Coastal Carolina Resorts Welcome Visitors From The North As Record Cold Winter Predictions Are Made

Myrtle Beach, SC (PRWEB) December 28, 2007 -- According to Coastal Carolina Resorts, snow and ice storms in the North and Midwest, and the harshest winter in 15 years predicted for Canada have more and more visitors headed south.

Warmer weather and great values can be found in seaside communities in winter. Here's a look at some locations recommended by long-time travelers who know the Carolinas.

Those whose passion is fishing will love the Cape Fear coast around Wilmington, North Carolina. Two small, friendly beach towns -- Carolina Beach and Kure Beach -- offer reasonably priced accommodations and charming character.

Carolina Beach is an ideal area for surf fishing, bottom fishing, shell fishing and deep sea fishing, thanks to its location at the convergence of the Cape Fear River, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. The Carolina Beach Fishing Pier is a great place to drop a line; it's open to the public and has a tackle shop, grill and arcade.

At nearby Kure Beach, the fishing is just as good. In fact, the Kure Beach pier enjoys an international reputation among fishermen as one of the best places to pier fish for king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, flounder and blues.

Accommodations are so convenient you can enjoy the pleasures of both towns when you visit. Choose from quaint family-owned beachfront motels, bed & breakfast establishments, or a towering oceanfront hotel.

More information about these two towns is available online at CarolinaBeachGetaway.com and KureBeachstories.com.

The Grand Strand area around Myrtle Beach, South Carolina straddles the North Carolina/South Carolina border. It is an especially great destination for either a family vacation or a golf getaway.

At the Sands Resorts, visitors will find enough on-site amenities to ensure that no one will ever have to head back out on the road until it's time to go home. Sands Resorts has over 1,650 guest rooms at its six-oceanfront properties, all of which are located close to one another at the northern end of Myrtle Beach. In summer, Sands is bustling with its on-site water park and numerous outdoor pools, but in winter visitors can still enjoy the indoor pools and whirlpools, the Atlantis Spa, oceanfront restaurants and lounges, Sands Health Club, massage therapy, Concierge services, and Sands Kids Club activity program. There's even an on-staff PGA Professional.

To learn more about the Sands Resorts, go online to www.sandsresorts.com or call Sands Resorts at (800) 260-8676.

The epicenter of golf in the town that modestly calls itself the "World Capital of Golf" is Martin's PGA TOUR Superstore, a virtual playground for those who love golf. Visitors to either Grand Strand location will find huge indoor practice areas with putting greens, real sand bunkers and chipping greens. Hitting bays are set up with launch monitors and swing analyzers.

Superstore claims to provide the recreational golfer with the same level of service that the Tour pros receive from those famous pampering "Tour Vans" that follow pros from tournament to tournament.

There are about 100 courses and resorts along the Grand Strand, but few have as much to offer as Sea Trail Golf Resort, The Glens Golf Group and Pawleys Plantation.

Sea Trail is in Sunset Beach, N.C. on the northern end of the Strand, just above the South Carolina border. The 2000-acre resort has three championship courses that are kept in top condition during the fall and winter and two full-service clubhouses with golf shops.

Known for its easygoing southern style, as well as great golf, Sea Trail's golf amenities include practice greens, a lighted driving range, a Custom Clubs Store and a PGA-sanctioned Golf Learning Center. The resort's Village Activity Center offers indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpools, and a licensed massage therapist.

Accommodations are in Carolina-style villas that feature panoramic views of the golf courses and lakes. Choose from a cozy one-bedroom or move all the way up to a spacious four-bedroom villa.

More information is available at www.seatrail.com or by calling 888-675-9237.

A few miles south, is Heather Glen, the flagship course and accommodations headquarters for the Grand Strand's premier collection of golf courses, The Glens Golf Group.

The Group offers four award-winning championship golf courses, luxurious golf villa accommodations, and a golf academy headed by one of America's top-ranked PGA instructors.

Accommodations are in villas and townhomes in a Scottish-themed setting called the Village at the Glens and overlook the spectacular Heather Glen Golf Links. Stay-and-play packages include discounts on play at all four Glens courses, free range balls, complimentary breakfast and discounted replays. The courses are Heather Glen, Glen Dornoch, Possum Trot and Shaftesbury Glen.

More information is available at www.glensgolfvacations.com or at www.glensgolfgroup.com.

Pawleys Plantation is located on the southern tip of the Grand Strand in the historic resort town of Pawleys Island, S.C. Featuring a landscape of 200-year-old, moss-draped live oaks, egret and heron rookeries, and a stately antebellum-style clubhouse, at just 582 acres, Pawleys Plantation is surrounded by spectacular natural wetlands, salt marshes and a 600-acre nature preserve.

The centerpiece of the resort is a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course that features several holes that stretch out into the marsh and back. Other golf amenities include practice greens, a driving range, and full-service pro shop. The Phil Ritson-Mel Sole golf School (one of the Top 25 in the U.S.) is headquartered there, making the resort the perfect spot for both learning and relaxation.

Accommodations are provided in casually elegant villas built in the Lowcountry style. The villas line the park-like setting of the Nicklaus golf course, providing beautiful views of the course, lakes and the salt marsh. On-site amenities include golf, tennis, swimming, and a fitness room, and the resort is perfect for strolling hand-in-hand or riding a bicycle built for two.

To learn more about Pawleys Plantation go online at www.pawleysplantation.com or call 800-367-9959.

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