Myrtle Beach:
On
the Grand Strand
Come
for the golf ... it's awesome.
But Myrtle Beach has a far more powerful attraction...the priceless one: the Great Water.
Holiday-makers, retirees, golfers, big
happy families from nearby Florence, Dillon or Atlanta; burned-out
urbanites looking for chill time from Pittsburgh, Boston, New York, and
Toronto; and the usual
carloads of friends who drive fourteen hours or more nonstop from
Detroit, Columbus,
Knoxville...all make haste to the Grand Strand just to be beside a
beautiful blue/green ocean, drink the glorious oxygen, and to find a
beach to flop above or on.
Apparently, many do, from the look
of all the golf clubs going round and around and around the airport's baggage
claim carousel.
Traveler's USA Notebook just dipped in for a long weekend look-see. We're here to give you the vibe.
What To Do
Golf
Forty years ago Myrtle Beach (pop
approx. 23,000) had only two golf courses. Today there are more than 100 courses – all within a half hour's drive. More, if you count
mini-golf – and who among us can survive without dragons and pirates and
loop-de-loops?
NASCAR
Speed Park
Just opposite Broadway at the Beach (see below) on U.S. Highway, NASCAR Speed Park is an automotice fantasy land. With its many speed tracks, it offers different racing experiences, depending on how old you are and what you like. For more information, call 843.918.8275 or click here
Broadway at the Beach
is a 350-acre magnet for tourists. Boardwalks, restaurants; and lots of
things to buy at from the 100 shops here ranging from Victoria's Secrets
to Tiki Jim's, the Disney Store to Oh My Godard Gallery, nightclubs
hotels and attractions.
Broadway at the Beach is the big magnet
for the kids.
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Ripley's Aquarium has wonderful sloping rampways and moving sidewalks to glide you through the marvelous fish exhibits where you can gape at the silvery fish and the sweet faces of the visiting children, all-agog; just feel the rays in their tanks; and see the hermit crab feeling tank, a pirate lore room, a sexy suckery octopus, gentle jellies, list names on tape.....barracudas, manta rays, green iguanas, a sea turtle. Traveler loved the fish. Their tanks were immaculate. The kids we saw loved the aquarium. They screamed and squealed every time they spotted a an extraordinary fishie.
Still, Traveler hated the aquarium. The place was all glitzed up, complete with thundering poppish, rockish sound track everywhere we walked. the commercial atmosphere annoyed us. If you enjoy visiting aquariums and have seen quite a few, this pounding music makes you feel very sorry for the animals in this aquarium. Maybe the tanks have thick enough glass to protect the critters from the noise and vibrations; but Traveler thinks it's a terrible thing to do to creatures, and a callous lack of respect. Traveler hasn't heard it in any other Aquarium. Kids, and animals, deserve better. (A recent exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History featured live reptiles of all sorts. Signs everywhere advised visitors not to photograph the animals because the flash is jarring.) We saw no such signage in Ripley's Aquarium. And we saw plenty of popping flashes. -
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Dragon's Lair mini golf – two courses, one disabled accessible – how nice! And a huge magnificent dragon who pops up every now and then and makes snarky remarks
For more information about Broadway at the Beach, click here
Hard Rock Park
We’re told that rock and roll themed
Hard Rock Park is the first new theme park to hit the
USA since Legoland was assembled in 1999.
Get the idea? It is
the world’s first rock and roll theme park. And maybe that’s a good
thing. And don’t worry! There are food, attractions, shows (from Malibu
Beach Party to Country on the Rocks ice show, merch and more than 50
rides. The latter include Led Zeppelin – The Ride (above, Eagles Life In
The Fast Lane and “Nights in White Satin – The Trip For more information, call
843.236.ROCK or click
here
Where To Stay
Shh....shh...shh...that's the sound of the ocean
It's impossible not to get a good night's sleep here, especially if, like Traveler, you're lounging on the balcony at the Caravelle Tower overlooking the Atlantic, It’s living large in Room 1413 at the newly renovated —granite counters! flat-screen HDTVs every room has an oceanview balcony! free local and toll-free-calls! immaculate coin-op guest laundry!) — multi-building, but still cheerfully casual and oh so beachy Caravelle Resort---so who needs golf?
About the Caravelle Resort: It is
not just a gracious getaway. It also is piece of the area's golf
history.
As the story goes, Caravelle founder
George “Buster” Bryan
founded the resort in 1960 with a
three-story, 30-unit building. He wanted a way to lodge
players at the Dune Lodge and Beach Club. (Seen at the top of the
page.) Two
years later Bryan came up with an idea for a golf package – two nights
and two rounds of golf for something like $35 a night. More
golfers coming to Myrtle Beach led to more golf courses and more
hotel rooms. Today the Caravelle is really 9 buildings, including
condos. The original
structure has been embellished, enhanced and built upon and is now a
14-story tower.
And what we have is a genuine oasis --
reasonable rates, very loyal clientele, some coming more than 20, 30
years. It's quiet. Ladies lie on the chaise lounges on the lawn
overlooking the ocean area.
Outside, just a short walk from the
beach, are the pools and Jacuzzis and that weirdly wildly Southern
thing, the Lazy river the kids go nuts for. For the benefit of our
fellow Yankees, let us define a lazy river. It is a meanderng ribbon of
a pool, festooned with yellow inner tubes. Kids just jump in the tubes
and go around and around all day. (To be fair, other Myrtle Beach hotels
have lazy river pools.)
While families are frolicking and maybe
even cavorting in the outdoor pools, some guests like to make their way
to the seventh floor which has an indoor pool and an adjacent sun deck
The deck is ideal for getting a sun tan or gazing at the moon.
We love a cheerful beach hotel room with
big refrigerator, full stove, microwave, shiny pots and pans, fork and
knives, plates, glasses and a cheerful emerald green perky bottle of
Palmolive dishwashing soap. Everything you need – a dream come true.
When you pack for this trip, you can toss your papaya and organic pasta
into your suitcase.
Sit holding hands on the balcony at
night. Watch the stars and
planets and satellites. Listen to the tide. You can roll back the
picture window and sleep to the sound of the surf. Ahhhhhh.
View the Atlantic Ocean all night long in from the safety of your
balcony and see the golden glow ball
of the sun coming up. It is so exciting, sleeping by the sea.
You’ll find yourself waking
up just to go and see it in the middle of the night. Within hours
of arising you'll come right down. And in the long soft afternoons you
can see the curvature of the earth. As you rest your computer strained
eyed on the pale blue arc of the watery horizon.
If you don't want to rent a car, there's
a cute little spanking new old-fashioned trolley that goes around town
every hour or so and for a
buck or two, you can see quite a lot ask your concierge.
What To Eat
Don’t expect
organics, Whole Foods, or
Wolfgang Puck. You are
on the beach, and in the South. Fried food, huge slabs of
carnivorous fare is
everywhere, along with that shocking Fifties horror, iceberg lettuce. If
you're lucky enough to be staying at the Caravelle Resort, you'll have a
faboulous kitchen and full-size fridge. Pack your own soba noodles,
brown rice and papaya. More time to commune with the ocean view. During
out visit to Broadway at he Beach, we had a good pasta with garlic and
oil at Amici's Brick Oven Bistro)
You also might appreciate
the Caravelle Resort’s breakfast buffet—
omelet station, scrambled eggs, pancakes, grits, oatmeal, home
fries, yogurt, biscuits, gravy, toast, grapefruit, fruit plate.
According to press reports, the newly opened (like 1 June 2008 new) Hard Rock Park has some decent fare but Traveler’s visit preceded the theme park’s opening. So the food has not been given the rigorous Traveler test.
Getting There
Some travelers enjoy the distinct plus of flying via Myrtle Beach Direct Air. The airline offers the twin joys of direct flights and affordable prices. (Flights start at $99.) As an added perk, the company partners up with local resorts to offer special getaway packages. Details are on the airline’s Web site. If the company has a distinct hometown feel to it, don't be surprised.
Here’s the backstory. Four of the firm’s five founders were aviation
industry veterans, who were living and working in Myrtle Beach. They had
known and worked with each other for nearly 20 years.
When several air services discontinued flights to the resort
area, these five thought it was time to start Myrtle Beach Direct Air.
First they did some research. They wanted to know what cities and
regions their customers will be coming from. They knew that many
Canadians liked the Myrtle Beach Sun and golf courses. They looked at
Niagara, located 20 minutes from Toronto two minutes from the border,
and smiled.
In March 2007, Myrtle Beach Direct Air started with one flight from Niagra and well the carrier just –er-took off. Now flights originate in a handful of selected cities —Newark, Niagara Falls, Columbus (Ohio), Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Plattsburgh. (Hint: the Plattsburgh location often is referred to as Montréal's USA airport.)
In August 2008, local government slashed Myrtle Beach Direct Air’s
landing fees. This helps the carrier to keep prices down and encourages
it to expand its service.
(Myrtle Beach Direct Air is planning to add three cities in the spring.
When we learn which ones, we will let you know.)
For more information, call 877.432.DIRECT or click
here.
Myrtle Beach Links
Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association |
Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
worldgolf.com’s Myrtle Beach page
