OK, I know...it's a bridge. But seeing as I used this page as a check-in during my vacations at…read moreHolden Beach and I found that I had actually reviewed the bridge down the road a bit at Ocean Isle Beach many years ago, I have some words for this bridge as well. Why 5 stars? Well, mainly that I have never encountered traffic lines or backups on this bridge on check-in/check-out Saturdays or any other time actually. That bridge down at OIB...Saturday backups and standstills, but not this one. Plus, this bridge to access Holden Beach on the island is nice and curvy, not straight and boring, and great height over the waterway as well...checking all the boxes. It appears somewhat modern and definitely convenient, I'm going with all the stars for Holden Beach Bridge. Short and sweet, just like this bridge.

very tall, very clean, very nice bridge mainly because of the elegant curves going up and coming…read moredown. looking through the bend a person can see that the road doesn't end mid-span and that a proper and gradual descent awaits on the other side... all that height is absolutely necessary to clear boat traffic on the intracoastal and besides, the views are better from bridges than tunnels so go ahead and have a peek! the bridge is understated and probably overengineered because nobody likes collapsed bridges and this one would certainly make a mess of things. so a round of applause for low maintenance bridges putting more people on more beaches more often that not! particulars: bridging the gap since 1984, 65' vertical clearance give or take, 1800' long...

Odell Williamson: decorated US Army Pilot, politician, developer, guy with his name on a bridge…read more.. kind of a nice bridge as far as weather resistant bridges go but nothing remarkable unless this is your regular commute in which case it's probably a functionally fine replacement for the earlier crossing but so utterly useful and un-storied so as to have no real story except that of it's namesake and the means it replaced... and yet here it stands in all it's linear concrete splendor - rising the 65 mandatory feet dictated by the intracoastal waterway commissioners - depositing resident and visitor alike in front of the Ocean Isle Beach / Pier which is exactly the point of it.

This review is a tribute to the gateway of Ocean Isle Beach, NC...the Odell Williamson Bridge. The…read moregateway because it is the ONLY access on/from the island itself, so you cannot avoid it if you come to OIB and want to get to the beach front, period. The bridge itself is fairly modern, clean, and a nice welcome to all those coming to OIB for some fun and relaxation. It arches pretty high at the peak as so vessels can navigate through using the Intercoastal Waterway of which it passes over. It's the first thing you see coming onto the island and the last thing you pass coming off there when you finish your visit and head home. It's a tried and true symbol. Why 4 stars? Well, on Saturdays when people are heading onto the island for their check-ins, it just becomes a long parking lot most of the day! So many come to OIB to enjoy their vacation that it takes some time to get everyone onto the island and set to enjoy their week. The wait can be a excruciating one, actually. So sadly, it escapes full 5 star status just on that. Bottom line: Beloved gateway landmark for Ocean Isle Beach. Except for being a long parking lot on Saturdays as people come onto the isle, it's a beautiful thing to behold.

Connecting the cities of North Myrtle Beach and Little River, carrying Sea Mountain Highway over…read morethe Intracoastal Waterway, the Little River Swing Bridge was built in 1935 and restored in 1980. It is a simple two-lane roadway but what's neat about this is that unlike the usual "bascule" style drawbridges that lift one or two sides like leaves, this is a swing bridge. When it opens, it twists 90 degrees to the side to allow waterway traffic to pass. Swing bridges are rare, but I managed to cross the Fort Denaud swing bridge last month in Central Florida https://www.yelp.com/biz/fort-denaud-bridge-labelle?hrid=U_pLy3N4EMHOlZebymMMLA. There are some other swing bridges in South Carolina including the Harbor River Bridge at Saint Helena Island, the Wappoo Creek Bridge and the Ben Sawyer Bridge near Charleston, the Woods Memorial Bridge in Beaufort and nearby, the Socastee Swing Bridge here in Myrtle Beach. The bridge is easy to drive over and there is no toll. If you're fortunate, you'll get to see this marvel open. [Review 19376 overall - 950 in South Carolina - 346 of 2023.]

Saw the viewing platform and water nearby, so turned over. Within an hour saw Spoonbills, White…read moreIbis, Wood Storks, and more! A great place to get away and enjoy Nature!! Even saw some turtles!

First POTUS and hero of the Revolutionary War, George Washington resolved to tour the United…read moreStates. Part to observe the political climate and park to instill unity in the new country. He passed through here in 1791 and this official marker recalls that event. It reads, "Washington's Southern Tour. President Washington, on April 27, 1791, was a guest at the home of William Gause, Jr., which stood four miles south." Online there is more information, "After spending two nights in Wilmington, Washington made his way toward the South Carolina line in Brunswick County. On April 27, he was a breakfast guest in the home of William Gause Jr., about ten miles from the state line. The Gause house was located near Gause's Landing on the west and sound side of Shallotte Inlet. Gause was a war veteran, having lost a leg in the Revolution, and had served in the North Carolina House of Commons in 1778." Four miles south of the marker along Ocean Isle Beach Blvd is to the Intracoastal Waterway and is likely where "Gause Landing Creek" gets its name. [Review 13990 overall, 1312 of 2020, number 2630 in North Carolina.]

Holden Beach Town Hall has an amazing staff, awesome volunteers and great public spaces. The new…read moreplayground is finished at Bridgeview Park, in time for the start of the 2026 season. Need a good beach read? Stop by Town Hall and take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Step out and into a little library. Hardcover fiction and Nonfiction fill up the front room, and paperbacks are around the corner to the right. It's run on the honor system, no ID cards necessary. Commissioner meetings take place the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 5:00 pm. Come by and meet the locals and their elected officials. Summer concerts happen Sunday evenings from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Hopefully the new concert stage will be ready!

All ye beach-lovers hearken, a nod to yesteryear when shores weren't crowded and folks all waved…read moreand said Hi. This is Holden and you're welcomed into the inner-circle. High-rise, amusement-park seekers keep driving South on 95. These aren't the beaches you're looking for. 6am-towel-placers relax; there's plenty of elbow and frisbee-throwing room for your whole group. Sparkly new condo communities are a few islands away; embrace the Holden 70s architecture sprinkled among the new. Here you'll talk with many who've been coming with their families for 20, 30, 40 years. It's easy to return to a place that feels like home. And despite small changes here and there, it still seems to stay the same. With 7+ miles of South-facing beachfront, you won't see the sun rise/set over the ocean, but that long stretch of wide sand presents never-ending chances to run/walk/stroll/play no matter the tide level. East or West of town center, you'll have peaceful views as you gaze from a porch or step across the dunes onto the beach. Stay second-row if you must, and there are good values to be had, but the magic is opening your door with only sand between you and the sea. Perennial local dining spots remain for those returning for decades, and you won't see any chains until you drive to Shallotte. A few newer additions help with the variety, but having a standalone beach house also means plenty of meals prepared oceanfront. Activities vary by the season, and we've only come in spring and summer, but enjoy three islands-worth of fireworks on holidays, sand sculpture contests, concerts (when we can again). Turtles love this place, so if you love turtles stop by. Not that we've seen one but apparently people have so it keeps the dream alive. Keep your porch lights off and don't dig big holes if you like not being visited by the turtle-protectors. Beach stores and Food Lion help with affordable provisions, or go even cheaper driving to the Shallotte Wal-Mart. New development: grocery pickup will give you hours back to stare at waves instead of staring at grocery shelves. Plenty of choices to fit your budget, believe me: from the high-roller looking for "sleeps 20 w/ pool, elevator, gold-plated trash bins" (not us) to "sleeps 6, roof, oceanfront" (us), and even that one A-frame on OBE that allegedly sleeps 4 but is kind of a tiny house on the beach. It gets a little crowded on weekends or holidays, or holiday weekends, but those morning and evening magic hours are indeed that. Even the crowds aren't crowdy, and always polite, with occasional child meltdowns when they've had enough of the beach or don't want to leave (take your pick). It's all endearing. In "less busy" times you'll feel like you just discovered this place and have it all to yourself until you see a couple or dog-walker interrupt the fantasy. And they'll probably wave. You'll wave back because this is a family beach. Even RVs have a home in the lot near town center, and there's plenty of paid parking if you're visiting from nearby. But it's best for those times when you are simply doing "beach living" with those you love. For us newbies it's only been 20 years, not in a row, but this year our neighbors were on year 39 straighSame story as ours: heard about it from a friend and kept coming back. Well consider us a friend, and now you've heard.

Went to first Friday artwork enjoyed the bands Nice also…read morefor handicap ramp into old depot Very clean great venue nice to see something old repurposed for community use

I was visiting family down in this part of the country for the past week and during one of our…read moreadventures together we passed by the old Myrtle Beach Train Depot. This railway station has not been in public service since the 1950's I was told but the building still stands and on the nearby rails stand both a decommissioned box car and caboose. Neither of these is open for public exploration inside but the train depot building itself is. Inside the small facility are numerous photographs from across the stations history and a few related relics. There is a time capsule as well which was sealed in May of 2004 and is set to be opened in May of 2054. In the rear of the station which probably originally served as the waiting room area and some office space is a publicly accessible room but I did not go into it as there was a family function happening at the time. My guess is that they rent this room out and let people bring in catered fare. You can stand on the place where the platform used to let passengers on and off but mind your step and the same can be said for the tracks. The two cars can be posed in front of by I discourage climbing on them as all for the sake of your own safety. I was glad we chanced upon this since the photos will make for good blogging and Instagram material.

This marker stands on the campus, near several of the educational halls and within sight of the…read morelarge stadium. It's easy to spot and there is room to pull over to read the marker. On the front, "Coastal Carolina University was founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, holding evening classes in Conway High School 1954-1963. Its first enrollment numbered 53 students. Originally sponsored by the College of Charleston 1954-1958, the junior college became a branch of the University of S.C. in 1960." And the reverse, "Coastal Carolina Junior College moved here in 1963 on the completion of its first building, later named for Edward M. Singleton, chancellor 1963-1983. As Coastal Carolina College, it began offering four-year degrees in 1974. In 1993 Coastal Carolina University became an independent state university." The university's roots stretch back to a July 1954 meeting at the Horry County Memorial Library, where local citizens proposed a daring idea: a college for the Grand Strand. That meeting led to the creation of the Coastal Educational Foundation, a nonprofit that still supports the university today. After the College of Charleston discontinued its extension program in 1958, Horry County voters approved a tax referendum to fund the college, and the South Carolina General Assembly created the Horry County Higher Education Commission in 1959 to oversee its finances. These civic moves laid the groundwork for Coastal's long affiliation with the University of South Carolina, beginning in 1960. The current campus site was selected in 1961, thanks to land donations from Burroughs Timber Company and International Paper. [Review 1391 of 2025 - 1336 in South Carolina - 24943 overall]