Review of Georgetown, South Carolina: A must see beautiful town near Myrtle Beach

 

Georgetown, South Carolina 

During our 3 months stay in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, we read about Georgetown from our Google search for attractions near Myrtle Beach and from various tourist brochures that are easily found in and around Myrtle Beach area.

Georgetown is the third oldest town in the state of South Carolina, located in the Georgetown County.  It is located on Winyah Bay, at the confluence of the three rivers: Great Pee Dee, Black, and Waccamaw.  Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina, handling over 960,000 tons of materials per year.  

On a beautiful December day with highs in the 70’s in the afternoon, we set about exploring Georgetown.  We knew the drive would be around 45 minutes from Murrells Inlet via Highway 17 South, so we didn’t pack any food.  We only brought with us water for all of us, and treats for Toby.

We passed by the Huntington Beach State Park, which we had visited twice that month already, past the idyllic beach towns of Litchfield, and Pawley’s Island, before arriving at Georgetown.  We weren’t sure where parking area was when we arrived, but soon figured it out.

We parked right on Front Street, which is the main thoroughfare with shops, restaurants, and tour companies.  We always are grateful that the parking situation is so much easier outside of major cities like New York City and Philadelphia.  Parking on Front Street was free and plentiful.

Front Street was very similar to Front Street in Beaufort (North Carolina), but much bigger.  It has more stores, cafes, restaurants, and tour companies than in Beaufort.  We walked along Front Street enjoying the beautiful Christmas decorations on many shops and restaurants.  

We made our way to the Harborwalk, which is the main reason why we had decided to visit Georgetown.  We entered the Harborwalk via Francis Marion Park.  As soon as we entered the park, we smelled something really fragrant.  A gentleman working at the River Room Restaurant told us the fragrant smell is from sage plants the restaurant was growing alongside the wall of the restaurant.

We took a closer look to really get a good sniff of that sage!  It was wonderful.  It brightened our morning immediately!  We thanked the gentleman and started our exploration.

Right along the entrance to the park was a huge Christmas tree and whimsical holiday decorations.  We took a moment to take some photos.

Christmas tree at Francis Marion Park, Georgetown, SC
Harborwalk, Georgetown, SC
Entrance to the Francis Marion Park, Georgetown, SC

We continued on to check out the Harborwalk and loved it immediately.  It again reminded us of Beaufort (North Carolina) but much larger, with longer boardwalk, more ships, and more shops/restaurants along the boardwalk.

It was refreshing to be out near the waters on the last day of December, with temperatures already in the 70’s by mid morning!  We started to see other visitors to the Harborwalk enjoying the day as well.  We saw families with kids, excitedly hopping and giddily running along the boardwalk, and we saw fellow pet parents walking their dogs.  

We took a moment to take in the wide open views of the waterfront area with its many ships/boats, hotels/houses, bars/restaurants, and the waters.   We saw many seabirds hovering over the ships or sitting along the boardwalk.  It was an awesome sight!

Harborwalk boardwalk, Georgetown, SC
Another view of Harborwalk boardwalk 
Looking north, Harborwalk boardwalk, Georgetown, SC
Toby on the boardwalk, Harborwalk, Georgetown, SC

As we walked along the boardwalk, we came upon a research vessel owned by Coastal Carolina University for marine research.  I found out afterwards that that vessel was used to research sharks specifically, that live around the coastal areas of South Carolina.  

Research vessel of Coastal Carolina University 

We found bars and restaurants along the waterfront/boardwalk really appealing.  There are plenty of options available, all with great views of the harbor area.  Even at that time of the day, we could smell food grilling somewhere and brunch being prepared.  Umm…smells so good…

We made it to the southern end of the boardwalk and reached Kaminski House Museum, which is a preserved Georgian style manor depicting life in the 18th century South Carolina.  Built on a bluff overlooking the Sampit River, the history museum offers guided tours, a gift shop, and restrooms.

What we liked the best about the museum was the absolute beauty of the house itself and its surrounding gardens.  The big old tree right in front of the house is totally impressive.  We even liked the cleanliness of the restrooms!

Kaminski House Museum, Georgetown, SC
 Beautiful tree in front of the house, Kaminski House Museum 

After seeing the house and the surrounding gardens, we took off towards the Front Street to see what was there.  We loved the white historic building that was right next to the museum.  It had a roof that looked like a turret.   

We marveled at so many historic buildings that were well preserved along Front Street.  For history buffs, check out Georgetown Historic District, that runs along Front Street and Broad Street (where Francis Marion Park is).

After walking about two blocks heading north, we turned right on Orange Street to check out the Constitution Park.  Constitution Park is a small park but it has some cool vibes, and is home to cool cannons!

We got back on the boardwalk and walked towards north.  By that time of the day, many more visitors were visible.  We walked at a leisurely pace, giving Toby some water to cool him off.  

Once we made it to the end of the north end of the Harborwalk, we came out to Front Street and found a cute little cafe called Indigo Bakery.  My wife went inside while I stayed with Toby outside.  I gave him some treats and more water while we waited.

We had delicious coffee, croissants, and a house specialty treat that doesn’t contain any sugar.  I really enjoyed the sugar free treat, which almost reminded me of granola bars without the sugar.  Taken with coffee, it was just perfect!

We spent the next 10 minutes sitting down at the outside table people watching and car/building watching.  I loved the clock tower that is next to the cafe, which I found out houses the Rice Museum.  

The employee at the bakery recommended us to drive along Front Street to explore historic homes.  My wife thanked him for that tip and we decided to do just that, but only AFTER we savored our coffee and goodies.

Front Street, Georgetown, SC
Indigo Bakery, Georgetown, SC
Rice Museum, Georgetown, SC
Indigo Bakery, Georgetown, SC

We got up to head back to our car but our spoiled rotten Prince had enough of our day trip!  He was too tired to walk, so we lifted him until we got to our car.  

We headed north on Front Street and immediately fell in love with beautiful trees lining the streets.  In some places, they were forming a canopy, welcoming us onto the area.  We drove slowly to check out the historic homes.  

Many homes were quite colorful, and well maintained.  We absolutely loved them!  We completed our reconnaissance(?) of the area by making a zigzag pattern along various streets.  We saw more of those lovely homes.

After doing that for a good 15 minutes, we decided to head back home to our rental back in Murrells Inlet.  We reminisced about all the things we had seen on that visit.  It was a great trip!

In conclusion:

Georgetown is a great day trip to partake when visiting or staying near the Myrtle Beach area.  It has beautiful historic buildings/homes, Harborwalk, and Front Street.  We could easily have spent a day or two in Georgetown as there are plenty of things to see and do.

We highly recommend this town to anyone looking for “Lowcountry” vibes and hospitality.  We met so many friendly and helpful locals just in our brief visit to the area…

Thank you all for reading!


Jake

Wandering Money Pig 


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