Not all paths to bronzed beauties and sculpted hard bodies lead to Myrtle Beach. Some of the most spectacular specimens are just a short drive south on Highway 17. Just north of Pawleys Island you'll turn right at the first "Fighting Stallions" you come to. This head-turning bronze welcomes the curious to an experience unlike any other on South Carolina's Grand Strand. Brookgreen Gardens, a national historic landmark, plays host to the largest outdoor collection of American sculpture in the world. Brookgreen Gardens also houses the only accredited zoo on the Carolina coasts, home to otters, foxes, birds and the proverbial alligator, in natural habitat settings.
An ambitious project even by today's standards, Brookgreen Gardens, built in 1931 by Archer and Anna Huntington, showcases American sculpture in an exquisite low country setting. Created on the grounds of four former rice plantations, Brookgreen incorporates many original plantation buildings. Anna Hyatt Huntington's butterfly-shaped garden features her notable work, along with pieces covering the entire period of American sculpture, from the 1800s to the present, currently numbering well over 900. It's one visual "wow" after another. You stroll entranced through Live Oak Alle, a cathedral-like canopy of Spanish moss-draped giants, a glint of gold glancing off McCartans's gilded bronze Dionysus just beyond. Breathtaking monumental sculptures rise larger than life from tranquil reflecting pools and spirited fountains.
And there's more: The Huntington's winter home, Atalaya, is worth the $5.00 admission fee to Huntington Beach State Park, just across Highway 17. Being a state park and all, activities options abound. Tour Atalaya, then explore boardwalk nature trails, spend a day on the beach, picnic, fish, check out alligators, even camp if you like.
With its unassuming stance built from verbal instructions only, Atalaya, the Watchtower, is Archer Huntington's Moorish fortress. Narrow hallways with long shuttered windows and intricate hand-wrought iron bars open on to a courtyard of arching walkways and palmettos. Thirty rooms face the courtyard, whose 40-foot watertower provided running water for the castle. Anna's studio, impressive with its 25-foot skylight, unfolds onto a courtyard with a horse stable, dog kennel and bear pen built into the original construction for Anna's animal models.
For more information, visit brookgreen.org or huntingtonbeachsc.org for the scoop on upcoming events and ongoing programs at the most decidedly off-the-beaten-path attraction around Myrtle Beach.
This tidbit of real travel advice was contributed by Linda Catoe.
Heading to Myrtle Beach to check out the Brookgreen Gardens or Atalaya yourself? Don't forget to book a private rental before you go!