New here--lots of questions about Myrtle Beach area.

We%26#39;re in the early stages of planning our family vacation for next summer. Kids will be 6,6, 4 when we go. We%26#39;re highly considering Myrtle Beach, and I have lots of questions:

1) Is the first week in June a good time to go, weather wise and crowd wise? We%26#39;re not really crowd people and thought maybe early June would be less busy than July and August. What about weather? Is it really rainy then?

2) Are the cabins/villas at Myrtle State Park a good place to stay? We%26#39;re looking for somewhat secluded, non-touristy place to stay. Really don%26#39;t care for the big hotels or resorts. Can you wade into the water at the state park? We probably won%26#39;t do any real ';swimming'; but I%26#39;m sure the kids would like to wade.

3) Any suggestions for things for us to do? Isn%26#39;t there an amusement park or two near-by? We%26#39;ll probably do that for a day for the kids%26#39;s sake. We%26#39;re also interested in anything scenic in the area,or historical sites. And my kids love animals--any neat zoos etc. near by?

4) We would consider doing a day trip to Charleston--or would the kids get bored there? Anything worth while doing for families there? State parks, etc?

5) Any other ';must dos'; in this part of South Carolina? We don%26#39;t mind driving a bit (hour or two). Any neat islands nearby?

Thanks!!

New here--lots of questions about Myrtle Beach area.

Oh--and I thought of one more question!

How early should be book a cabin at Myrtle Beach state park, if we decide to stay there? Should I right away, or would we be okay waiting until this winter?

Thanks again!

New here--lots of questions about Myrtle Beach area.

Here is a link to all sorts of camping information.

www.funbeaches.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

A lot of the information deals with RV camping but there have been some reports from people staying in the cabins and villas. Many of your private campgrounds have cabins/villas available. Most of those campgrounds are set up like resorts with pools, snack bars, and activities for the kids.

Grand Strand is 60 miles long. The State Parks are in the southern third of the strand. You%26#39;ll be driving 15-30-45 minutes just to see Grand Strand attractions. Not as bad as it sounds.

Just south of the parks you%26#39;ll find a couple of jeep and boat tours that take you into the marsh and or out to islands for shelling.

Near by to the north would be Family Kingdom Park. Small amusement park. There was a park in central MB called the Pavillion but it closed last year. Several of those rides have been moved to a shopping/entertaiment complex called Broadway At The Beach.

Another park is being built. Hard Rock Park. Not sure when it%26#39;s expected to be open.

For animals you have Ripley%26#39;s Aquarium that is a big draw. Expensive. Keep eyes open for coupons or other offers. Alligator Adventure is also a big draw for kids. Should be a tiger exibit at Barefoot Landing where you can have pics taken with tigers, cubs or monkeys.

June is a good time to hit the beach. Weather isn%26#39;t as hot. Ocean temps ';should'; be warm enough by then for swimming.

Crowds will be so-so. May or may not see a lot of teens. MB is very popular for ';Senior Weeks';. Last weeks of May and early June, high school seniors celebrate their graduations by heading to MB. Wouldn%26#39;t be a problem at campgrounds. They%26#39;re mostly along the main Ocean Blvd strip and usually don%26#39;t eat at the higher end restaurants.

Just for comparison purposes here are some realtors in North Myrtle Beach. North end of Grand Strand. Just south of North Carolina line but an easy drive to attractions. Might find a small condo in small no frills type building.

northmyrtlebeachtravel.com/book/query.html

www.century21thomas.com/book/query.html

grandstrandvacations.com/book/query.html

In my opinion if you dont like ';touristy'; stuff...you need to stay away from Myrtle Beach. What its known for is its golfing, and beach resort hotels. Its a nice town, I myself love Charleston cuz theres more to do. You could do Myrtle as your day 1 or 2 day trip. Charleston hasmuseums, naval ships to tour, the aquarium, horse drawn carriage rides, harbor cruises, Imax theater, and historical plantations. Magnolia has a tram that takes u around the whole property, and u can see alligators and such in their habitat. And yes..Myrtle is busy in June..not as bad as July and august though.

The 1st week of June is when scores of high school grads visit to celebrate. It gets pretty wild, to say the least. I%26#39;m not against them having fun...my two sons both took their turn...but I think you should know about it before choosing Myrtle Beach.

That being said, the kids pretty much stick to the downtown Myrtle Beach area so you should be ok if you are planning to stay away from the touristy areas.

Charleston with 2 6 year olds and a 4 year old? You know your kids best but it really depends upon the type of vacation you%26#39;d like. My kids have always loved MB anytime of year. At that age and that time of the year the beach will keep them very busy. There are 2 main water parks that are often mentioned on this site. Check previous forums to get people%26#39;s preference.

There%26#39;s the Waccatee Zoo, Ripley%26#39;s Aquarium and the Alligator Adventure that your kids would enjoy.

You can definitely do a day trip to Charleston. Take a carriage ride to tour the historic area. Kids will enjoy that. Patriot%26#39;s Point has the aircraft carrier to tour but that is a long day. Be sure to bring a stroller for the younger one.

There is Daniel Island, Isle of Palms and Sullivan%26#39;s Island that you might like to get more information on if you think you want to check out the islands near Charleston.

Your kids will not be unhappy with Myrtle Beach. There is so much to do as well as just being at the beach. As much as I absolutely LOVE Charleston it would not have been a vacation destination when our children were younger. They can appreciate it now much better since they are older (19, 21, 23, 26) Charleston has fantastic restaurants but kids are usually quite content with ';kid'; food so I wouldn%26#39;t make Charleston more than a 1 day trip.

Just my thoughts. We have always travelled frequently with our children from the time they were very young and they still choose Myrtle Beach.

Hope you enjoy!