Georgetown, South Carolina is a great place for a vacation home!

It is the third oldest city in South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina, handling over 960,000 tons of materials a year.

Mere miles and whole worlds from amusement parks, high-rises, theatres and sprawling shopping malls, the historic city of Georgetown rises in antebellum grace. Established in 1732, Georgetown is South Carolina's third oldest city. The oak-lined avenues of this "little Charleston" city boast group tour treasures for even the most discriminating travelers. The riverfront is alive with activity and history. Dining, shopping and scenery reign supreme.

Harborwalk is a charming waterfront boardwalk between two of Georgetown's most historically significant buildings, the Kaminski House (c. 1760) and the Rice Museum (originally the Old Market Building, c. 1842). Overlooking the Sampit River Harbor, the boardwalk is lined with restaurants, galleries, antique shops and specialty stores.

Shoppers have more than 30 specialty shops to browse. A potpourri of art galleries and quaint shops with Lowcountry names offer a treasure trove of books, clothes, fine art, jewelry, crafts, cards and antiques.

There are several ways to see the rest of Georgetown. Historic attractions such as the Kaminski House and the Rice Museum complement a staggering concentration of 50-plus antebellum mansions, a few of which are operated as charming bed and breakfast inns. Guided or self-guided historical tours are readily available.

A favorite way to see Georgetown is by boat. A selection of tours will take you in and around Winyah Bay and the surrounding rivers past plantation mansions and long-abandoned rice fields. For a delightful change of pace, hop a ride to a remote barrier island for shell collecting and a look at the North Island Lighthouse.

Myrtle Beach was incorporated as a town in 1938 and became a city in 1957. Its name comes from the wax myrtle, a shrub that grows abundantly in the area. Our 25,000 permanent residents welcome millions of visitors to this full-service resort community. Guests come to enjoy the wide beaches, the Atlantic Ocean, and an incredible range of activities, entertainment, golf, shopping and dining.

History records that the first tourists here were a party of Spaniards from Hispaniola, who landed about 50 miles north of present-day Myrtle Beach in 1526 and eventually established the first European settlement in the U.S. about 30 miles to the south. That settlement, San Miguel de Cauldape, was abandoned the following year, though, and the group returned to Hispaniola.

In the next three centuries, the region's population grew, but slowly. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, people began to "vacation" here, although it was quite rustic. Houses and camps were sparse, and there were only few permanent residents at the turn of the century. But, drawn by the ocean, sand and trees, people began to call Myrtle Beach "home" as the 1900s progressed.

Today, Myrtle Beach is a well known destination for vacationers from around the country, Canada and abroad. According to the 2000 Census, the city is at the heart of the 13th fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S