Just in time for Independence Day celebrations, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is wrapping up a beach renourishment project in Myrtle Beach and preparing to extend that work to the Surfside Beach and Garden City areas, according to WBTW. The project means wider, healthier stretches of sand will greet the thousands of visitors and locals expected to hit the shore this holiday weekend — a welcome sight after coastal erosion can gradually chip away at the beaches that define life along the Grand Strand.

Beach renourishment projects pump fresh sand onto eroded shorelines, helping protect coastal properties while also giving beachgoers more room to spread out their towels. With the Myrtle Beach portion of the work nearly complete, crews are now turning their attention southward to Surfside Beach and Garden City, meaning even more of the coastline will benefit from the effort in the weeks ahead.

The good news doesn’t stop at the waterline. Salt Life, the lifestyle brand beloved by ocean enthusiasts, has opened a brand-new retail location in North Myrtle Beach, according to The National Law Review. The grand opening marks another expansion for the brand and adds a fresh shopping destination to the North Myrtle Beach community — a fitting addition to an area that celebrates coastal living year-round.

Together, the freshly renourished beaches and a new local retail opening make for a genuinely upbeat start to the summer holiday for residents and visitors alike along the Grand Strand.

Sources: WBTW, The National Law Review