81 miles NE of Downtown Charleston
Murrells Inlet, “the seafood capital of South Carolina,” is often invaded by Myrtle Beach hordes in quest of a seafood dinner. To join them, just take U.S. 17 north from Georgetown and prepare to dig in. This centuries-old fishing village has witnessed a parade of humanity, from Confederate blockade runners to federal gunboats, from bootleggers to today’s pleasure craft. The island was also visited by Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. During the 1600s, Blackbeard’s ship allegedly left a sailor on Drunken Jack Island, just off Murrells Inlet, by accident; when the ship returned 2 years later, the crew discovered the abandoned sailor's bones bleaching in the sun, along with 32 empty casks of rum.
In addition to its seafood restaurants (a few are recommended in this chapter), Murrells Inlet is home to Brookgreen Gardens, one of the most-visited attractions along the Grand Strand.
