Grand Strand refers to the virtually uninterrupted 60 mile stretch of beach between Georgetown and Little River, South Carolina. The phrase is often seen or heard while vacationing in Myrtle Beach, and the many communities along this shore each have their own character while sharing the Grand Strand in common. Claude Dunnagan, who lived from 1917 to 1994, is credited with coining the term when his column “From the Grand Strand” appeared in the Myrtle Beach News in 1949.