This SC city is among the best Christmas towns in the US, Travel+Leisure says. Here’s why
Myrtle Beach is one of the “most charming towns to visit for Christmas,” according to a national ranking from Travel + Leisure. With seasonal deals, holiday events and Christmas light shows, Myrtle Beach came in at number 12 on the list of 25 destinations.
With fewer travelers outside of the summer tourist season, Myrtle Beach offers more affordable accommodations and coastal beauty without crazy crowds in the winter months.
But affordability isn’t the only reason Myrtle Beach made the list. For travelers embracing the Christmas spirit, the Grand Strand is a great destination for holiday festivals and attractions.
Travel + Leisure shouted out Brookgreen Gardens’ annual Night of a Thousand Candles, which features live performances, a variety of food trucks and the gardens’ natural beauty lit up by more than 2,700 hand-lit candles and millions of Christmas lights.
The dazzling display is just one of the dozens of holiday shows, activities and festivals in Myrtle Beach and the surrounding Grand Strand area this December. Other seasonal attractions highlighted on the list include Ripley’s Festival of Trees at the aquarium and “The Christmas show of the South” at the Carolina Opry Theater.
Located at Broadway at the Beach, Ripley’s Aquarium is surrounded by holiday shopping opportunities and a full calendar of seasonal celebrations featuring live music, a parade, fireworks and more.
The Carolina Opry theater, which Travel + Leisure says is worth visiting just for the decorations, is a short 10-minute drive from Barefoot Landing, which offers even more shopping, dining and holiday decorations.
Myrtle Beach was the only place in South Carolina to make the list, though the town of Beaufort in neighboring North Carolina was ranked number eight out of the 25 Christmas destinations.
According to Travel + Leisure, the top 10 Christmas towns in the U.S. are:
1. Aspen, Colorado
2. Ogunquit, Maine
3. Vail, Colorado
4. Nantucket, Massachusetts
5. Orlando, Florida
6. Breckenridge, Colorado
7. Lewisburg, West Virginia
8. Beaufort, North Carolina
9. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
10. Park City, Utah