Friday, April 9, 2010

7 days in Charleston over Labor Day

We%26#39;re returning to Charleston this Labor Day for a week. We were there for a week over Labor Day two years ago and LOVE the area. Last time we were there, our son was barely a year old. This time, we will have a three year old and nine month old. Any suggestions on things we NEED to see this time? There%26#39;s so much to do in the area. We%26#39;re also interested in going on some sort of a boat tour to see wildlife-dolphins or something of that nature-as well as visiting a couple of the islands in the area. Where should we be going? Also, any family friendly places to eat? Our oldest is allergic to peanuts so we%26#39;re VERY limited as to what he can have especially eating out.





thank you so much for your help and ideas!!!



7 days in Charleston over Labor Day


Coastal Expeditions can set up on a sea excursion and I highly recommend them.

Best Golf Course & Driving Range for amateurs??

My bf and I are amateurs in golf...but would like to know what%26#39;s the best driving range and golf course for us to try??





We%26#39;ll be going Jan 27-31, will the weather be ok for a game?





Thanks!!



Best Golf Course %26amp; Driving Range for amateurs??


Cold front has officially hit the Carolinas and supposed to last the next 15 days or so. Highs will be around 50 according to the %26#39;experts%26#39;. If you guys have never played (or have only played a couple times), may be a good idea to find a Par 3 (or executive course). They can be much more enjoyable vs. battling for 4 1/2 hours and 7,000 yards of regulation golf.



Best Golf Course %26amp; Driving Range for amateurs??


Great idea. Do you know names of any specific places?




As far as a regulation course,the Wizzard is about as wide open as it gets and has only 3 water holes.




No personal experience w/ any, but Tupelo Bay in Garden City has nice range, executive course, Par 3, can even play at night as it%26#39;s lighted. Harbour View in North Myrtle appears to have range, par 3, and executive. Both have websites.



www.tupelobay.com



www.harbourviewgolf.com





There are many, many more......




There is also Midway par 3 at the south end of town near the airport and cane patch at the north end of town is also a par 3 and that one has a driving range

? for MB Concierge about accommodations

Hi MB Concierge,





We are going to be in MB the first week in Feb. for a mini vacation and traveling w/ another couple. We are all ';seasoned'; travelers and looking for some nice accommodations for 5 days. The husbands would like to play golf for a couple of days also. We will have a rental car.





Are there are special deals that we might take advantage of at that time? I know that it is pretty much off season so would appreciate any suggestions. We do not want a Days Inn type hotel and do not want to stay in the downtown area either. It doesn%26#39;t have to be a luxury hotel, just something clean and comfortable. Would prefer something either on or near the ocean so we can do some beach walking.





Where can we find the best ';golf deals';? Do they advertise in the local papers?





Any recommendations for nice restaurants? Again, doesn%26#39;t have to be high end, just good food. Don%26#39;t like those ';cafeteria style'; places!





Thanks for any help.





May



? for MB Concierge about accommodations


As I am sure you have noticed there are no shortages of hotels along the Grand Strand. You can get nice Beachfront accomodations from Cherry Grove (North of MB) all way south thru Surfside, Garden City, Pawleys Island, Litchfield. You can go to a resort or rent nice condo. Couple of questions might help pin an area down and then you can read the reviews of the various resorts/hotels to the left.





1. Are you more intersted in lazy quiet days hanging out by the pool and ocean?



If YES, then I suggest either North Myrtle Beach/Cherry Grove area, or further south, Surfside or Garden City.



IF NO, then Myrtle Beach city limits might offer more to your liking. If you are into nighttime entertainment, Myrtle Beach will give you the best options, like Broadway at the Beach.





2. You mention golf, is this mainly a golf vacation or only a day of golf? Many resorts offer golf packages again, look to the left and se what deals/packages are offered. Then if you see something that intersts you, you will get opinions from people who have stayed there.





No shortage of restaurants --nice ones partically on every corner. We have restaurant row in North Myrtle Beach. Your hotel can always offer a suggestion or two. This is a very large area, even though you have a car, you may not want to drive 20 or 30 miles, so your location determines what restaurants someone might recommend. If distance is not an issue, try Calabash, NC for some great seafood restaurants. It is a fishing village and many options there.



? for MB Concierge about accommodations


Hey there May !



Great time to come to the beach....some really good values to be found in not only hotel accomodations, but a number of good restaurants do ';buy one get one free'; specials! And our spring golf season hasnt taken off yet, so green fees are reasonable too!





A few places that I would take a look at would be Mariott Grande Dunes (located at the north end of MB -- very nice resort, decent golf desk), Grande Shores, Monteray Bay Suites (breakfast and a dessert reception included in your room rate!), Long Bay, Sea Island or South Wind Villas. All of these places are located just south of the Mariott and in an area of MB we call the ';Avenues';. Nice beach in this area great for long walks, shell and shark tooth collecting. SouthWind and Sea Island are sister properties with Sea Island being the newer of the two (they opened last season, SouthWind the season before). All are OF properties, most with decent balconies to set out on to enjoy that morning coffee!





As for golf --- that time of year most courses arent that busy, and most do run some great specials that are advertised in the local paper (www.myrtlebeachonline.com). A number of the hotels that I listed do golf packages...in fact forgot another place you all might enjoy...The Breakers Paradise Tower...great golf packages, OF and close to some decent places to eat and be entertained. You might want to look at some of the previous threads concerning golf..there are a number of websites that offer some great golf package options...if thats what you are looking for.





And restaurants...Like Kat said...we have some great options! If you stay more to the north end of MB (the Avenues) you have some of my personal favs there.....Collectors Cafe, Liberty Tap Room and Grille, Villa Mare, City Bar, River City, Cheeseburger in Paradise (great live music there!) Bonefish Grille, Flamingo Grille and Fiesta Mexicana (great $2 margaritas! and great food!). I%26#39;d also check out some of the great options in Murrells Inlet (our seafood capital). Murrells Inlet is about a 30 minute drive south...but you have some great options and the Marshwalk that goes behind a number of the restaurants along the marsh is well worth the visit. Another Italian Fav is Villa Romana at 7th Ave S in MB....and for breakfast...Harry%26#39;s Pancakes about 19th Ave N in MB.....





Hope all the info Kat and I have given helps! Enjoy your time here!





:)




Like many others before you who ask about best golf deals you need to be more specific. I could send you to Cypress Bay or River Oaks but playing conditions would probably be poor.Do you want a good course for the money with good conditions(Crow Creek,Possum Trot) or do you want something with more of a WOW factor like Tidewater or Caledonia.





A good idea might be to play at least one marsh course if you have never had the experience( Rivers Edge,Pearl,Oyster Bay etc.).So more specifics please.Like expensive or cheap,housing or no housing, easy or hard, close or far away etc.




As always MBConcierge is right on with her advice.The area both her and I advocate is commonly known as the ';Golden Mile'; and runs from about 48th thru 79th in the northern section of Myrtle Beach.It puts you right in the middle of all major attractions.Its not only a great area in which to walk the beach but the residential areas that seperate it from highway 17 also offer a good walking option.





One more hotel I would throw in the mix is Forest Dunes which offers some of the best balcony views in all of Myrtle from the 6th floor on up.Priced well,it offers larger rooms than most but does not offer a lot of frills.





Also have a lunch or light dinner at Hamburger Joes up by Barefoot Landing.




Hi all,





Thanks so much for your great advice! I knew that this would be the right place for me to gather info. I will check out the places mentioned.





We are familiar w/ the MB area, having visited many times. My brother has a condo in the North MB area so when we have visited we have stayed w/ him. This time around we are looking to try something a bit different and stay at a hotel. My husband has also been down many times on golfing trips w/ a group of fellow golfers so he is very familiar w/ the area. Where to stay is what we are looking for help with.





We are looking for something nice that would offer all the typical amenities, preferably some type of breakfast, etc. in the am. We are not looking for an el cheapo place to stay! The Marriott mentioned sounds nice %26amp; I will check it out. I do like Fairfield Inns %26amp; Marriotts. Find them to be a good value for the money as well as very clean.





The food recommendations sound great. We have eaten at Cagney%26#39;s, a very nice Italian restaurant (forgot the name)at Barefoot Landing (too much food!) and several others. I love fish so Calabash sounds great too!





I think that the husbands will play a couple of days of golf, weather permitting. We may drive to Charleston for a day and see the sights down there. Both guys are fairly decent golfers so think they would be interested in a decent course vs a poor one. I can get more specific info from them as to what they are looking for.





Basically, we are looking for a little R%26amp;R w/ some golf thrown in, some good restaurants to try, and maybe taking in a show at Alabama or Carolina Oprey if there is anything decent there.





Thanks again for all the great advice. Feel free to offer any suggestions.





May




Many of the golf courses have banded together in groups.If you play courses within a certain group good prices can be had.Boroughs and Chapin used to offer choice of either Tidewater or Grande Dunes(both wow factor) along with Myrtlewood and Farmstead for a set price.





Prime Times has Kings North as its top course and choices of Long Bay,Waterway Hills,Willbrook and a few others to group together.





My advice is to call up Myrtlewood and ask for a price to play Tidewater,Myrtlewood Palmetto and Farmstead.Then see if the hotel you choose can get you a better deal.Farmstead would be the longest drive of the 3 at about 23 miles from Sea Island or Dunes Village.




For the Myrtlewood package you might even log onto www.myrtlebeachtrips.com....this is actually the booking website for those courses...good luck in the search!





And...if any other questions pop up, you know where to look for the answers!





:)




Thanks for all the great suggestions. I am in the process of looking at all the suggested hotels. I am thinking that I would like to stay in a low rise vs a high rise so guess we need to consider condo rentals too. My husband and his buddy definitely want an indoor pool so I am finding that lots of the hotels don%26#39;t have indoor pools. We are leaning towards the North Myrtle area to stay in.





They are also thinking that they will wait til we see what the weather is going to be during the time we will be visiting and book tee times then. They don%26#39;t think it will be a problem finding a course to play on. LOL





I looked at the Camelot By The Sea%26#39;s website and that place looks nice. However, no indoor pool listed.





My husband used to stay at the Radisson in NMB when he would go down w/ his golf group. He liked that hotel. Has it changed ownership? I can%26#39;t find it listed. We used to walk over there for their buffet breakfast when we visited my brother.





Will keep y%26#39;all posted. Thanks again.





May





P.S. One other question - is SuperBowl a big deal in MB? What%26#39;s going on if it is?




Football is a huge deal in SC, and there are many sports bars that will have the super bowl on. I am sure there will be bars with some type of super bowl party going on.



Someone mentioned Myrtlewood Condo/golf package. Nice course, we lived in one of the condo%26#39;s in the Myrtlewood complex. They have 3 different condo complexs, they are all nice, ranging from about 10 + yrs old or so, to brand new. At Myrtlewood you will get a condo and swimming pool. You are 1 mile from the beach and 1 mile from Broadway at the Beach, shopping and entertainment venue. Great location, but you will not ocean front, not even ocean view. Thats probably the main question, do you want to stay ocean front, if so, MBCon, always gives good suggestions on lodging. Ton%26#39;s of very good restaurants, no matter what area you stay in, there will be plenty to chose from.




May....



The Radisson is now the Hilton, located near Kingston Plantation...there was another Radisson here located at the convention center, but that is now a Sheraton.





As for Football....its a lifestyle here! Not only pro, but we%26#39;re HUGE college fans (guess thats since we really dont have a ';local'; team)...but with all of us transplants, you%26#39;ll find most sports bars packed out on Superbowl Sunday....Overtime Sports in NMB, Oscars in NMB, Jimmigans (4 area locations), Spencers on the south end, and probably where I%26#39;ll end up...Liberty Tap Room and Grille.





Have fun!





:)

Advice on where to stay in HH

We are planning on coming to HH in August. We have never been there and are trying to find the best location for us. We have 4 adults and 4 children in our party. We love swim, ride horses, hike and some love golf!! Any tips? We are overwelmed when we look at the the different places to rent!! Thanks!



Advice on where to stay in HH


First read my ';Sticky'; called ';Plantations'; which appears on the top of the forum. Do not post any queries there, as it is for information only, and queries WILL NOT get answered.





That should give you an idea of what is available in each community where you can find short term rentals.





I assume you want something with four bedrooms for the number of people in your party. While there are some villas available of that size they are few and far between. For instance at Captains Walk we have 6 units of four bedrooms, but only one is available for rental.





So you will probably want a house or to rent 2- 2bedrrom Villas in the same complex.





The best places to go for rentals are Cyberrentals.com or VRBO.com. The units offered through these websites are privately owned and rented, so Caveat Emptor. However most people are satisfied with what they get.





You also may want to get a commercial rental. I would look at Vacation Company, Beach Properties, or Island Getaway. They all have websites and you can see pictures of the properties.





Stan (hhiguy)



Advice on where to stay in HH


It can be pretty confusing but once you select an area (plantation) it will make it easier for you. I use www.vrbo.com to rent directly from the homeowners and you can view pictures, rates and locations or management company website, www.islandgetaway.com. For those that have been to Hilton Head before, they all have their favorite plantations and my favorite house rental area is Palmetto Dunes but Sea Pines is closer for horse back-riding and Harbor Town. There are many Marriott Timeshares in Hilton Head. Marriott Grand Ocean or Marriott Barony Beach are my favorite beach located timeshares that are 2 bedrooms and sleeps 8. I use www.myresortnetwork.com or www.redweek.com to see what%26#39;s available direct from timeshare owners. Hope this is helpful.




We%26#39;ve gone to HH for the last 4 years and have enjoyed staying at the Island Club Resort the most. Very close to the beach, great pools and facilities, good management, very clean and well equipped condo%26#39;s. They usually have units that they rent out on behalf of owners, and their prices are reasonable.




Hi Michigan...Ohio here! :) But I must admit, my husband and I LOVE Michigan. We were just there last January for a snowmobiling trip (went to Boyne Mountain, Charlevoix sp? Newberry in the UP, Bay Harbor, Harbor Springs, etc.) and had an absolutely wonderful time!





Mark and I have been going to Hilton Head every August for the past 15 years. We%26#39;ve always stayed at either Marriott%26#39;s Grand Ocean Resort on S. Forest Beach Drive, the Marriott at Harbour Town, or at Harborside II at Shelter Cove. We love HHI and of all the resorts above, we enjoy the Grand Ocean Resort the most...beautiful beach, incredible pools, lagoons, great hot tubs, very convenient location, etc. We usually stay in one of the family timeshares but I understand that the units get rented as well.





Be sure to check out South Beach, Harbour Town, Sea Pines, and Shelter Cove during your stay. One of our favorite restaurants is Truffles in Sea Pines. We usually stop there during a bike ride between the Grand Ocean Resort and Harbor Town (great breaking point). If you go biking in Sea Pines, which many people do, be careful around the ponds...several aligators hang around those areas. Your children might enjoy the firework show at Shelter Cove, which they have every Tuesday night.





I%26#39;ve heard there are places on HHI where you can ride horses on the beach, but I%26#39;m not certain where to find this, perhaps close to Folly Field Rd. on the far end of the island (not a very convenient place to stay).





As for golfing, Mark and I have golfed at several courses on HHI, and our favorite is Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course.





Hope this helps! Enjoy your stay~





Heather








  • facial blackheads
  • desperate housewives need fun in caribbean!!

    planning a 4-5-6 day trip for my mom%26#39;s 60th bday next month. looking to travel end of feb. This will be an all girls trip. Half of us are single and the others just unhappily married!



    we have 4 of us girls in our 30%26#39;s and 3 in the late 50%26#39;s.



    looking for all inclusive possibly, maybe spa on resort BUT



    need nightlife options for the party ones in the crowd. No honemoon resorts or kids. prefer adults only.



    Mom loves Kenny Chesney so I considered somewhere in british virgin islands maybe...



    also barbados....



    any recommendations would be great!



    desperate housewives need fun in caribbean!!


    You are on the Myrtle Beach forum...no Caribbean Islands here.





    Your trip sound fun though!

    25th Anniversary

    We will be coming to myrtle at the end of August. Looking for a quiet place to stay at a resonable rate any suggestions? also good places to eat.



    25th Anniversary


    Loads of great places to stay %26amp; eat. End of August is a great time.





    Most of the families with kids are back home getting ready for school.





    Are you wanting to stay North or South? Hotel or condo? The choices are overwhelming so it helps to narrow it down a little.

    Family of 7 needs resort or hotel to keep kids busy

    This will be our first big vacation with our 5 kids in years and the first one to a beach. Our children are 14, 13, 11, 10 %26amp; 9 and we are looking for either a hotel or a resort. I want the kids to have fun and get to visit the beach but to also do other activities but my husband %26amp; I would like one night out by ourselves so also looking for a place that has a kids%26#39; night so the parents can go out. We are not rich by any means so something affordable.



    Can anyone help a stressed out mother?



    Family of 7 needs resort or hotel to keep kids busy


    I am sorry but I should have added that we would prefer a hotel on the beach so that we do not have to cross any busy streets



    Family of 7 needs resort or hotel to keep kids busy


    I don%26#39;t know how much you are trying to spend or when you will be coming to MB,but it can get a little costly trying to find room for 7 people. Listed are some suggestions, don%26#39;t know how costly it is for you.





    -Breakers ';Paradise Towers';



    -Compass Cove



    -Hampton Inn Oceanfront



    -Long Bay Resort



    -Sea Island Inn Resort (not as close to attractions as the others listed



    -Coral Beach Resort



    -Monterey Bay Suites





    Just to name a few decent places. My favorite is Breakers Paradise Towers. The location is perfect and the Paradise Towers has the perfect rooms for your family. Also the restaurants at the resort or near it are good and walking distance. Broadway at the Beach a major attraction in Myrtle Beach is just up the street.





    Hope this helps. I am planning our summer trip there as we speak. Going with the Paradise Towers again. We usually come late August 3rd or 4th week.




    MrsMaryland, The only vacation my husband gets is the last week of june and the 1st week of July, so I am guessing it would be the last week of June because I know it is more expensive on the holidays. We are hoping to only spend $2500-$3000 for 5 nights in a hotel, food and activities. LOL I know that it is asking alot for nothing but I am desperate for a vacation.




    That should be enough with your budget. Last summer we had 7 in our group. Our hotel had a kitchen. So we bought groceries for about $50.00 (including breakfast items, snacks and lunch treats like hot pockets, bread and lunch meat for sandwiches). With lunch just take a break from the beach and pools come upstairs for a bite to eat. Breakfast (eat a bowl of cereal) and only go out a few times for breakfast. Although breakfast will probably be the cheapest meal you will find. Dinner go to buffets (if you like them) and family friendly places and chain restaurants. They cost less. Check out the prices before you leave. Most restaurants have online menus.





    It%26#39;s very doable for what your price range to have a good vacation. Don%26#39;t worry yourself.




    One nice thing about Monteray Bay Suites is that a breakfast buffet and a dessert reception is included in your room rate. Its a decent buffet, nothing elaborate......I%26#39;d also take a look at Dunes Village...just recently opened and the kids pool area looks wonderful! Not for sure about the ';parent night out'; activites for the kids tho%26#39;....but a number of places to have reasonable sitter services.





    Enjoy!





    :)




    I posted this to answer another question....





    Here%26#39;s a link with some ideas for a family vacation in Myrtle Beach....





    …canoe.ca/Travel/…1482040-sun.html







    Cheers,





    Kevin



    Toronto





    P.S...Yes, I am the writer




    Thanks everyone :) I am going to check everything out and I will keep you updated on what I find.




    Whereever you stay, ask how close to a pier the hotel is located. With 5 children, you will have your hands full (we have 5 between my husband and I) and the closer you stay to piers, there is a slight possibility the fishermen will attract sharks! And I am sure, as a mother, you do not want to worry about that. A block or two away is okay, I wouldn%26#39;t think as much about it then.




    I really appreciate everyone%26#39;s opinions and help, Thanks so much!!!It is so overwhelming trying to find a nice place to stay. I could care less if the place is not 5 star but I would like a clean place with things to do with the kids. We really do not want to stay where sharks are.



    The 2 resorts that I have found that I like and can afford are 1) Compass Cove Oceanfront Resort that is an ocean front 3 bedroom condo in South Mrytle Beach. 2) Dunes Village 3 bedroom condo on the side of the building but it is in North Mrytle Beach.



    I would love to have ocean front balcony with a clear view of the ocean.





    My boss is going on vacation too so the only time I can go is July 2nd to the 7th if that matters.





    Monterey Bay Suite%26#39;s Manager told me Dunes would be better for the kids.



    Camelot By the Sea is over $1000 more for the week than other places so that is out completely.



    Hampton Inn %26amp; Suites is a little to expensive too.





    Any other suggestions or opinions?




    The only issue with July 2-7 is it hits 4th of July. BUSY week, lots of traffic and can be some wait times for certain restaurants. I assume you are driving. My suggestion is get in as early in the morning in to Myrtle Beach as you can. The later in the day the more traffic you will have. Better to get in close proximity to where you are staying and they will let you hang out by the pool, if your room is not ready. Or hang out at the beach. I have been stuck in that traffic and your drive time will double or triple.