During any vacation, seeing the local sights on your own is always a good time — and with the benefit of modern technology and the internet, getting some insider tips about where to go and what to do is now easier than ever. But there’s still nothing quite like seeing the sights with someone who knows the ropes, especially when your guide is an expert in the area you’re visiting, the activity you’re pursuing or — even better — both.
This definitely holds true on the Grand Strand, where there’s plenty to be gained by having some insider/expert knowledge and guidance, especially when it comes to a hard-to-go-solo handful of the many family-friendly activities offered in the area. During your next getaway to our stretch of the Carolina coast, consider taking one of these four guided tours to boost your vacation delectation:
Carolina Food Tours: This Murrells Inlet-based business puts its focus on sharing the southern Grand Strand’s phenomenal food offerings, highlighting the area’s rich history and fostering connections between people over memorable meals. In doing so, Carolina Food Tours leads a range of food/history tours through Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island and Georgetown, and restaurants featured along the way include Atlantic House, Wahoo’s, Bistro 217 and many more. If you take your Grand Strand food exploration seriously, check out the Carolina Food Tours website at carolinafoodtours.com.
Jack’s Stand-Up Paddleboard Tours: Launching into the calm and wildlife-rich waters of Murrells Inlet or the peaceful and calming waters of the Waccamaw River, the sunrise and sunset paddleboard tours provided by Jack’s Surf Lessons and Board Rentals last roughly two hours each. Among the wildlife regularly encountered on the family-friendly tours are dolphins, egrets, herons, loggerhead sea turtles, brown pelicans, river otters, beavers, osprey and more, not to mention a long list of fish species. To learn more, visit jackssurflessons.com.
Glass Bottom Kayak Tours: This North Myrtle Beach-based company offers a variety of kayak-tour options and lengths, including its family-friendly, 2.5-hour Cherry Grove Salt Marsh Tour, its 3- to 3.5-hour Private Island Shelling Tour and its 2.5- to 3-hour Waccamaw River Tour. Wildlife sightings are common on all of the tours, and guests can choose either solo or tandem kayaks for the adventure. Visit myrtlebeachkayaktours.com to learn more.
Carolina Backwoods ATV Adventure Tours: This family-run business located just across the state line from Little River in Ash, North Carolina, offers guided ATV tours designed for all guests to have a good time, regardless of experience level. The 2-hour tours take participants along wooded trails and through open riding areas, all after an extensive orientation session to ensure riders are comfortable and safe on their ATVs. Mini Rides that run approximately half an hour are also available on a seasonal basis. Learn more at carolinabackwoods.com.
No matter what guided adventure you choose, when you’re done, your comfortable oceanfront accommodations and wide-ranging amenities will be waiting for you at Caribbean Resort & Villas on the Myrtle Beach oceanfront. Book your Grand Strand vacation today — and get ready for some exciting exploration in the Myrtle Beach area.
