feature indoor and outdoor seating, and an additional 50,000 square feet of Caribbean-themed shops will surround it. Other elements will include an island and lighthouse, merchant stands, a sailboat and pier, a sunken merchant clipper, live music, street performers, and artists.

Tanger Outlet Center, the Myrtle Beach area�s newest outlet complex, moves into a new phase in May 2004 when it opens 23 additional stores at its U.S. 17/S.C. 22 location in North Myrtle Beach. The new phase will bring the center to 100-plus stores and 400,000 square feet. Among the lineup: Gail Pittman Pottery, Gap, Ben & Jerry�s, Banana Republic, Puma, Guess, Jones New York, Ultra Jewelry, and Dolls & Bears (other stores will be announced soon). The Myrtle Beach area now boasts two Tanger Outlet Centers, after Myrtle Beach Factory Stores on U.S. 501 was purchased and renamed in January.

For more information about the Myrtle Beach area, or to order a free copy of our Stay & Play� vacation guide, call (800) 356-3016, or visit us online at myrtlebeachinfo.com.

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Media contact: Holley Aufdemorte (843) 916-7218 aufdemh@mbchamber.org