Hotel at a Glance: Beach Colony Resort

You won't find too many places in Myrtle Beach more serene than the outdoor pool complex at Beach Colony Resort. Guest can float along a lazy river, relax in a whirlpool, and get glimpses of the ocean from two pools and a palm-fringed sun deck. When they want to swim in the Atlantic's blue waves, they need only cross a serene walkway from the pool area to the beach.

• Home away from home: Perfect for families, oceanfront executive suites and ocean-view two-bedroom condos feature separate bedrooms, private balconies, and living rooms and kitchenettes or full kitchens.
• Take a dip in the indoor pool and whirlpool.
• Kids can play in the kiddie pool or the video-game arcade.
• Get active: Work out in the fitness room or head to the racquetball court.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Sandy Beaches, Golf Courses, and Classic Amusement-Park Rides

Myrtle Beach is the crown jewel of South Carolina's Grand Strand, a 60-mile stretch of white-sand beaches along the Atlantic seaboard that draws surfers, fishers, and kayakers. The city was named one of the best vacation spots in the United States for a family by USA Today, in part because of its wooden boardwalk, which stretches for more than a mile. Hop into the SkyWheel Ferris wheel’s gondolas, surrounded by more than a million LED lights, for a panoramic view of the city below.

Less than 20 miles south of Myrtle Beach, the tiny fishing village of Murrells Inlet provides a tranquil contrast to the boardwalk's hustle and bustle. At Brookgreen Gardens, more than 2,000 sculptures stand amid sprawling floral gardens and massive, moss-covered oak trees that have been around for centuries. Murrells Inlet is also home to the Tom Fazio–designed TPC Myrtle Beach golf course, 1 of nearly 80 courses in the area that helped Myrtle Beach earn its title as the seaside golf capital of the world.