Coastal Carolina Road Trip

As you leave the historic and colorful city between the Cooper and Ashley rivers, ride through the lush Francis Marion National Forest to the north. There's not a view of the water from Ocean Highway, but when you need a break, stop at one of the pristine state parks or visit the distinctive seaside towns of Georgetown, Pawleys Island or Murrells Inlet.

Your arrival in Myrtle Beach is marked by the tourist kitsch by which the city is known—a mini golf course and billboards with giant crabs hawking buffets. The Grand Strand has done much to update itself from the days of the Pavilion into a destination for upscale shopping, golf and entertainment, but “Restaurant Row” on Kings Highway is here to stay.

Wilmington features the mile-long Riverwalk and is a convenient location for day trips. Many drive to Carolina Beach or Fort Fisher. Then you’ll head inland through the military enclave of Jacksonville en route to the Colonial port city of New Bern on the Neuse River. It’s also a short ride away from the communities of the Crystal Coast.

The path to the Crystal Coast goes through Morehead City before arriving in pirate country. Beaufort is the site of Blackbeard’s 1718 shipwreck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, so pirate lore is a cottage industry at the Front Street shops. Look across Beaufort Inlet for the wild horses of the Shackleford Banks. Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle are just minutes away.