There are two indigenous activities in Myrtle Beach that you simply must try once, even if neither is usually “your thing.”

One is dining at an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet such as Benjamin’s Calabash, Captain George’s, The Giant Crab, Preston’s or Crabby Mike’s. The experience is like a big block party where strangers find themselves discussing the relative merits of the various dishes and the servers ooze Southern hospitality. There’s no fussy presentation, but the food is fresh and nicely prepared. Most buffets have more than 150 choices, including king crab legs, shrimp, oysters, scallops, mahi-mahi and prime rib cut to order.

The second activity is live theater. (You thought I’d say hang-gliding or miniature golf, didn’t you?) Choices range from the Pirates Voyage, where you dine while a swashbuckling battle rages on full-sized ships in a 15-foot-deep lagoon, to Legends in Concert — live performances by Elvis, Dolly Parton, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, The Temptations and more. Okay, they’re not the real stars, but they’re so good you’ll soon forget they’re impersonators. At the Alabama Theatre, The Carolina Opry and The House of Blues, the entertainers are the real deal. Headliners have included Loretta Lynn, Alabama, Calvin Gilmore, Hootie & The Blowfish and Keith Urban.