This was my first trip to Myrtle Beach and despite my preconceptions, the area is beautiful with great food, interesting venues and pristine beaches. Seniors with grandchildren will also find enough activities to satisfy every age.

The Radisson Plaza Hotel is the area’s only four-diamond property and their rooms and service reflect that rating. A breakfast buffet is served every day and Vidalia’s features traditional southern dishes.

I started my day with a visit to Broadway at the Beach featuring 350 acres of specialty shops, restaurants and entertainment. The Ripley’s Aquarium is a highlight with one of the best moving walkway shark exhibits I have ever seen. The recently opened H.L Hunley Exhibition is a fascinating tribute to the first American submarine that successfully sank another vessel.

For lunch, stop by Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. Dishes from Key West to the Carolinas will tantalize your senses with fresh shrimp, crab and many other homemade dishes.

After you have dined, take a short trip to North Myrtle Beach for a visit to the Alligator Adventure. This is loads of fun with alligator shows and exhibits housing snakes, otters and even one of the world’s only albino alligators.

Round out your day with a show at the Palace Theater with entertainment that rivals anything you will see in Las Vegas or New York. I caught their tribute to Broadway that had me singing along to many old time favorites.

If golf is your passion, you have hit the mother lode as Myrtle Beach offers over 100 courses with various skill levels. For an upscale experience, visit the Sea Trail Golf Resort located just over the border at Sunset Beach, NC. They have three championship courses and 2 fully equipped golf shops. Better yet, spend a night or two in one of their villas and experience the best culinary cuisine in the area. Other activities include tennis, swimming, spa treatments and shuttle service to the beach.

Myrtle Beach is a charming town whose southern hospitality will capture your heart and imagination. For more information, visit www.myrtlebeach.com.