Moving to a new locale after retirement is exciting but not without challenges. When choosing your new hometown, you have so many factors to consider! At Prime Carolina Coast in Conway, SC, we already check off most retirees’ main boxes—we’ve got a mild coastal climate, we offer a great cost-of-living package, and we surround you with a wonderful community of people just like you.
But as great as our community is, we know you’ll want to strike out on adventures of your own too. Thankfully, the Conway and Myrtle Beach areas have plenty of adventures to offer! To prove it, here’s a list of 12 awesome day trips for seniors within an hour of our happy home.
1. Explore downtown Conway, SC.
Let’s begin our adventures right in your new backyard. Home to a variety of entertainment options, Conway offers boutique shopping and a developing restaurant scene—we recommend favorites like Rivertown Bistro, Hop n’ Wich, or Chanti’s Pizza. You can tour the Horry County Museum, take on a glass-blowing class at Conway Glass, and admire the beautiful Waccamaw River from the Conway Riverwalk. For live entertainment, catch the city’s outdoor concert series, Groovin’ on the Green, which showcases a variety of bands and hosts a classic car cruise-in. Or, check out the shows at the Theatre of the Republic, the Grand Strand’s longest-running live theater.
2. Try out the area’s golf courses.
Golfing goes back to colonial times in South Carolina, so don’t be surprised at the Myrtle Beach area’s 80+ golf courses. There are two great courses—Wild Wing Plantation and Myrtle Beach National—just minutes from our community, but you can find plenty more nearby, and they make an awesome day trip destination for seniors. For a special treat, book a tee time at PGA host Dunes Golf & Beach Club or the very popular Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. Also one of the state’s top-rated golf courses, Tidewater Golf Club’s award-winning fairways designed by Ken Tomlinson showcase the coastal landscape.
3. Plan an antiquing day trip.
Love all things vintage and antique? Conway offers a raft of antique stores sure to pique your interest. Just downtown, you’ll find Pickers and Grinners, Road Runner Antiques, and Southern Pickers Antiques to browse. And we could list more! Whether you love window shopping, are looking for unique gifts, or want to furnish your Prime apartment with one-of-a-kind finds, you’re sure to find just the thing.
4. Discover the local landscape.
Conway puts you near wonderful opportunities to explore the coastal landscape. You can take a ride down the Waccamaw River in a pontoon boat or kayak with help from local guides like Waccamaw Outfitters. This beautiful blackwater river runs through forest and wetlands with opportunities for swimming, fishing, and picnicking along its banks. Just downriver, Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge offers 55,000 acres of protected forests and wetlands where you can birdwatch, hike, kayak, fish, and hunt.
5. Enjoy dinner and a live show.
After a busy day outdoors, there’s nothing like cleaning up and sitting down for some great entertainment while you eat delicious food. Trust Myrtle Beach to put on a spectacular show or two in dinner theater venues like Pirates Voyage (right next to The Carolina Opry), Polynesian Fire, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, or the 1930s mobster-themed Rigatony’s Murder Mystery Dinner Show.
6. Cheer for the home teams nearby.
Sports lovers can settle into Brooks Stadium just minutes away from our Prime community to watch the Chanticleers play NCAA Division I football on the Coastal Carolina University campus. Prefer America’s pastime as your entertainment? CCU fields a stellar, winning baseball team, and the mighty Myrtle Beach Pelicans—an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs—put on quite the show in the highly-rated Pelicans Ballpark.
7. Taste the best of Myrtle Beach in Broadway at the Beach.
In the heart of Myrtle Beach, a bustling 350-acre district known as Broadway at the Beach offers fun for everyone, from great shopping to live entertainment. View the fascinating denizens of Ripley’s Aquarium, enjoy the touristy fun at the Hollywood Wax Museum, or encounter a musical blast from the past at Legends in Concert. If you want to spend the whole day exploring, you’ll find plenty of restaurants and inviting spaces to rest your feet.
8. Choose from a plethora of stunning beaches.
South Carolina’s Grand Strand abounds with broad, peaceful beaches that are perfect for swimming, shell-collecting, scuba-diving, and simply soaking in the sun. Less than 10 miles from Prime Carolina Coast, Myrtle Beach offers white sands, family-friendly amenities, and proximity to the city’s many restaurants and entertainments. Prefer a quieter experience? Drive an hour south to Huntington Beach State Park or Pawleys Island, both known for their pristine natural beauty.
9. Set out to sea on a dolphin cruise.
The South Carolina coast is home to a wealth of fascinating sea life, including dolphins, and Myrtle Beach is no exception. Don’t miss out on the joy of encountering a pod of these delightful creatures up close! Book one of the many dolphin cruises available and set out to sea to make some great memories. For a unique experience, you can sign up for a jet ski version of this tour.
10. Find your zen in Brookgreen Gardens.
Located in the small coastal town of Murrells Inlet 45 minutes away, Brookgreen Gardens deserves all the kudos it gets, such as being named a 10Best 2023 Gardens winner (2024 nominee) and the best garden in the state by Southern Living. Wander 9,100 acres dedicated to Southeastern flora and check out additional attractions like the zoo, butterfly pavilion, biking paths, and riverboat tours. Don’t miss the winter holiday lights display! It’s one of the best out there.
11. Experience Southern history and culture at Georgetown, SC.
If you love Southern history and gracious living but don’t want to make the four-hour round trip to Charleston, we got you. Just an hour away sits the state’s third-oldest city, beautiful Georgetown. Chock-full of old mansions, great restaurants, and boutique waterfront shopping, this is a place you’ll want to visit again and again. For some extra fun, take a ghost tour, or head out on the water with a local boat tour or fishing outfit.
12. Take your littlest grandkids for a day on the farm.
You didn’t think we’d forget your favorite little ones, did you? Of course not! We know kids love their farms, so we’ve got two to satisfy them. First up, the L.W. Paul Living History Farm, an extension of the Horry County Museum. This working reproduction in Conway, SC depicts life for small-time farmers in the region from 1900 to 1955. Take a tour, watch demonstrations, or join educational events led by volunteers.
For a different kind of fun, visit the modern Thompson Farm & Nursery where kids can meet the animals, navigate the corn maze in fall, and enjoy the six-acre play area. As you head home, stop by Cox Ferry Lake Recreational Area (practically next door) for a picnic and a stroll along the nature trails. This serene and extensive park also makes a lovely destination for a day trip with your senior friends.
Retiring doesn’t mean you’re retreating from life’s bustle and fun–in fact, it’s absolutely the opposite. Now’s the time to set your course in a different direction and treasure the activities and people you love most. At Prime Independent Living, we know you need community and plenty of opportunities to keep challenging life. We’re happy to provide both. Learn more about Prime Carolina Coast if you’re ready to make a move!