The Grand Strand is a string of towns, not one city — and the best day trips are short. This guide's films make five of them, each with its own page on this site.

A Day in CALABASH, North Carolina! Things to do Near Myrtle Beach, SC!

Carmen and Brian

Carmen and Brian make the day trip up Highway 17 to Calabash, North Carolina — a 20-to-45-minute drive depending on where you start on the Grand Strand — and tour the self-proclaimed Seafood Capital of the World. The film covers the town's restaurants and shops and explains what Calabash-style seafood means: lightly breaded, deep-fried and served in generous portions.

Key takeaways
  • ["Calabash is in North Carolina, about 20-45 minutes from Myrtle Beach via Highway 17","The town bills itself as the Seafood Capital of the World","Calabash style = lightly breaded, deep-fried seafood in big portions","The film tours several restaurants and gift shops around the waterfront"]

Historic Conway South Carolina Walking Tour | Downtown Sights & History with Retro Myrtle Beach Guy

Retro Myrtle Beach Guy

The Retro Myrtle Beach Guy gives the definitive walking tour of Conway, the historic river town about 20 minutes from Myrtle Beach that he compares to Mayberry. The film roams the walkable, picturesque downtown's historic sites and hidden details, the Waccamaw River riverwalk and the town's live-oak streets, and argues a day in Conway is a must on any Myrtle Beach trip.

Key takeaways
  • ["Conway is about 20 minutes inland from Myrtle Beach","One of America's oldest towns, with a walkable historic downtown","The Riverwalk runs along the Waccamaw River","Historic sites and details are tucked throughout downtown"]

I Found the Real Georgetown, and It Surprised Me

Adventures with Duncan

Adventures with Duncan's essay film asks what Georgetown is now. Starting at Hampton Plantation, he traces how land, water and the rice economy — built on enslaved labor — shaped the region before walking the Harborwalk and Front Street of South Carolina's third-oldest city, weighing the steel-mill scars and industrial waterfront against the town's unhurried charm.

Key takeaways
  • ["Georgetown's story begins with the rice economy and enslaved labor at plantations like Hampton","The Harborwalk and Front Street anchor the modern waterfront town","The film weighs the industrial waterfront against the historic district"]

North: Calabash and Little River

Calabash, 20 to 45 minutes up Highway 17 in North Carolina, is the seafood pilgrimage: Carmen and Brian tour the self-proclaimed Seafood Capital and explain Calabash style; the Hitch Hiking Yeti walks the waterfront row. Little River, minutes closer, is the fishing village — shrimp boats on the Intracoastal, dockside restaurants, the Blue Crab Festival in May.

Inland: Conway

Twenty minutes west, Conway is one of America's oldest towns: the definitive walking tour covers its historic downtown and Waccamaw Riverwalk, and the CVB's portrait adds the moss-draped oaks and brick streets — plus the town's October alter ego, the City of Halloween.

PAWLEY’S ISLAND Near Myrtle Beach, SC - FULL DAY TOUR [Seafood – Beach & Pier – Shopping]

Beachin with the Boones

The Boones' full-day Pawleys Island tour (2026), spun off from their 12-beaches series by popular demand: seafood, the beach, shopping — and an honest run at the island's famous pier, which turns out to be private, so the tour adapts and shows the outdoor Pawleys they could reach. A complete day in the town, wrong turns included.

Key takeaways
  • A full-day Pawleys itinerary: seafood, beach and shopping (2026)
  • The island's pier is private — the film says so plainly when they find out
  • Made by popular demand after the channel's 12-beaches tour

Towns Near Myrtle Beach: Five Grand Strand Communities to Explore | Myrtle Moments Ep. 6

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

A Myrtle Moments episode that makes the locals' point: 'Myrtle Beach' really means 60 miles of coastline and a string of separate towns with separate governments and histories, several older than the resorts. Host Brent travels five of them, starting 15 miles inland at Conway on the river — a town that runs on its own calendar of events — and meets the people who built these communities.

Key takeaways
  • Five Grand Strand communities profiled, each with its own government and history
  • Conway sits 15 miles inland on the river and predates the beach resorts
  • The Grand Strand is a string of towns, not one city

Little River: Fishing Village Vibes

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Visit Myrtle Beach's portrait of Little River, one of South Carolina's oldest coastal communities and a historic fishing village just below the North Carolina line. The film covers the shrimp boats on the Intracoastal Waterway, dockside restaurants like Crab Catchers, the Big M Casino cruise, dolphin tours, the May Blue Crab Festival, Vereen Memorial Gardens and the scenic Glen Dornoch golf course.

Key takeaways
  • ["Little River is one of South Carolina's oldest coastal communities","Shrimp boats and dockside restaurants line the Intracoastal Waterway","The Big M Casino is billed as the area's only casino cruise","The Blue Crab Festival anchors the town's May calendar"]

South: Georgetown and Pawleys

Georgetown gets the essay treatment — Hampton Plantation to the Harborwalk, the rice economy's legacy weighed honestly. Pawleys Island gets a full day: seafood, beach and shopping, with the useful discovery that its famous pier is private. A Myrtle Moments episode ties the string together: five Grand Strand communities, each with its own government and history, several older than the resorts.

Sources: the 8 videos on this page.

Watch: Myrtle Beach Day Trips, guided

2 videos · summaries from the actual guides

Conway: A Historic Rivertown

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Visit Myrtle Beach's short portrait of Conway, one of South Carolina's oldest towns: moss-draped oaks, brick-lined streets and a preserved downtown of boutiques, cafes and public art. The film follows the Waccamaw River to the scenic Riverwalk and notes the town's fall transformation into the City of Halloween.

Key takeaways
  • ["Conway is one of South Carolina's oldest towns","The Riverwalk follows the Waccamaw River below downtown","In fall the town transforms into the City of Halloween"]

The Not So Hidden Town Of Calabash NC | Shops & Restaurants | Grilled Pound Cake?

Hitch Hiking Yeti

The Hitch Hiking Yeti spends a day in Calabash, the small Brunswick County, North Carolina town whose name became a style of fried seafood. He walks the waterfront restaurant row, eats Calabash-style plates and browses the shops, showing why the little town draws crowds far out of proportion to its size.

Key takeaways
  • ["Calabash-style seafood is the town's claim to fame","The restaurant row sits along the Calabash River waterfront","Shops and gift stores cluster with the restaurants in the small downtown"]

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