Booked this week at a timeshare back in January – little did I know I would be in no shape for a week of golf. It turned out to be a very enjoyable week – great dining and wonderful non-golf activities.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

Located in the Broadway at the Beach complex. The most noteworthy exhibit here is Dangerous Reef, a huge 340-foot underwater tunnel where you move on a glidepath through a 750,000-gallon tank surrounded by sharks, tarpons, sea turtles and green moray eels. Other exhibits include Rio Amazon, featuring animals typical of tropical rain forests, and the Living Gallery, which shelters corals, weedy sea dragons and a giant octopus. Meanwhile, Friendship Flats allows hands-on interactions with some of the aquarium’s creatures.

Heritage Shores Nature Preserve and Conway South Carolina

Conway is known for the abundance of murals throughout the city and the preserve extends into the Cherry Grove Marsh. A series of elevated boardwalks and observation docks provide access through and around the preserve, where more than seven acres of walking paths feature interpretive signage at dozens of stations describing the wide array of plants, animals, fish and bird species that can be discovered here.

Brookgreen Gardens

Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve, located just south of Murrells Inlet, in South Carolina. The 9,100-acre property includes several themed gardens featuring American figurative sculptures, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails through several ecosystems in nature reserves on the property.