When most folks think of the South Carolina coastline, they think of the spring break haven at Myrtle Beach. But if you are looking for a seaside escape, go 25 miles south to Pawley's Island, where a dozen homes date from the late 1700s. Visitors enjoy a relaxed vibe on the island, where people crab in the creeks, nap in hammocks and stroll long stretches of white sand dunes.

Another way to get a better sense of place in South Carolina is a visit to Greenville, where a kind of renaissance anchored by the Westin Poinsett Hotel has made downtown a thriving district with restaurants, coffee shops and sidewalk cafes. Within two city blocks, stop in at the new bright and airy Greenville County Library, the Greenville Little Theatre and the Greenville Museum of Art.

And while people often associate South Carolina with its beaches, the state is home to a number of rustic Blue Ridge Mountain rental cabins. Relax on the porch of a wooded cabin with a drink in one hand, a book in the other, and nothing but the sounds of the forest and a squeaky rocking chair.

At Angel Oak Tree, in Johns Island, visitors stand in awe of what many locals simply call "The Tree." The live oak is believed to be 1,500 years old – some call it the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi. It is physically impressive at 65 feet tall and with a truck 25 feet in circumference.

To sample the quiet splendor of South Carolina's natural beauty, make a trek to the 100-foot Issaqueena Falls in Oconee County. The falls are only a 15-minute hike into the woods from the Stumphouse Tunnel near Walhalla, doable for even a beginning hiker. Oconee has at least a dozen beautiful waterfalls – make a day of touring them. The state's Lower Whitewater Falls not far from Walhalla are perhaps the most spectacular, cascading down more than 200 feet.

Rich in history, Sullivan's Island was once the largest slave port in North America. It has been estimated that half of all African-Americans can trace their ancestry to the island. Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie on the island, which was bombed by the British during a fierce battle in 1776. The island's lighthouse, built in 1962, distinguished itself with an elevator instead of a traditional spiral staircase.

Caesars Head State Park offers a sweeping view of the leaves in fall, when the areas hardwoods turn brilliant colors. The park is part of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness, with about 11,000 acres of mountain forest, a favorite of hikers. A popular trail leads to the 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls, which can be viewed from above on a suspension bridge.