Travel

Making The Most Of A Trip To The Beach

Posted: 8/12/2010

This cute koala is just one of the attractions to see at a South Carolina zoo.

(NAPSI) - For surefire fun on a visit to the beach, an increasing number of families are getting their feet wet in South Carolina. What's more, new attractions and old favorites are just waiting to break up--and perk up--the trip.

For instance, there's Carowinds (www.carowinds.com) at the North Carolina state line on Interstate 77. There, a new NASCAR-themed roller coaster pays tribute to the Intimidator, legendary driver Dale Earnhardt, while providing some fast thrills for even the most experienced coaster fanatic.

On a more sedate note, nearby is Historic Brattonsville, one of the largest restoration and living history sites in the Southeast. The 775-acre Revolutionary War battlefield site features 29 historic structures and programs chronicling Carolina Piedmont development from the 1750s through the 1840s (www.chmuseums.org).

Natural history, meanwhile, unfolds off Interstate 95 at Woods Bay State Natural Area. The park preserves one of the largest remaining pristine Carolina bays, with carnivorous plants, alligators, plentiful songbirds and a cypress-tupelo swamp (www.SouthCarolinaParks.com).

In bustling, pedestrian-friendly Greenville, there's Heritage Green, a campus of museums and theatres, including a brand-new children's museum.

Columbia, the state capital at the intersection of interstates 77, 20 and 26, features Riverbanks Zoo and Garden (www.riverbanks.org), the South Carolina State Museum (www.scmuseum.org), the Columbia Museum of Art (www.columbiamuseum.org) and the largest children's museum in the South (www.EdVenture.org).

Also on your way to the beach are produce stands on nearly any major side road. Pick-your-own and working farms open to visitors also abound. You can check out the "Farms" link at www.sc-heritagecorridor.org for locations.

Learn More

More information on destinations in South Carolina is at www.DiscoverSouthCarolina.com and the South Carolina Association of Tourism Regions site, www.scatr.com.