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The subject of this article is located on these scenic highways.
Learn more about how to visit Revolutionary War battlefields, museums, and historic sites with travel guides and road trip itineraries.
Read the previous article in the series: South Carolina Revolutionary War Road Trip Series: Part 9 – Pee Dee Country.
The Grand Strand is a 60-mile stretch of magnificent beaches between Little River and Georgetown. But during the Revolutionary War, it was a no man’s land of salt marshes and rivers. Although no significant battles happened in the area, it was often traversed along a route ironically built by the King of England.
From 1650 until 1735, a 1,300-mile primitive trail was built between the American Colonies’ largest ports in Charleston and Boston. By 1750, the route was improved for stagecoaches and dubbed the “King’s Road.”
Today, Kings Highway is the local name for U.S. Highway 17.
The American Revolution was fought a thousand miles to the north of the Grand Strand and a hundred miles to the south. Supplies frequently passed through the region, especially after the Fall of Charleston in 1780 when Georgetown became the primary port for the Americans. And then, in 1791, President George Washington traveled the King’s Road to Charleston.
Follow Washington’s route on this road trip along Kings Highway from Myrtle Beach to Georgetown. Visit a few historic sites from the American Revolution, discover the qualities of the cozy beach towns, and enjoy the spectacular coastal scenery.
This post is proudly sponsored by Visit Myrtle Beach and South Carolina Association of Tourism Regions. Learn about sponsored posts
Cities & Towns
Points of Interest
Key Stops
This road trip series explores the Revolutionary War battlefields, historic sites, and museums through 10 of the 11 tourism regions in South Carolina. This series is designed so you can connect the road trips into a single epic trip or explore them one at a time through weekend getaways.
Part 1 – The Olde English District
Part 2 – The Upcountry
Part 3 – Lake Hartwell Country
Part 4 – The Old 96 District
Part 5 – Thoroughbred Country
Part 6 – The Lowcountry
Part 7 – Charleston
Part 8 – Georgetown
Part 9 – Pee Dee Country
Part 10 – Santee Cooper Country
How to use this map: Click the icon in the top-left corner to open the Map Legend, then click on any of the legend items to display more information. If you have a Google account, click the star beside the map’s name to save this map to your account, then access the map from your smartphone during your trip.
Learn about the annual celebration of the National Park System and read my travel guides to national park units across the country.
Destination
Myrtle Beach is a young city. It’s a very young city. Tourism developed in the late 1800s as loggers from nearby Conway traveled to the beach with their families on the weekend. However, the town wasn’t incorporated until 1938. Since then, it’s been a never-ending headrush from cozy coastal village to premiere East Coast megalopolis.
In 1791, President George Washington traveled the Kings Road during his Southern Tour. He wrote in his journal about traveling 16 miles on “the long Beach of the Ocean.” Almost 140 years later, that “long Beach” was incorporated as the town of Myrtle Beach.
Myrtle Beach is a sprawling sub-tropical beach. It’s difficult to know what to do with a short visit. But one thing everyone must do is visit the Boardwalk. Fodor’s named it one of the “best boardwalks in America” and National Geographic ranked it in the “Top 10 U.S. Boardwalks.”
The 1.2-mile Boardwalk began in the 1930s as concrete paths connecting many oceanfront businesses. In 2010, a redesigned and updated boardwalk debuted, connecting Second Avenue Pier to Pier 14.
When the SkyWheel opened in 2011, it was one of the tallest observation wheels on the East Coast. Although that’s no longer true, it’s still an impressive site from the enclosed glass gondolas 200 feet above the ocean. A “flight” in the gondola is revolutions around the giant wheel, giving passengers about 15 minutes of enjoyment.
Justin and Eloise Plyler opened the Gay Dolphin in the 1940s. The iconic gift shop is now run by their son, Buz Plyler, who carries on the family tradition of oceanfront souvenirs and collectibles. Exploring all the nooks and crannies of the multi-level gift shop takes about an hour.
You’ll hear the familiar chirps and dings of arcade games before you see the Fun Plaza Arcade. Operated by Jimmy Waldorf, the third generation of the family who started it in 1938, the arcade features classic games like Skee-Ball and state-of-the-art digital games. But you’ll also find several vintage 1957 Williams Deluxe Baseball Machines.
Ocean Front Bar & Grill has fed hungry beachgoers since 1935. The open-air restaurant with outdoor seating is the perfect place to get a burger or taco in baskets while listening to live music. Next door, The Bowery still hosts live music every day of the week. From 1973 until 1980, the country band Alabama played for tips before securing their first big record deal.
Myrtle Beach is a mecca for oceanfront lodging with dozens of towering condos and resort hotels. Search for lodging on Booking.com or Expedia.com to find something for your travel dates.
Destination
In the 1950s, Murrells Inlet was known as the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina” because of the number of fishing boats operating out of the small town. Although the fishing fleet is long since gone, the town is now known for the long row of diverse waterfront restaurants.
Bovines serves fantastic wood-fired pizzas with outdoor seating overlooking the water. Wahoos Fish House is known for its sushi menu and fresh seafood from local fishing boats. Drunken Jack’s Restaurant & Lounge has only indoor seating, but you’ll still enjoy the view with their enormous picture windows – order the Jack’s Seafood Platter to sample all kinds of fried seafood.
Creek Ratz is as casual as it gets in Murrells Inlet, with outdoor seating, fresh seafood, and a raw bar. At Dead Dog Saloon, you can enjoy a burger, steaks, or savory barbecue with their comfy indoor seating. The Claw House keeps about 90 craft beers on tap and features an exceptional menu of fresh catch seafood.
Point of Interest
In 1931, New Yorkers Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington bought beachfront property in South Carolina. Suffering from tuberculosis, Anna was told to seek the dryer air in the South. They built Atalaya Castle, a Spanish Moorish-style oceanfront villa. When Huntington Beach State Park opened, the park preserved the home, now open for self-guided tours.
The causeway through the park’s center is one of the best places on the East Coast for bird watching. Coastal birds visit the park, like spoonbills, white ibis, blue herons, great white egrets, and woodstorks. Alligators are frequently spotted crossing the road between the brackish pond and saltwater marsh.
Learn about the annual celebration of the National Park System and read my travel guides to national park units across the country.
No. 1
In Colonial times, this area was part of William Alston’s Brookgreen Plantation. When the British began watching Charleston harbor, gunpowder was shipped through the port in Georgetown. In 1776, the Wilmington Committee of Safety requested 3,000 pounds of gunpowder, anticipating a Loyalist attack at Moores Creek. The gunpowder was shipped from Georgetown to the Brookgreen Plantation.
President George Washington traveled through the area in 1791 and spent his second night in South Carolina at Alston’s plantation home.
In 1931, Brookgreen Gardens, A Society for Southeastern Flora and Fauna, was founded. The organization’s mission was to collect and display figurative art sculptures – the kind of art Anna Huntington enjoyed.
While visiting Brookgreen Gardens, take a self-guided tour of the 2,000 sculptures made by over 400 artists across the 9,000-acre outdoor museum. Indoor galleries include paintings and etchings. Take a history tour on a pontoon boat, an open-air shuttle tour, or a guided walking tour during your visit. Get something to eat at The Courtyard Café or The Old Kitchen.
Destination
As President George Washington continued his Southern Tour in 1791, he visited George Pawley’s plantation home. The area was primarily plantations and sparsely populated until the 1980s, when beach tourism developed.
In 1916, Arthur Lachicotte and his wife Virginia Wilson opened a small store selling hand-woven hammocks. Their product was so popular among mariners that they opened a large store in 1938 – the Original Hammock Shop. They built a shopping center around their store, moving over a dozen barns, museums, and a one-room schoolhouse. The Hammock Shops Village is as close as Pawleys Island gets to having a downtown.
Visit the Christmas Mouse, a small chain of holiday stores founded in Richmond, Virginia, in 1985. The Pawleys Island location is their newest, located in a 1900 tobacco barn moved from the nearby Waverly Plantation. With only 2,700 square feet of space, it’s the smallest store in their chain.
BisQit is a great place to find savory food. Their handcrafted burgers, creative cocktails, and creamy milkshakes are the perfect road trip lunch.
Point of Interest
A barony is a measurement of land – 12,000 acres, to be precise. In 1718, John Lord Carteret, one of the Lords Proprietors of the Carolina Colony, received the Hobcaw Barony from King George I. But twelve years later, he began selling portions of the barony. Benjamin Huger bought one of the tracts. In 1777, French military leaders Marquis de Lafayette and Johann de Kalb landed on North Island to avoid British detection. They met Huger, who gave them directions on the King’s Road to Philadelphia.
Today, the 16,000-acre Hobcaw Barony is owned by the Belle W. Baruch Foundation. The foundation preserves over 70 cultural sites, family cemeteries, and homes built by the Baruch family since 1905. The 1,800-square-foot Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center features exhibits on the history and culture of the property.
Take the Discover Tour for a fascinating journey through the property. The two-hour guided bus tour includes a look inside Bernard Baruch’s 1930s home, a walk around the Bellefield Plantation home, a visit to the four slave villages, and lots of interpretation about the local history and ecosystem.
Destination
Georgetown is South Carolina’s third oldest town, founded in 1729 after Charleston and Beaufort. The town became a prosperous planter hub when the British Parliament issued a bounty for quality indigo in 1748.
In July 1780, British Captain John Plumer Ardessif sailed into Georgetown’s harbor and effortlessly captured the town. He turned command of the town over to Major James Wemyss, a strict leader who immediately branded inland Presbyterian churches as “sedition shops” and ordered them burned.
Wemyss’s arch-rival during the final years of the Revolutionary War was Francis Marion. The local militia leader harassed the British at every opportunity. But by 1781, the occupation ended. In a final act of vengeance, Colonel Nesbit Balfour ordered the schooner Peggy to bombard Georgetown in retaliation for Patriots plundering Loyalist’s plantations. The town would take 50 years to recover, and only five homes built before 1776 survived.
President George Washington crossed the river into Georgetown during his Southern Tour on a Saturday in April. He attended a lavish reception with fewer than 500 of the town’s residents. He was then treated to dinner and dancing. Although it may not have crossed the president’s mind, the night he spent in Georgetown was the second anniversary of his inauguration.
The South Carolina Maritime Museum is a great place to learn about local history. Georgetown struggled to become a profitable port before the war, but by 1765, only 40 vessels sailed into their harbor compared to 360 ships in Charleston.
Get something to eat at Big Tuna Raw Bar, a rustic waterfront restaurant with a tree growing inside the building. Get their Seafood Platter to enjoy some of everything with the outdoor seating overlooking the harbor.
River Room Restaurant has been a casual upscale eatery in Georgetown since 1984. Enjoy fresh seafood inside the comfortable restaurant with enormous panoramic windows and spectacular views of Winyah Bay.
At Buzz’s Roost, you can enjoy seafood, fish tacos, and steak on the only rooftop seating in Georgetown. Get a craft beer flight from the Winyah Bay Brewing Co., a microbrewery in the restaurant.
Finish your evening at Sweeties Homemade Ice Cream & Sweets. In 2006, Skip Yeager and Cindy Hedrick bought a confectionary in Georgetown. In 2008, they began making homemade ice cream. Known for their homemade Pecan Pralines, it will be difficult to resist ordering something when you catch a smell of their sweets a block away.
Georgetown features a trio of waterfront hotels as you enter town on U.S. Highway 17. But the only hotel I recommend is the Hampton Inn. With a commanding view of the marina at the convergence of the Great Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views from waterfront rooms. Book now with Booking.com or Expedia.com
No. 2
The Georgetown County Museum is the county’s unofficial Revolutionary War visitor center. It’s a great place to find information about the local historic sites and get a book or two on local history.
Browse the museum’s two floors of exhibits. The first floor explores the town’s early history. The second floor features an exhibit on the American Revolution with many details about Francis Marion’s role in the region.
No. 3
Paul Trapier, Jr. was locally called the “King of Georgetown” because he was the wealthiest merchant in town. In the late 1750s, he bought a high bluff overlooking Winyah Bay and built a house for his daughter, Elizabeth. Unmarried at 22 years old, Trapier feared she’d become a spinster and wanted her to have a nice home. Ironically, she married in 1778.
Trapier and his son, Paul Trapier III, were staunch Patriots during the Revolutionary War. They supplied Francis Marion and other militias. But after the Fall of Charleston in 1780, Trapier pledged his allegiance to England to protect his properties.
Despite the origin, the story told at the Kaminski House Museum is about the most illustrious owners – Harold and Julia Kaminski. Take a guided tour of the house to hear about the Navy veteran’s exploits and how the two-story house became a museum.
Point of Interest
In 1726, the Prince George Winyah Parish was founded in the prelude to the town. The Jacobean-style church building was completed in 1753. The church was the center of politics, taxes, and worship during the decades before the Revolutionary War.
During the British occupation of Georgetown, soldiers used the church as a dormitory. Horses were sometimes brought inside the building. The church was left in ruins when the British finally evacuated the town.
Two notable burials in the church’s graveyard are Paul Trapier, Jr. and his son, Paul Trapier III. The elder Trapier was a wealthy merchant who supplied the Patriots during the Revolutionary War. The younger Trapier served in the First and Second Provincial Congresses. The father and son share a gravesite along with their wives.
No. 4
In 1739, Thomas Lynch built a two-story house on a raised basement on a high bluff overlooking the North Santee River. Ten years later, Thomas Lynch, Jr. was born in an upstairs bedroom.
Lynch Sr. was elected to the Second Continental Congress. In early 1776, he suffered a heart attack. Lynch Jr. was elected to replace his ailing father in Philadelphia. A few months later, Thomas Lynch Jr. became one of South Carolina’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence.
But the house didn’t stay with the Lynches for long. In 1762, Robert Hume bought the house and, after his death, passed it on to his son, John Hume. John was a lieutenant under General Francis Marion during the Revolutionary War. The home, conveniently located near the King’s Road and Santee River, was a frequent layover for Marion.
In 1969, Jim and Helen Maynard bought the house and property. After an extensive renovation, they opened Hopsewee Plantation to the public for the first time as a house museum. Schedule a guided tour of the house to learn more about the Lynches and subsequent owners of the historic home. After the tour, take a self-guided walk across the property and get something to eat in the tearoom.
Learn about the annual celebration of the National Park System and read my travel guides to national park units across the country.
No. 5
In 1735, Noe Serreé built a modest six-room farmhouse on his plantation along the South Santee River. When Daniel Horry married his daughter, Judith, in 1757, he inherited the property. Horry added a two-story ballroom at one end and additional bedrooms at the other, expanded the second floor, and added a new hipped roof.
After his first wife died, Horry married Harriott Lucas Pinckney, sister of Charles and Thomas Pinckney. When the Revolutionary War came to the South in 1779, Horry was appointed as a colonel of the South Carolina Light Dragoons. He fought in several campaigns but was captured at the disastrous Battle of Moncks Corner. Horry pledged his loyalty to England to save his property and fled to England with his son.
In 1791, six years after Horry’s death, Harriott made the final significant improvement to the house. She added a towering portico supported by eight Doric columns. She renamed the home Hampton Plantation after a beautiful London house.
On May 1, 1791, President George Washington arrived at Hampton Plantation during his Southern Tour. Harriot Horry and Eliza Lucas Pinckney greeted him and treated the president to brunch.
Hampton Plantation State Historic Site preserves the original house that was later home to the state’s first poet laureate, Archibald Rutledge. Take a guided tour of the house to hear stories about Daniel and Harriott Horry, Washington’s visit, and Rutledge’s time in the historic house.
Destination
McClellanville was established in 1926 – it’s older than Myrtle Beach. The small community was built on the former plantation of A.J. McClellan and R.T. Morrison. The town’s biggest commerce has always been a fishing fleet – a trade that continues today.
Visit the Village Museum on most weekends to learn about the local history of the St. James Parish. Opened in 1999, the small museum features exhibits and artifacts from the town’s history.
Get something to eat at TW Graham & Co. The building was completed in 1894 for a general mercantile store. The renovated restaurant serves fresh seafood, burgers, and sandwiches. The local favorites are Gert’s Famous Crab Balls and the Fried Catfish Tails with homemade Jamaican Mayonnaise.
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