Best Jewelry Store in Myrtle Beach, SC

A beachgoer was out for a stroll when she stumbled upon a slithering surprise on the South Carolina coast, video shows.

It turns out, a venomous snake had staked claim in the sand at the popular Myrtle Beach State Park, according to footage from Facebook user Michelle L Robert.

“Just thought I would take a nice walk on the beach,” she wrote on Tuesday, July 26. “Was looking for sea glass when something in the water caught my eye.”

Robert shared photos and video of the reptilian encounter, which horrified some social media users.

“Holy moly,” one person commented on Facebook. “That is crazy, scary and amazing all at the same time.”

“Yeah, I’ll be in the pool,” another person wrote.

From its end, the snake seemed to be enjoying the sun and surf.

“Crazy thing ... I think he liked it,” Robert wrote. “Waves were tossing him around and he kept going back in!”

In a follow-up post, Robert said she was informed that the creature was a canebrake rattlesnake. The species, also called a timber rattlesnake, is one of the six venomous types found in South Carolina.

Timber rattlesnakes live throughout the state and grow up to 5 feet long. While they typically don’t show aggressive behavior toward people, anyone who sees them is urged to keep a safe distance, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

The Snake Chaser wildlife service told WPDE the snake likely ended up at the beach after it washed onto shore. The animal was released into a swampy area, according to the TV station.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - A pair of organizations are partnering to host a golf camp for children of all abilities.

“It’s an introductory so in case there’s children who have never picked up a club before no worries at all,” said Effie Baldwin, the CEO and Founder of the nonprofit Believing in a Better World. “We’re going to teach them all the basics from grip to posture to full swing to putting to chipping. Everything, because we know that they’re going to be successful in this sport and on Sunday were going to take them out and see if they can play a little on the actual golf course.”

Baldwin’s passion to introduce children with special needs started when she attended the African American Golf Expo last fall and met individuals who were part of the adaptive golf program.

“So I thought, is that just for golfers who had injuries?” she said. “And then when I went, I saw individuals who were wheelchair bound. They had spinal cord injuries. They were amputees. Arm and leg. And it opened my eyes.”

Baldwin said she also saw how empowering the sport was for these athletes.

“If this is empowering for adults, how empowering can it be for children - who are most likely told if they are in a special needs population that there’s a lot of things that they can’t do? I don’t think we ever tell them that golf is something they can do,” said Baldwin.

She reached out to Brandon Worley, the founder of Upstate-Carolina Adaptive Golf to receive training so she could introduce adaptive golf to her community.

Now, Baldwin and Worley are bringing the game to children with all abilities in the Myrtle Beach area for a four-day camp at Tupelo Bay Golf Course between July 27-31.

It’s all part of a bigger mission to make the game more inclusive to everyone.

Gianna Rojas is the founder of Adaptive Golfers and a pioneer in introducing golf as a sport that everyone can play.

She’s also known globally as the “One-Handed Lady Golfer.”

“What golf can give to a child is that feeling of being a viable part of society, of community,” said Rojas. “Having a lifestyle to go out and join, and not only does the child get the benefit, but all four other kids on that team are going to be exposed to someone doing something that they have not seen before.”

Registration for the Myrtle Beach camp is still open as of July 27.

Click here for more information.

Copyright 2022 WMBF. All rights reserved.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Boise State men's basketball is set to take on Charlotte in the opening round of the fourth-annual Myrtle Beach Invitational as ESPN Events announced the full in-season tournament bracket Tuesday afternoon.

The Broncos and the 49ers will square off Nov. 17 at the HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C. The game will be broadcast on ESPNews, with tipoff set for 5 p.m. MT. This will mark the first meeting between the two programs.

The second round of games takes place on Nov. 18, with the final day set for Nov. 20. All games will be televised across ESPN networks during Feast Week.

The Broncos return to the HTC Center after finishing runner-up to Iowa State when the same venue hosted the 2017 Puerto Rico Tipoff. The reigning Mountain West champion Broncos looks to continue the league's success in the event, as Utah State captured the 2021 trophy.

The 2022 Myrtle Beach Invitational will mark the eighth major early-season tournament in 10 years for Boise State (2021 Charleston Classic; 2019 Diamond Head Classic; 2018 Cayman Islands Classic; 2017 Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach; 2016 Charleston Classic; 2015 Wooden Legacy; 2013 Diamond Head Classic). The Broncos were also slated to participate in the 2020 Orlando Invitational before the event was canceled.

Boise State has appeared in six ESPN-owned multi-team events, all coming during Leon Rice's tenure as head coach. The Broncos have won at least one game at each tournament and have won two games at four of the six tournaments, including each of the last three.

THE FIELD Charlotte was among the top teams in Conference USA last season with a 17-14 record, and previously captured the title at ESPN Events' 2013 Puerto Rico Tipoff.

Colorado, from the Pac-12, is fresh off of a 20-win season in 2021-22, including an upset of then-No. 2 Arizona. The Buffaloes previously won the championship at ESPN Events' 2012 Charleston Classic.

Loyola Chicago of the Missouri Valley Conference finished last season with a 25-8 record and secured the MVC conference championship by defeating Drake in the postseason finale in Saint Louis. The Ramblers had a pair of memorable NCAA Tournament appearances in recent years (2021: Sweet 16; 2018: Final Four). Loyola will be competing in its first in-season event sanctioned by ESPN Events. Their participation in the 2020 Myrtle Beach Invitational was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Murray State, who makes the move from the Ohio Valley conference to the Missouri Valley conference this upcoming season, finished the 2021-22 season with an impressive 31-3 record to earn a seven-seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Racers took down San Francisco in the First Round before falling in the Round of 32 to Saint Peter's.

Texas A&M, from the SEC, also captured a 20-win season as they ended last year's campaign with a 27-13 record including a memorable trip to the championship game of the SEC Tournament. The Aggies continued their run through the postseason as they advanced to the championship of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) where they were edged 73-72 by Xavier. Texas A&M placed second at ESPN Events' 2016 Wooden Legacy in California.

Tulsa, from the American Athletic Conference, and UMass, from the Atlantic 10, are no strangers to in-season ESPN Events tournaments. The Golden Hurricane competed in the 2017 Puerto Rico Tipoff in Myrtle, advancing to the semifinals, while the Minutemen captured the 2013 Charleston Classic.

Tickets for the 2022 Myrtle Beach Invitational will go on sale to the public on August 15. Fans can secure up to $25 off each all-tournament ticket by signing up for the pre-sale at https://espnevents.com/myrtle-beach-invitational/. Past Myrtle Beach Invitational champions include UCF (2018), Baylor (2019) and Utah State (2021).

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2022, the 32-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, and a college softball event, which account for approximately 400 hours of live programming, while reaching nearly 64 million viewers and attracting over 800,000 annual attendees. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - Residents in one North Myrtle Beach neighborhood are demanding action after inches of rain fell Friday and left their homes damaged.

“Instead of getting a couple of inches of water, now we are measuring in feet of water that backs up on our property,” said Mick McGuire who lives at the Robber’s Roost Villas.

The City of North Myrtle Beach said more than eight inches of rain fell over a 24-hour span on Friday, marking one of the city’s top five rainfall events in the past 20 years.

Neighbors like McGuire got several inches of floodwater reaching their living rooms, with many in the area being frustrated. In fact, they never really had issues with serious flooding until recently.

“We have residents that have lived here for more than 20-plus years,” said McGuire. “It’s the first time they have ever had water come into their homes.”

Neighbors in Robber’s Roost Villas first noticed some flooding issues on July 4, but it was minor compared to what happened Friday. Some people that spoke to WMBF News pointed the blame at new development surrounding the villas.

“During their construction, they put up silk barriers around the property and with that heavy rain it basically just barricaded all the water and bumped all the water on our area and has nowhere to run to,” said McGuire.

Those living in the area are now demanding solutions from city officials, who spent Saturday surveying areas most impacted. Among the asks from neighbors are a new mitigation plans and a better draining system to help prevent flooding in the future.

In a statement released Saturday, the city said it is working to help mitigate rainfall issues and met with neighbors in the Robber’s Roost Villas - adding that the drainage system near the neighborhood was designed by an engineer on behalf of a developer.

“The city met with representatives from the adjacent new development near Robber’s Roost who committed to adjusting their on-site stormwater maintenance devices to minimize the impact on existing developments,” the statement read. “In addition, they indicated they are willing to work with Robber’s Roost Villas to incorporate improvements that would enable the two private drainage systems to operate more efficiently.”

Neighbors are worried that things could get worse if the city doesn’t come up with a plan soon.

“Right now, with thunderstorms and hurricane season coming, this can’t take six months to resolve,” said McGuire. “It’s got to get fixed and we need help now.”

The management team of Robber’s Roost Villas is planning to be scheduled at the next North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting to address the flooding issues.

Copyright 2022 WMBF. All rights reserved.

South Carolina is a Southern charm-infused orchestra of landscapes that plays to perfection year-round.

Creating this harmony are world-class white sand beaches and mega golf destinations along its Atlantic edge, Blue Ridge mountain vistas inland, large cities that never overwhelm and Lowcountry towns that leave you in the highest of spirits.

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South Carolina is primed for a multi-city road trip with several mega interstates and major US roadways zigzagging throughout the state. At a minimum, you’ll want to plan a long weekend or a week in the Palmetto State to truly dabble in its geographic wonders and warm and undeniably twangy natives.

From the 26,000-acre national park to the museum-clad capital, and a coastal gem of a city that will leave any foodie loosening their belt a notch, these are the best places to visit in South Carolina.

Congaree National Park is the best place for outdoor adventures

Tucked in the middle of South Carolina and approximately 20 miles southeast of Columbia, Congaree National Park is where people come to quietly unwind. This nearly 27,000-acre park is a biodiverse spectacle, with towering hardwoods, stringy Spanish moss, a two-plus mile elevated boardwalk and the calm Congaree and Wateree Rivers comprising its landscape.

Central and staffed, Congaree National Park appeases off-the-grid multi-day campers and those seeking a guided experience. Each Saturday year-round, rangers and local volunteers lead guided tours of some of the park’s most astonishing experiences, including turtles the size of a coffee table, hand-sized spiders and “Champion Trees” that rank among the largest trees on earth.

Myrtle Beach is the place to go for a family day out

As soon as you set foot on Myrtle Beach’s soft sands, you’ll get why it’s considered the vibrant heart of South Carolina’s “Grand Strand” (a 60-mile stretch of beaches along the Atlantic). Within its coastal confines, there’s truly something for every family member, spanning boardwalk strolls (and perhaps a SkyWheel ride?), craft brewery excursions with bocce ball action at Crooked Hammock Brewery and, of course, endless days on the beach.

For a family-friendly outing, Surfside Beach is the perfect destination, so much so that it's locally known as Family Beach. A small independent community with nearly 2 miles of ocean frontage, it has mini golf (Adventure Falls Golf), the Wild Water & Wheels Water Park and the Surfside Bowling Entertainment Center, ideal for rainy days.

Charleston is a top destination for foodies

“Holy City” is a godsend for those seeking quintessentially Southern or an internationally infused dining experience. Its King Street artery and urban core tantalizes all the senses, from its mix of Georgian, colonial, and federal-style buildings to its boutique shops selling the local essentials like Southern-inspired hats, bowties and suits to its seemingly endless array of restaurant options.

You and yours will want to go to Charleston hungry and if there’s a must-stop restaurant on your itinerary, make a reservation in advance. One not to miss is the central Hotel Bennett and its Gabrielle patio overlooking Marion Square.

For arguably the best biscuit in town, there’s a Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit just blocks north (order anything but get it with pimento cheese). For a refined sit-down experience off the main drag, head to Bistronomy by Nico in the town’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial District. Be sure to try the mussels (served in a kaffir lime broth) or the curry crab soup that will have you begging for the recipe.

Where you stay is half the Charleston fun. Central options span the Roaring Twenties-inspired boutique The Spectator Hotel, the French Quarter Inn with a daily wine and cheese reception and the aptly named waterfront HarbourView Inn.

For a quiet retreat with seamless access to the city, book the Embassy Suites by Charleston Harbor Mt. Pleasant. It has panoramic views of Charleston’s steeple-filled skyline and the nearby former Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown. If you want to work off all those meals, you can walk across the iconic Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge to get to and from downtown.

Columbia is the best place for exploring museums and gardens

Stately buildings and open spaces await in South Carolina’s capital city. Where the Saluda and Broad Rivers meet (and, fun fact, where the Congaree River starts), many of the city’s biggest draws are on the shores of the rivers, including the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden and, for disc golf lovers, Granby Park.

On the museum front, major draws include the South Carolina State Museum, Columbia Museum of Art and the nearly 100,000 sq ft EdVenture Children’s Museum.

Columbia is as bustling as a South Carolina town gets with a hybrid of governmental buildings and youthful buzz stemming from the University of South Carolina. Book a South Carolina State House tour to make the best of all worlds.

If you’re visiting South Carolina in the fall or winter months, catch a University of South Carolina football game. Prepare for maximum pandemonium if they happen to be playing in-state rival Clemson.

Greenville serves the best coffee in South Carolina

This upstate city provides a rush in so many ways. Tucked in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, you’ll find Falls Park on the Reedy in its center, where the 345-ft Liberty Bridge guides folks above a multifaceted waterfall.

The surrounding parks are home to small gardens, theater festivals and locals stretching out for picnics or taking their dog for a walk. The vibe makes it among the best romantic and unique places to visit in South Carolina.

From Falls Park, you can keep the rush going just north along Main Street. Amid mom-and-pop restaurants and regional chains, the Peace Center Concert Hall and a smattering of hotel options, prioritize a trip to Methodical Coffee for the best cup of Joe in all of the Palmetto State.

Born and bred in Greenville, Methodical Coffee has quickly become a US specialty coffee heavyweight and has three cafes in town. Snag a pour-over coffee or cold brew – don’t put any sugar or milk in it, because it will be flavorful enough without it.

Florence is a great city with a small-town flair

“Magic City” is home to approximately 40,000 South Carolinians and is the soul of the state’s Pee Dee region. (You’ll see various references to Pee Dee plastered along interstates – it refers to the local river as well as the Pee Dee native tribe).

Downtown Florence’s brick-dotted urban core – nearly 1.1 sq miles – has experienced a revitalization in recent years with modern museums, galleries and public spaces taking center stage.

Primed for a day trip, hit the Florence County Museum with rotating exhibits featuring regional artists. Across the street is the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center, which has an amphitheater, two theaters and regular orchestra productions.

Florence's SC Pecan Festival held in November is a national draw, attracting 50,000-plus folks wanting to try pecan-infused everything.

Greenwood is the perfect place for a quiet retreat

Greenwood lives up to its name, with lush trees aplenty throughout its downtown/Main Street thoroughfare and surrounding areas. Arts and parks are vital to making a day in this quiet town of 25,000, which is approximately 90 minutes west of Columbia.

The town's arts hub is the Arts Center of Greenwood, housed in the stately Federal Building. Here you can peruse pieces by local artists (sometimes including creations by school kids, adorably). The Center also hosts art classes.

Lake Greenwood State Park is a major draw for largemouth bass fishers (you need a state license to fish) and campers – there are more than 100 campsites along the lake’s shore.