Myrtle Beach, affectionately referred as the Grand Strand, offers all the ingredients for a groovy girlfriends getaway. Grab the gal pals, sisters, aunts, mothers and even grandmothers to spend a glorious weekend or two with late night giddy conversations, lazy mornings on some of the 60 miles of sandy beaches and afternoons of stimulating the economy with a bit of shopping. Or, tee it up on the greens for a challenging round of golf then melt worries away with the hands of a hunky massage therapist who may be named Sven.

One of the best things about a girlfriends getaway is sharing good conversation while enjoying delectable food. Bring your seafood palate; the area is known for superb Calabash-style restaurants (lightly breaded seafood) and Carolina Coastal cuisine. Not one who eats food that swims? Don’t worry, Myrtle Beach has more than 1,700 restaurants ranging from family-casual to coastal elegant with options of barbecue, steaks, home-style cooking and international fare. The region is also known for local rice, grits, sweet potatoes, berries and sweet potatoes. Try High Hammock, Maverick Seaside Kitchen on Pawleys Island in Hammock Shops Village for mouthwatering Lowcountry and Southern cuisine. Don’t forget to plan for a wine tasting and tour of La Belle Amie Vineyard.

Flying into Myrtle Beach is easy with Direct Air offering non-stop flights from select cities as well as non-stop daily service on Spirit Airlines from Chicago, offered seasonally between March and November 11, 2009.

Make your girlfriends getaway to Myrtle Beach extra special by taking advantage of resort specials. Saving a little now on the room means more spending money in the Grand Strand.

Photo Courtesy: Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau