Myrtle Beach packs a lot into one stretch of the Grand Strand, beach time, seafood, barbecue, dessert stops, and a couple of genuinely fun attractions for a rainy afternoon. Here is the full roundup of everything covered so far, organized so you can build a trip around it.

Breakfast and Sweets

• Johnny D’s Waffles: Chicken and Waffles and the Famous Red Velvet, Worth the Wait — the original location, expect a weekday wait, order the red velvet waffle.

• The Dolly Llama: Cookies and Cream Overload and the Signature Waffle Cone — bubble waffle cones loaded with ice cream, a playful evening dessert stop.

• The Baked Bear: Build Your Own Ice Cream Sandwich Done Right — custom cookie and ice cream sandwiches at Broadway at the Beach. Dinner

• The Sneaky Beagle: Sexy Ravioli and Brisket Tacos in Carolina Forest — dog friendly patio, big taco menu, a little off the main strip.

• The Melting Pot: Classic Alpine Fondue and Yin Yang Chocolate Done Right — a romantic, full evening fondue dinner, great for a date night.

• Pirates Voyage: Medieval Times, But On Water — a four course dinner theater with sword fights and acrobatics over a full sized lagoon.

Attractions

• Ripley’s Aquarium: The Perfect Rainy Day Fix in Myrtle Beach — a full indoor aquarium at Broadway at the Beach, the obvious answer on a rain day.

• Alligator Adventure: Wild Gators, Safely Behind a Fence — hundreds of alligators and crocodiles at Barefoot Landing. Beach

• Myrtle Beach’s Quiet Stretch: The Anderson Ocean Club Shoreline — my pick for warm water, real waves, and a lot less crowd than the boardwalk.

Shopping

No visit to Myrtle Beach is complete without a stop at The Gay Dolphin Gift Cove. Right on the Oceanfront Boardwalk, one block south of the SkyWheel, this legendary gift shop has been a Myrtle Beach fixture since 1946. Several stories of seashells, apparel, home decor, sharks teeth, and enough quirky photo ops to eat up a solid half hour on its own. It is not the kind of place you plan a whole afternoon around, but skipping it feels wrong once you have been here.

A few practical tips

  • Group the boardwalk area attractions and the Broadway at the Beach stops together, they sit close enough to knock out in the same day.
  • Save Pirates Voyage and The Melting Pot for evenings when you want a full sit down experience rather than a quick stop.
  • If the forecast turns on you, Ripley’s Aquarium and Alligator Adventure are both strong indoor or mostly covered backups.
  • The Anderson Ocean Club stretch is worth the short drive north if the main boardwalk beach feels too packed.
  • Squeeze in the Gay Dolphin while you are already at the boardwalk for the SkyWheel or Ripley’s attractions, it is a two minute walk from most of them.

This list will keep growing as more Myrtle Beach stops get added to Field Notes, but this covers a solid few days worth of eating, exploring, and beach time already.