5 Places You Must See When Visiting South Carolina

South Carolina, also known as the Palmetto State, receives over twenty-nine million visitors per year. It lies on the east coast of the US and borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. The original colony was named in honor of King Charles I, as "Carolus" is Latin for Charles. It has a population of over four and a half million and is ranked twenty-fourth among the US states. Columbia is the capital of this state and its forty-six counties. Like most of the states in the region, the weather is quite temperate year round which provides many months of comfortable tourism. If South Carolina is one of your destinations, there are many places you might consider visiting. Here are five of them, in no particular order: Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Columbia and Greenville/Spartanburg.

Charleston is the county seat of Charleston County. It is the oldest city in the state and the second largest. The city's original name was Charles Towne in and it moved to its current location on Oyster Point in 1680. Charleston is known as The Holy City due to the prominence of churches and numerous steeples which dot the city's skyline. It has a population of over one-hundred and twenty thousand. Marjabelle Young Stewart, an American etiquette expert recognized Charleston as the "best-mannered" city in the US in 1995.

Myrtle Beach is a coastal resort city in Horry County, South Carolina. It is the hub of both the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area and the Grand Strand, a complex of beach towns and barrier islands. The area's attractions include its beaches and many golf courses as well as amusement parks, an aquarium, retail developments and nearly two thousand restaurants. Myrtle Beach has an estimated 460 hotels. The area also has an IMAX theatre, dinner theatre and nightclubs. Myrtle Beach welcomes Hard Rock Park, so named after the popular Hard Rock Caf chain (now called Freestyle Music Park). The Carolina Opry is another highly-acclaimed attraction as well as the Myrtle Beach Convention Centre. An interesting point, while gambling is not legal in South Carolina; visitors may access a gambling boat which sails into international waters beyond the reach of federal and state gambling laws.

Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is resort town (located on an island of the same name) in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The island features twelve miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean. In 2004, an estimated two and a quarter million visitors came to stay. The island's population growth rate has been over thirty-two percent over the past decade. This town is known for its "eco-friendly" development and as a result enjoys an unusual amount of tree cover relative to the amount of development. Over 70% of the island is located inside gated communities; however the town maintains several public beach access points. The island offers an unusual number of cultural opportunities including Broadway-quality plays, the 120-member full chorus of the Hilton Head Choral Society, the Symphony Orchestra and the largest outdoor, tented wine tasting event on the east coast. It also hosts the Verizon Heritage, a stop on the PGA Tour.

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the US state of South Carolina. The city's name comes from a poetic synonym for America, derived from the name of Christopher Columbus. It is located thirteen miles northwest of South Carolina's geographic centre and CNNMoney.com named Columbia as one of America's 25 best places to retire. US News and World Report ranked the city 6th on its 2009 list of "America's Best Affordable Places to Retire" List.

Greenville is the seat of Greenville County, in upstate South Carolina, US. It is the third largest city in the state and is the largest of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Combined Statistical Area (CSA) which in 2006 had an estimated population of over 1.2 million. The CSA is an eight county region of northwestern South Carolina known as the "The Upstate." As the largest city in the Upstate, Greenville offers many activities and attractions. Greenville's theatres and event venues regularly host major concerts and touring theatre companies. Greenville has the only golf course in the world that has each conceived by a different designer. CrossWinds Golf Club is a public Par 3 course that can be played in one hour for 9 holes or two hours for 18. Other attractions include Falls Park on the Reedy, Liberty Bridge, Greenville County Museum of Art and the Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery.

With so many amazing places to go and different places to see, the culture and history of this state are boundless to absorb. It is easy to see why so many tourists make South Carolina their destination of choice on vacation.