Nate, I grew in Wilmington NC, located near the mouth of the Cape Fear, about 60 mi from Myrtle Beach. Wilmington is steeped in Civil War history.

The downtown area has some fabulous old colonial mansions. Greenfield Gardens is a 150 acre lake with old cypress trees hanging heavy with spanish moss. It's particularly beautiful in April when the azaleas are blooming. Wilmington is known as the 'city of azaleas' and they are breathtaking when they all bloom in early April.
Greenfield gardens has a 5 mile hiking/biking path that's very nice. Airlie Gardens, near Wrightsville Beach, is known for it's ancient oaks and natural beauty. Located on the sound, it has lots of waterbirds.

Old Brunswick Town, near Southport, is a wonderful old colonial port town. The region has lots of excavated ruins dating back to the early 1700's. Also the Fort Fisher area is very nice.

There should be lots of hiking trails in the region. I don't think you'd encounter too many tourists this time of year. In fact, many of those little towns roll up the sidewalks early.

I love the local food. Great seafood, hushpuppies, brunswick stew and pork barbecue...the best!

We used to go to Myrtle Beach when I was a kid but it wasn't anything like it is now...so I can't tell you anything about that area anymore. You could however go over to the Carolina gardening forum. There are people there that could give you some info.

Have fun!

Nate, Oops...it's more like 75 miles from Myrtle Beach to Wilmington... Old Brunswick Town and Southport is 65 miles from MB.

Still, it's worth the trip, particularly if you can stay over a night.