south carolina vacation: April 2012

Friday, April 27, 2012

Golf in North Charleston

We will be staying in the North Chaleston area and would like to play some golf. We will be there in early March. I know that you can play along the beaches but I was looking for something a litte less expensive. Thanks

Golf in North Charleston

Just because it%26#39;s on the water doesn%26#39;t mean it%26#39;s expensive to play golf around here. Patriot%26#39;s Point is a nice course and so is Charleston National. You can get ';deals'; at both places since they%26#39;re open to the public.

I%26#39;m sure there are other courses - I think the links (to the link) are on the page ';Sports...'; under ';things to do';.

Golf in North Charleston

A little drive from N. Chs but Stono Ferry is an inexpensive course to play. I believe it is now the College of Charleston%26#39;s practice course.

The Golf Club at Westcott Plantation is in North Charleston and is relatively new. If you want to stay close to North Charleston, you might check that out. Their website is http://www.wescottgolf.com/

Accommodation

Can鈥檛 decide where to stay. Have narrowed down the search to the following three places in the HD. All have good reviews on trip advisor:

Holiday Inn (great reviews, but most seem to be based on the great concierge 鈥?Kevin.) I鈥檓 more interested in the accommodation.

Hampton Inn

Best Western King Charles Inn

Can anyone help? Thanks.

Accommodation

Assuming you mean the Holiday Inn on Calhoun...

I%26#39;ll just comment on location. All three of these hotels are within 2 blocks of each other. They are very good locations; I can%26#39;t comment on the rooms since I haven%26#39;t stayed at any of these. If you had to put an ';X'; on, IMHO, the best intersection to be near in order to do the most Charleston things, it probably would be: Church at North Market. The closest hotel to that intersection is the Doubletree (which, when I stayed there many years ago, was really great). All 3 of your hotels seem fine, especially if you can get them for less than something a few blocks closer to Market St.

Accommodation

I have stayed at the King Charles Inn a few years ago and found it to be very comfortable, clean and well appointed. It was a very pleasant stay.

The Best Western King Charles Inn is the oldest of the properties and the Hampton Inn is the newest (although located in an historic building). I%26#39;d likely stay at the Hampton Inn just because it%26#39;s rooms are a little more nicely appointed and it%26#39;s very convenient to the Visitor%26#39;s Center. I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll be disappointed with the Hampton.

Weekend getaway

My DH and I are planning a visit to the Charleston area on Feb 29-Mar 2. I am leaning towards the BW Patriots Point, any thoughts on the hotel? It seems to have good reviews on TA. We dont mind being across the bridge from downtown and want to visit the Yorktown. I saw the Wine %26amp; Food Festival is that weekend also. For the locals - is this a bad weekend to visit? Is the downtown area just crazy with people? Any thoughts would help, thanks!

Weekend getaway

you will love using the peddle cabs downtown. it%26#39;s a great way to see the city, and get arround. very informative too, our guide,jim, took us from the aquarium right to poogan%26#39;s porch, which we had never heard of and loved eating lunch there. enjoy your trip!

Weekend getaway

It might be crowded but that%26#39;s part of the fun. Crowded in Charleston isn%26#39;t like crowded in San Francisco or New York - a traffic jam here means you%26#39;re in the 2nd light change on Hwy 17. I will admit that even when it%26#39;s not busy in the city somehow the best restaurants are all booked - so you might want to book a couple 3 days in advance if it%26#39;s really important you get in to a favorite restaurant. ENJOY!!!!!

Firstly, don%26#39;t worry about crowds. It should be fine. As far as your hotel, I%26#39;ve never stayed there but the location will be very convenient to downtown and to the Yorktown. This should be a great weekend for your trip!

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Fall Trip?

Is fall (probably late October a good time to visit Charleston?

Fall Trip?

One of the best times...but if you like visiting homes and gardens, the Fall Tour of Homes and Gardens goes from Sept 25 to Oct 26. The candlelight tours are wonderful - since they start in the evening you have your whole day to visit other Charleston sites and still have a nice dinner and then go for an evening stroll through about 8 or so Charleston gardens and courtyards. Here is the link: www.preservationsociety.org/tour_dates.asp

Fall Trip?

Wonderful time. Still warm but not oppressive which makes walking around much more enjoyable.

Fall is a great time to visit. Typically it doesn%26#39;t get chilly until the last week of October - if history holds true - and it generally seems to every year. A light sweater in the evening would be perfect.

Going w/ Wife on business trip

My wife has a conference in Charleston at the Charleston Marriott in downtown Charleston at 170 Lockwood Blvd, Charleston, SC 29403.

I%26#39;ve been reading and just wondering on some suggestions. We%26#39;ve never been. I';ve been to Mrytle Beach when I was younger on a school trip but that was it.

We%26#39;ll be staying in the same hotel as the coference which is the Marriott. It says it%26#39;s been newly renovated. Any thoughts on this hotel?

Also, we%26#39;d like to do some thing at night to make the trip worth it. We%26#39;ll be flying and arriving on March 2nd and we%26#39;ll probably just have time to eat dinner that night. On March 3-4 she%26#39;ll be in the conference from 8-5pm and I understand we%26#39;ll be free after that.

I see most things are closed by then as far as the tours and the aquarium.

Any other suggestions. We%26#39;ll probably want to go out to eat every night.

Should we look into renting a car? Is it needed or are we in pretty close walking distance. I know we%26#39;ll want to hit the beach or waterfront park for the view and maybe even some type of evening water cruise. Are there any good dinner cruises close by?

Thx!

-Ryan

Going w/ Wife on business trip

Will you be working during the day while your wife is at the conference? If you have time you should go to the Visitors Center on Meeting Street to pick up information, maps and coupons. The people there can also advise you about any special concerts, or other evening activities, that may be going on.

Charleston is lively at night. There are so many great restaurants that you will have a hard time choosing. If you want a special dinner with live jazz, you might consider ';High Cotton';. A SpiritLine dinner cruise would be a nice way to enjoy the water in the evening. Check -

www.spiritlinecruises.com/dinner_overview.asp

There are quite a few walking tours of the historic district in the evening. Many are ';ghost'; tours, featuring the beautiful churchyards and gardens. You will learn a lot of local lore while you stroll around the city.

If you decide to rent a car, drive over the beautiful Ravenel Bridge to Mt. Pleasant for a waterside dinner on Shem Creek.

Going w/ Wife on business trip

Nope, I%26#39;m completely free both days as I%26#39;m just tagging along.

I saw the dinner cruise and then saw they are not running the 2nd through the 4th. We leave early the 5th which is a shame.

Do we need a car? The cost is around $100 for a mid size car and I would love to avoid it if not needed but yet I hate feeling trapped.

How is the aquarium?

Are their any other dinner style cruises?

The SC Aquarium is called that because it represents only animals from SC. (occasionally they have visiting exhibits that have animals from other places, but not now). So - expect to see sharks, sea turtles, barracuda, mahi, grouper, octopus, jellyfish, alligators, etc etc but no marine mammals as they don%26#39;t have a permit to keep marine mammals. There are other mammals (river otters, swamp critters) but no dolphins. However, I always see wild dolphins from the aquarium dock area and I%26#39;m there every week.

There is plenty to do without a car, but indeed Shem Creek is easier with a car. Check out the ';things to do'; and ';tours';, along with the ';itineraries'; for gobs of ideas. There is also a new page under ';restaurants'; on the page you%26#39;re currently reading that links up to local restaurants. If you have no car, you%26#39;ll want to stick to the restaurants in the first 2 columns.

Feel free to ask any other questions - and ENJOY!

The Citadel will be playing baseball at ';The Joe'; which is just about 1/2 block from your hotel. You might check out some of the other events at The Citadel because it is very nearby. Go to www.citadel.edu for things on campus. The parades are only on Friday afternoons but it can be interesting to walk around campus and see the (free) museum in the back of the Library Building. The Library has some beautiful murals and some other displays. The Summerall Chapel is beautiful and has the longest aisle in Charleston, then go down the side walk to the Mark Clark Hall (has a post office, barber shop and gift shop etc.)and see the exhibit about Mark Clark.

Some of the hotels have shuttle buses to downtown. If not, it would probably be cheaper just to take a cab into town. There is not much shopping or restaurants in the area around the hotel.

The SpiritLine Dinner Cruise is very good. I love their She-Crab Soup and the menu can be viewed at their website.

Thanks for the tips. I%26#39;ll probably pass on the aquarium then since we have something really similar here. If I had my son with me perhaps I do it but this time he%26#39;ll be at home.

I need to call the dinner cruise and find out why they don%26#39;t show those days as available to be reserved.

I%26#39;ll have to check on shuttle service at the hotel then because I%26#39;ll want a car most likely if not since there is nothing around.

Are there any movie theaters near the hotel?

If you are interested in a lecture, you might want to see what%26#39;s going on at the College of Charleston.

http://www.cofc.edu

or get the calendar at www.cofc.edu/sota/calendar/calendar.pdf

You might want to hop a tour bus and visit one of the plantations or take the Gullah tour since you have so much free time w/o your better half. If you really wanted to, there are fishing charters you could go on and be back at a reasonable enough time to do dinner. Also, the Ft. Sumter Harbor Cruise is nice and takes a few hours total.

There are no theaters around your hotel. If you go downtown, there is a water taxi that leaves from the aquarium area that can take you to Patriots Point. There is much ';Guy Things'; to see there such as the Yorktown, the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum etc. See www.PatriotsPoint.org

If you golf, this is paradise!

Just strolling around downtown can be fun or take a tour to see what your wife would like to see when she finishes her conference.

The phone number for the SpiritLine Dinner Cruise is 843-722-2628.

Unforutnately you%26#39;ll likely need to rent a car because your hotel is not really within walking distance of the historic district. It%26#39;s a great location on the water - it%26#39;s just not central to the shops and central downtown historic areas. As far as the Marriott goes, I%26#39;ve not stayed there but from what I understand the owners really gave it a total overhaul of epic proportions and upgraded everything. It sounds like the hotel is practically new from all of the renovations. The hotel%26#39;s restaurant is also supposed to be very good. You%26#39;re about half-way between 2 movie theaters, one at Citadel Mall and the other across the bridge in Mt. Pleasant. The Citadel Mall movie theater is a straight shot down Highway 17 South (Savannah Highway) to Sam Rittenberg Boulevard - near the intersection of I-526 and the Movies At Mt. Pleasant is in the other direction off Highway 17 North (Johnnie Dodds Boulevard) at Houston Northcutt Boulevard. Hope this helps! I%26#39;d definitely rent a car though because if you don%26#39;t, you%26#39;ll likely be stuck in the hotel.

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First time to north myrtle beach condos

Hi. We are looking at north myrtle beach for a trip over labor day. Looking around the net I%26#39;ve seen tons and tons of condos through various agents. Can you give me tips on which condos and agents are the best? I would appreciate any help you all can give me. Our party will be 6 adults and two kids under 10. We would like a nice beach and ocean front views! The kids want to go shell hunting. Thanks!

First time to north myrtle beach condos

northmyrtlebeachtravel.com/book/query.html

www.century21thomas.com/book/query.html

grandstrandvacations.com/book/query.html

Elliott would be my first choice. Thomas Century 21 my second. Grand Strand has been around a long time so must be doing something right.

Might also try VRBO. They say you can save money by dealing direct with owner. Might take more calls and e-mails than dealing with realtor.

vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/鈥orth-myrtle-beach

First time to north myrtle beach condos

Thanks pop. We wnet with a unit in crescent shores and with grandstrand vacationrentals. Looking forward to our trip in august.

What unit are you staying in at Crescent Shores?

We%26#39;ll be staying in 1812. It%26#39;s a 4bed/3bath unit. We%26#39;re taking along the grandparents and my brother and sister-in-law. My parents are very excited about going. My mom hasn%26#39;t seen the ocean since she was a little girl.

nice resort, rooms are spacious.

Just a note to say my family has used vrbo.com twice now and very happy with the results. Admittedly I was not happy about the ';no credit cards'; for a good portion of the listings but I can understand why since it is 2%-4% going to the credit card company. Anyway we rented Crescent Keyes last year and I just mailed off for my Crescent Shores vacation check today.

Packing for the trip

I always pack one month ahead, I start with washing everything before we leave. I pack my son, myself and my husband (only b/c he will pack dorky clothes).

When you pack for the beach with little ones do you buy your beach accessories (umbrella, chairs, towels, buckets, etc.) before you leave or do you buy all of that when you get to Myrtle? How expensive are beach items in Myrtle?

Flip flops, shorts, tees, sunblock and swim trunks is all ya need, right? I am to excited!

Packing for the trip

What time of year are you going? The beachwear stores usually put stuff on sale closer to the end of the season. We were there in August and found sand toys for my little girl for a cheap price, and we%26#39;ve found beach chairs before for ridiculously cheap at the end of the season. If you think your vehicle will be packed to the max already, then your best bet would be buying stuff when you get there. As for how you get it home...maybe tie hubby to the roof? :) If you have space in your car, then you could buy before you go and enjoy more time on the beach as soon as you get there! No matter how much we pack and take with us, we usually end up at one of the stores anyway because hubby decides he needs a different pair of flip flops or daughter sees another beach toy she wants. And you%26#39;re right...flip flops, shorts, tees, sunblock, and swimsuits should do it. It is the beach, after all!

Packing for the trip

We usually have chairs and towels and all of our other beach stuff already but we usually end up making several trips to those beach wear stores for odds and ends such as new beach toys, sunglasses, lotion or hermit crabs. Sometimes we%26#39;ve put worn, rusty beach chairs or umbrellas in the trash at the end of our vacation so we don%26#39;t have to pack and lug them back home...and then just buy new ones when we come back next year. I think that tall the beach stuff is actually cheaper in those beachwear stores and Wal-Marts down there that it is to buy it at home and take it down.

I%26#39;m not saying you would do this - but you mentioned something that reminded me...Visitors...whatever you do, please do not leave beach chairs, tents, etc. on the beach when you leave thinking ';someone else can now use it';. Those people are not doing us any favors, as the chairs end up taking up beach space, preventing sea turtles from nesting there, and are just an eyesore to everyone. Never leave items on the beach overnight, even if you live at the beach! Can you believe that people do this? OK - so havng said that...when you do leave, ask your hotel or motel management if you can leave chairs and beach toys with them. Or take them to Goodwill! Thank you all, and enjoy the clean, beautiful beaches! :)

Maybe things are different on other beaches but never noticed any items left on beach for the next weeks visitors. Ones I%26#39;ve seen are usually left just outside the unit%26#39;s door,out by the trash cans or in the parking lot.

We have several beach chairs we haul with us each trip. Cheap ones but they last several trips before needing replaced.

Umbrella pretty much waste of time. Takes more time to put up than anybody ever sits under it. ';IF'; you go with umbrella go ahead and splurge for one of those screw in sand anchors. Might save you a run down beach chasing the umbrella on extremely windy day.

Flip flops, sunglasses, sunscreen can all be bought down there. Don%26#39;t forget can coozies to keep your beverage cans cold. Anyplace you stop will have all supplies needed. Gas Stations, drug stores, grocery stores.

Yeah the beach shops are fun to browse through but the prices are pretty much the same no matter where you stop. The ';end of season';/';going out of business'; signs stay up all summer. Driving around comparing prices will cost more than what you save.

I%26#39;d shop for beach towels before the trip. Target, Kohl%26#39;s, Penny%26#39;s,etc....Ones from beach shops are pretty cheap. Couple washes they%26#39;re rags.

I would never leave stuff on the beach. You%26#39;ll notice that I wrote ';in the trash'; in my post.

Yes I did notice that. You%26#39;re not the problem - there are actually people who do the things I%26#39;ve said and seeing it happen once is enough! (I should know - we%26#39;re ';crack-of-dawn'; beach walkers and have seen abandoned beach toys - chairs, too - from time to time). Last fall when we volunteered for the organized ';Beach Clean-up'; where you have to tally each and every item before you throw it in the trash you might be surprised how many toys we found. (Ten points to anyone who can guess what the 2 most common beach trash items were? In an hour we picked up no fewer than 80 of each. OK - Guess?)

cigarette butts

Excellent - that%26#39;s one. How about the other?

Guessing beer bottles?

bottle rocket sticks

Sunday night entertainment in MB in May

Hi,

A group of golfers travelling to MB in Mid-May (end of biker week #1) is looking for some fun nightlife on sunday night. We%26#39;ve don%26#39;e the trip now for 4 years and sunday nights are always so quiet. does anyone have any recommendations on where there would be a fun nightlife on sunday nights? We are the bar type people (e.g. music, drinks, light dancing). The age group would be anywhere from 30%26#39;s-mid 40%26#39;s.

Thanks for your help!!!

Sunday night entertainment in MB in May

Go to Broadway at the Beach, plenty to do. I always recommend Crocodile Rocks, dueling piano bar, but they have many bars and restaurants to chose from.

Sunday night entertainment in MB in May

Check out Celebrity Square at Broadway at the Beach. Lots of different clubs. Something for everyone.

We were at Celebrity Square on a Sunday night last Summer and a lot of those clubs were closed...I%26#39;d call ahead or do an internet search of the operating schedules before I headed over.

Thanks for all the suggestions!!!

holiday inns or another place

Looking for a room in historic district, with price $200%26#39;s or less. Somewhere clean, convenient, and comfortable. The Holiday Inn%26#39;s (Mill House and ';historic district';)have caught my attention. Any comments on these places, or suggestions on somewhere else? Hope to go in mid-March. Thanks

holiday inns or another place

One of my favorites. Good location, ';elegant'; setting, several tours meet in this hotel%26#39;s lobby, nice restaurant, lovely courtyard with fountains, close to restaurants, nice rooms, etc.

holiday inns or another place

Hi Culturehound, do you mean the HI Mill House or the Hi Historic district? Thanks.

Either choice will be good.

The Mills House is a Holiday Inn, but you will not recognize it as such. The Mills House is a very elegant, full-service hotel in the heart of the historic district. There is no better location for enjoying Charleston.

The Holiday Inn Historic District is a little further removed from the best area for walking/shopping/dining, but it gets excellent reviews for value and service.

The Charleston Mills House is owned by Holiday Inn and is a superb hotel. It is so convenient to ALL of the historic districts attractions. I have just returned from that hotel, check out my review on the hotel forum, as well as the several other reviews.

I%26#39;d likely stay at the Mills House if you plan to walk around downtown Charleston. It%26#39;s a little more centrally located to the shops. The Holiday Inn ';Historic District'; on Calhoun Street was totally refurbished a number of years ago but isn%26#39;t as central to the shopping areas of King Street %26amp; the Market. I%26#39;d go with the Mills House.

Thanks! We booked the Mills House. Looking forward to the trip in a couple weeks!

Constructiona at or near Sandy Beach Resort

This hotel looks great and the price is very reasonable. Does anyone know if they will be doing construction in June of 2008? Also, how many pools do they have?

Constructiona at or near Sandy Beach Resort

see my post on beach replenishment this summer. Major beach work taking place.

when is your spring break

going the week of april 13 to 4/19 is this the week of your bring break or is it the week before.... please help me with these dates, when i call the hotels they tell me they are not sure that spring break is some time in april....

when is your spring break

That%26#39;s strange my kids Spring Break is in March. easter is march 23. My kids get off march 21-28

when is your spring break

in upstate new york we have mid winter break which is this week and then just good friday off for easter and then spring break in april and then they go all the way until the last week of june for school

so i am hoping that it isn%26#39;t as crowded the week we are in myrtle beach

dmart, our SPring Break vacation is same as yours, 4/13 thru 4/19. But even in our state, different

counties have different weeks. College is different too. Its at different times....anywhere from Easter week to end of April. Thats why the hotels can not say exactly WHEN Spring Break is. (probably a different week for the school kids that live in MB too).

The week of Arpil 7th for school around here.

I know Boston%26#39;s spring break is April 19-27.

Spring break at UGA is March 10-14. I think you will find that srping breaks start in March and run through most of April.

Our spring break starts on Good Friday and the week of Easter. They go back on the 25th.

So it seems as if a lot of school districts aren%26#39;t the same so the crowds may not be as bad some think.

Correction: It starts the Monday prior to Good Friday through Easter Monday they go back on the 25th.

I attend college at Eastern Kentucky University and my Spring Break is March 8-17th (In which I will be spending 4 days in Myrtle Beach) Most colleges in KY are either during this week or the following week.

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First time vacationers to North Myrtle Beach

We are first time visitors to North Myrtle Beach. Our family will be staying at a condo in Windy Village on S. Ocean Blvd. for a week this summer. What are some of the nicer attractions to visit or things to do in this area? What kinds of things are within walking distance? Are there any more natural/park type hiking trails or areas nearby? What are the places that we don%26#39;t want to miss seeing or visiting? THANKS so much in advance for any help the readers can give us.

First time vacationers to North Myrtle Beach

Very little within walking distance. Pretty much straight out from you will be Barefoot Landing. Shopping area/complex. Built like old fishing village around a lake. All boardwalk walk ways. Several places to eat. Couple shows. Alabama Theater and House of Blues.

http://barefootlanding.com/

Few miles to the south is Tanger Outlet Mall if into shoppimg for deals. Next stretch of Rt 17 is known as Restaurant Row. Once was largest concentration of eatories but now you%26#39;ll find restaurants all along the 50 miles of Grand Strand. You won%26#39;t go hungry.

http://www.myrtlebeachscrestaurants.com/

Few more miles south om Rt 17 By-Pass is Broadway At The Beach. More shopping and restuarants. Ripley%26#39;s Aquairium and Margaritaville. Expect long wait at Jimmy%26#39;s place....

http://www.broadwayatthebeach.com/

For outdoor hiking and sight seeing might check out Two State Parks just south of MB. Brookgreen Gardens is interesting stop. Think the entrance fee is good for week. Go early and then return later in week.

http://www.brookgreen.org/

Other shows to check out. Take your pick. Medieval Times, Dixie Stampede, Carolina Opry.....Hard Rock Amusement Park set to open this summer. $50 a head. Will be interesting to see how well it goes.

Several miles n the north of Windy Hill you%26#39;ll find Calabash,NC. Known for their own style of fried fish and Calahan%26#39;s Store.

www.myrtlebeachskytour.com/2006/swf/p4_14.htm

http://www.tv33mb.com/clientlist.html

First time vacationers to North Myrtle Beach

read my post concerning beach replenishment under the Myrtle beach forum or see the us army corps of engineers Charleston division%26#39;s website. 3 months of beach work for North Myrtle and 5 months for Myrtle. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No condos are telling about this....

Last I heard they%26#39;re not scheduled in NMB until August. June or July trip you should be OK. We%26#39;re scheduled for third week of August in Ocean Drive. Not losing sleep over it.

Current location of beach renovation project

I just talked to a renter at my condo and found out that the beach renourishment project has just passed Lakewood Campground and is in the Pirateland area right now. There seemed to be a lot of interest about this a week or two ago.

Current location of beach renovation project

if you check out the web-cam on the CROWN REEF RESORT website , you can see something way down the shoreline to the south . it%26#39;s been inching closer for the last couple of weeks . the boats ( or whatever they are ) have hanging out in the same general area off shore and i was wondering if they are part of the renourishment project ... just tossin%26#39; that out there .

Current location of beach renovation project

I think those are actually the barges housing the pumping equipment for moving the sand up onto the beach. I found it to be an interesting sight when we were there over the Christmas/New year week. They had just completed the previous renourishment when we arrived on a 1998 or so trip and I really was curious to see it in operation.

Those two ships are definately engaged in the operation. They go out quite a distance to a sandbar and suck the sand into their hulls or chambers, then return to the deck mounted pump platform %26amp; hook up to it with a huge hose...the sand is pumped from there onto the beach. The pump platform on pilings has to be moved every mile or so %26amp; we saw the next one (the one they%26#39;re probably using now) being built the first week of Feb.

face nail siding

Seascape Villas

We are headed to HH Mid May with two kids in tow. Knowing we are traveling with the family, is Seascape a good option? The kids will want to spend most of our time at the pool or beach.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks

Dennis

Seascape Villas

Dweg: in the box just above your post is a search box. I would type in Seascape Villas and you will see some lengthy posts describing the villas pros and cons. There is quite a detailed post there which you may find handy. You might as well view the posts that are already written rather than waiting for someone to post again about it. It might make you want to start looking for something else you it may satisfy you that you have made a good choice and then book it.

You can also type in Seascape villas under the Hilton Head overview and there could be reviews there with pics.

D in Muskoka.

Embassy Suites

I will be coming to Columbia SC in April for my daughter%26#39;s graduation for boot camp, we booked a suite at Embassy Suites for the 2 nights because there are 6 people, any comments about the hotel? Thanks in advance

Embassy Suites

Its a nice hotel, stayed there last year.

Taking photos inside homes.

We will be coming to Charleston in April and plan to tour a couple of plantations and maybe some historic homes. Do they allow photographs inside the homes? Especially the Calhoun Mansion? Thanks.

Taking photos inside homes.

No they don%26#39;t - but take all the photos you want of the courtyards. They sell postcards and books on the Calhoun Mansion in their gift shop.

Taking photos inside homes.

Unfortunately none of the homes in Charleston let you photograph inside. You can take all the pictures you want of the outside and gardens.

Except we were told on the candlelight garden tours that garden photos were also prohibited! I was good even though the Sword Gate House gardens were SOOOOO tempting and so beautiful!

beach renourishment project underway in Myrtle and North Myr

Major beach replenishment project going on in Myrtle beach and North myrtle beach this year and yes, this summer. No sites mention this. I spent 8 hours finding the perfect spot (have been going there for around 10 years each summer) and stumbled upon this. See this site for details (not many) www.sac.usace.army.mil/鈥?/a>

Us army corp of engineers site Charleston district. Work goes on 24 hours 7 days a week. They are taking a month break then back to either Main Myrtle beach or North Myrtle beach. Garden City and Surfside beach (south) is complete.

This info was buried in a general information forum on a well known Myrtle Beach information site. Condo sites do not mention it. City cites to not mention it. It is being kept low key so it does not hurt reservations. It only impacts one area (I can%26#39;t find out how much beach is chained off at a time) but if it could be outside your condo you need to at least know this and access the risk.

There is a map on the corp of eng site showing the areas to be done. It is the key resort areas of both North Myrtle and Myrtle Beach.

They evidently close the area where they are working completely but allow you to access the beach and build sand ramps over the big steel pipes after they pass by to allow water access. Not sure what this does to the surf or water quality. Locals say the sand is gray and smell when first brought in according to trip reports from during the project.

I think I am still headed there but I am going to find out where they are starting the next phase before I commit to north myrtle or Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach is planned to take 5 months to do 9 miles of beach. North Myrtle 3 months for 8.6 miles. They are bringing in twice as much sand to Myrtle. I do not know which area is starting next.

At least now you know.....

beach renourishment project underway in Myrtle and North Myr

Pineappleseller,

Just FYI, this topic has been covered extensively on this forum. If you plug ';renourishment'; into the search box for this forum, your result will be two pages of thread listings.

pimple cure

Condos for monthly rent

I was wondering if anyone has a 1 bedroom condo for monthly rent in Myrtle Beach not to far from the new market commons. The most I can pay a month is $500. If you do can you please email me at mariposabellamorena@gmail.com please? Thanks.

Condos for monthly rent

Check out www.VRBO.com

Condos for monthly rent

hairdresser to cut this

Most upscale condo-type accommodations near Hard Rock Park

Can anyone help me find a 2br condo unit with washer/dryer near Hard Rock Park? I%26#39;m looking for something with that ';wow'; factor!

Most upscale condo-type accommodations near Hard Rock Park

http://www.vrbo.com/170213

http://www.vrbo.com/153464

vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/36841.h鈥?/a>

www.vacationsfrbo.com/details.php鈥?/a>

These are all near Hard Rock...wow factor??? You realize Hard Rock is a few miles from the ocean?

Most upscale condo-type accommodations near Hard Rock Park

checkout: www.windsorgreenrental.com

There are numerious properties around the hard rock park. Some of which are new and some are older condos. If you%26#39;re looking for new, I recommend Berkshire Forest or World Tour which is about 1 mile from the park and are located off River Oaks Drive and are in a closed community and are both very nice. Stayed in both and for the money Berkshire was the nicest. For more HIGH upscale units There are a number of places off River oaks Drive that you can check out. Good Luck

Suggested Resort for Family With Older Kids

I have been to Myrtle Beach as a child and as a parent of young kids. Our most recent visit though was back in 2001 so I am sure the area has changed as certain resorts age, new ones pop up.

We are a family of 6 with older kids, 22,22,21 and 16. The 21 year-old will be home on leave from his Iraq deployment so we thought it would be nice to go somewhere as a family. We are looking for a nice beachfront resort with maid service; in mid August 3BR in price range of $250-$280 a night. We won%26#39;t be able to confirm until about a month out since the military can change plans at the last minute on his leave so that rules out the ';by owner'; places. We would like to be near some nightlife for the kids who are all boys so the older ones can go out and meet girls, etc. I love little kids but mine are grown so I would prefer a resort not overrun with little kids.

Stayed at Kingston - Brighton in 2001 which was great but seems pretty pricey now.

Thanks.

Suggested Resort for Family With Older Kids

-Paradise Towers at the Breakers (www.breakers.com) Their prices go down after about the 2nd week of August. Paradise Towers is the only one of their buildings with a 3BR suite.

-Island Vista (www.islandvista.com)They make you stay 4 nights I believe but the ages of your family everyone should be happy.

-Caribbean Resort (www.caribbeanresort.com), they have a new building (Cayman) that has 3BR Condos

Suggested Resort for Family With Older Kids

If you don%26#39;t want to be around a bunch of little kids, don%26#39;t stay at Dunes Village. It is a very nice place but with the indoor water park geared toward little people, it is over run with kids.

And I have recommended to several with young children since we stayed there and I have an 18 year old and 9 year old but if I didn%26#39;t have a child, there is no way.

You may still get some great deals at Kingston. Check out VRBO.com. You can see exactly what you are renting and they are far less than booking directly through Kingston.

Thanks for the suggestions. Are decent VRBO rentals available if we wait until June to book? I am worried about losing a deposit. The military is not good about sticking to dates and prone to changing plans at the last minute. So we have a date range but won%26#39;t have a specific week until probably mid-June.

More than likely you will still find some rentals available. There are tons of units available this season. I think it%26#39;s going to be a renter%26#39;s market this summer. It will be interesting to see how the beach renourishment project affects rentals this season.

Island Vista, Long Bay Resort, Ocean Reef.

Charleston- Eating

We are hoping to find a fun place for approximately 15-20 people to have a brunch or lunch this Friday.

Many of the people will be young girls and would love to have a good variety with some southern style as well. Any thoughts?

Thanks

Charleston- Eating

I would suggest Jestine%26#39;s Kitchen on Meeting St. We went there last week on our trip for lunch and it was Excellent Southern style cooking. It%26#39;s a little small, but could easily hold 15-20 people seated at tables of 4 each. The best Southern cooking I%26#39;ve ever had.

Charleston- Eating

SouthEnd Brewery on East Bay can accommodate pretty large groups and their menu covers the spectrum (and their food is pretty reasonably-priced). Jestine%26#39;s, though very good, doesn%26#39;t take reservations and it is pretty small - you might have a tough time getting everyone in at once.

I would recommend Poogan%26#39;s Porch (www.poogansporch.com) on Queen Street. Poogan%26#39;s has several rooms and they are often used for group events. As this Friday kicks off our Food %26amp; Wine Festival, I would highly recommend making reservations wherever you decide.

consider 82 Queen downtown - they have a nice garden and 11 dining rooms so your group might be a little more private. Hands down the best she crab soup bar none. Consider off-peninsula - but be forewarned - the Food %26amp; Wine Festival is this weekend. Make reservations - you have enough in your party that would warrant doing so. Enjoy your visit!

Sandy Beach Resort or Sea Crest

My family will be staying the week of June 22-27 and I am trying to decide between the sandy beach resort and the sea crest. Does anyone know anything about these resorts? There will be 7 of us including a 3 year old and a 16 year old. The website for Sandy beach doesn%26#39;t give a lot of information but they have very reasonable prices. I would appreciate any help you can give me.

Sandy Beach Resort or Sea Crest

We stayed at SeaCrest several times but it%26#39;s been about 6 or 7 years since then %26amp; things can change drastically! At that time, we found it to be a great value for the money. If you read the reviews, they are mixed. I%26#39;m kind of on the picky side %26amp; I found it to be much better than the reviews suggested.

I don%26#39;t know anything about Sandy Beach.

Sandy Beach Resort or Sea Crest

First, be prepared for hart1 and some others on the board to tell you that ANY hotel south of the old Pavilion is a bad idea, and that the area is dangerous.

The area is not dangerous, but it is very crowded. And during the summer, that area is very loud (cars driving by all night with loud music and loud engines). Both hotels are also within walking distance of the Family Kingdom Amusement Park, which adds to the large crowds.

The Sandy Beach is a new resort, and I don%26#39;t know much about it. We haven%26#39;t stayed at the Sea Crest in about 8 years, but have heard that it was recently renovated.

If you are open to suggestions, then consider looking at hotels further north (as hart1 will suggest), or further south of the area where these two hotels are located. You will still be ';in the action,'; but it would be a quieter.

Reasonably Priced?

My wife and I are looking at going to HHI in May for our 1st Anniversary. I just have a few questions. Are accomodations and restaurants reasonably priced? It is obviously more upscale than Myrtle and Charleston. We plan to go Fri-Mon. We did find some ideas on some sites, but wondering if any of you have suggestions. We prefer to take several trips throughout the year, so spending all our money on HHI wouldnt make sense. Maybe some hotel, restaurant, and sight-seeing ideas? Preferably we want to keep it below $600 for a 3 night/4 day trip. No, we%26#39;re not cheap, just enjoy taking several local trips throughout the year. I appreciate the feedback.

Reasonably Priced?

Dear TVKNC:

You will LOVE Hilton Head, especially for an anniversary. The first anniversary at that! Congrats. Anyway, if you go through hotwire the Westin or Crowne Plaza is showing up May 2-5 for $114

May 9-12 $114

May 16-19 $194 for the Hilton Oceanfront (my favourite but would never pay this price)

May 30-June 2 - $194 for Hilton.

$114 for the Westin is a great deal. The Crowne Plaza has had really mixed reviews. There is also a $10 resort fee that is added on top. There are so many restaurants on Hilton Head with a wide range of prices. I would not say it%26#39;s overpriced at all. Rent bikes and bike along the miles of paths and on the beach. Take a dolphin excursion, spend a day in Savannah or go to Beaufort (where Forest Gump and many other movies were filmed). 4 days will fly by!

D in Muskoka.

Reasonably Priced?

TVKNC:

Just another thought. Just above this post there should be a link to www.spinnakerrentals.com

They are advertising a $99 night special which includes FREE golf/tennis, 2 FREE bikes and a $50 dining certificate if you stay three nights.

I think this is the way to go. You will be getting a villa. Check out the spinnaker resorts. The Waterside by Spinnaker is very close to Coligny Plaza which has loads of shops/restaurants and is across the road from the beach. If you can get the Waterside, I think you will like it. It has the largest aquatic centre. Plus, you won%26#39;t have to drive everywhere. All the villas you will get with this special have full kitchens. We are booked at Egret Point through this special (but cheaper) in March for an entire week. We have a 3 bedroom/3 bathroom villa. I don%26#39;t think you can go wrong with this deal. The Carolina Club and Cottages at Shipyard are also included in this deal. Do your homework and check it out.

D in Muskoka.

pimple cure

columnheader

Compass Cove or Camelot at the Sea?

There are 2 families coming to MB in July and we are trying to find oceanfront condos with outdoor activities and within walking distance to shops, ice cream, coffee, soveniers. Which place would be better for us. We have 2 children each ages 15 to 7. Thanks for any input, there are so many places to choose from it makes it even harder.

Compass Cove or Camelot at the Sea?

I%26#39;ve stayed at Compass Cove and I have stayed next door to Camelot at the Breakers Resort (Paradise Towers and Resort Building). I would probably go with Camelot in your situation.

I absolutely love the location of Camelot. You have about 5 restaurants/cafes in walking distance of less than 5 minutes. Bummz on the Beach is at the hotel, Papas restaurant across the street is a small restaurant that has excellent service and decent food. I liked the she crab soup. There is a Breyers Ice Cream shop across the street then a Pizza shop right next to that. You are about a 5 minute drive or a 20 minute walk to Broadway at the Beach with a ton of places to eat, shop and have some night fun. www.broadwayatthebeach.com. The location isn%26#39;t crowded and we liked walking on the street at night with the ocean breeze. It was lovely in that area. They have parking attached to the building and depending on the floor you stay on you might be able to park on the same level as your room, otherwise there is ample parking directly across the street.

Nothing wrong with Compass Cove at all. They have done some nice rennovations recently on all of the buildings and their pool activities are some of the best on that side of MB. I just found that I had to drive everywhere and there wasn%26#39;t much in walking distance (that we liked).

Hope this helps.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Which Inn....Indigo, Andrew Pinckney or Market Street?

My wife and I will be visting Charleston in late April. We want to stay in the historic district but don%26#39;t want to spend an arm and a leg, so we%26#39;ve narrowed it down to the Indigo Inn, the Andrew Pinckney Inn or the Market Street Inn. Can anyone recommend one over the others?

Which Inn....Indigo, Andrew Pinckney or Market Street?

We stayed in the Market Street Inn multiple times a few years ago. It is REALLY loud at night. Charleston doesn%26#39;t quiet down in that area until 3 a.m. so you get all the street noise from the college kids out partying.

Coral beach Resort vs. The Dunes Village

Hi:

a group of golfers is going to Myrtle in mid may and we are debating between staying at the Coral Beach Resort and the Dunes Village resort.

We don%26#39;t have any real preferences except for a nice clean place to stay and is close to some bars/nightlife.

Does anyone have any opinions?

any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Coral beach Resort vs. The Dunes Village

I vote for Dunes Village.

Coral beach Resort vs. The Dunes Village

I have stayed at Coral Beach many times over the last 10 years and I love it. It has always been clean when we have been there. We aint never had any problems there. They have a pool side bar with karoke(sp?), a comedy longe/bar, restaurant, bowling alley with pool tables, a bunch of pools, and some more things.

Have fun

I really liked Coral Beach as well...but to be fair I%26#39;ve never stayed at Dunes Village.

Thanks for the thoughts!

Is the dune Village resort close to somes bars etc?

Thanks!

there was one or two bars close to dunes Village and my husband liked the bar at dunes Village pretty good. If it were me, I would not stay there unless I was taking small kids cause the place is running rampant with them. they have an indoor waterpark so it is nice for the little guys cause it is heated. We did enjoy our stay there but we had a 9 year old with us. I will say this, as far as our room it was great and we never knew there were any kids on our floor other than ours. It was just the pool area and hot tubs that were over run.

Camelot By the Sea, 8/5 to 8/11

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Myrtle Beach: Camelot By The Sea: ';Fantastic Stay at the Camelot';

julywishes, Ohio

My family of 7 have just returned from a week at the Camelot By the Sea. The hotel is great and we experienced such great hospitality from the front desk. We were to check in at 3pm on sunday, August 5th but we arrived early. We had walked around to the beach and played in the ocean for an hour but it was already 97 degrees by 10am and we were hot. We walked up to the front desk and asked if our room might be ready. Of course it was not but we tried. :). Then the front desk clerk (dressed in velvet costume, poor thing) offered us parking passes and towels to enjoy their pools until the room was ready. I was shocked that they did this and my 5 children were excited. We retrieved our car from the Bummz parking lot across the street and parked on the 2nd floor as directed and then changed in the bathrooms by the store on the lower floor. The parking deck is tight and if other drivers watch out for eachother it is manageable. Big Ford F250s and my Explorer fit fine but if you have luggage on the roof you will not be able to drive thru because of the low roof in the parking deck. There is additional parking across the street for vehicles with luggage carriers.

We went to the pools and were very pleased. There is a lazy river, a 4ft deep pool, hot tub %26amp; 1ft baby pool under roof and then there is a 2-51/2 ft pool, baby pool, hot tub %26amp; playsand area out in the sun. We just loved the lazy river. Everyday we visited and were always able to find chairs at any time. The pools were cleaned everyday first thing in the morning. The pools do collect sand through out the day but if everyone rinsed off at the showers located there it would be less. The front desk will give you beach towels if you ask.

Around noon we changed again to go get something to eat and found a great restaurant on 23rd (I believe) called Uncle John%26#39;s (besides Dixie Stampede) It was the best food we had all week there and we also ate at Hooters, Fundruckers, Dick%26#39;s %26amp; Johnny Rockets.

We got back to the hotel at 1:30pm and decided to check with the front desk and our room was ready. We had a 2 bedroom condo on the 8th floor and it was really nice. I was surprised because of some of the reviews here but everything was clean. Housekeeping came everyday with fresh towels. Our sheets were only removed one time during our 6 night stay though but I expected that being the norm with hotels in Myrtle Beach. I am including pictures of the rooms.

After being there for a few days we found it was easier to park at the lower levels and take the elevator to our room then it was to drive all 8 floors (1/3 of a mile to 8th floor).

Check in was easy (we paid in full when we booked) and check out was easy. This is a nonsmoking hotel but I never saw any security guards until 11pm everynight and he was just smoking on the steps to the beach. The pool area is locked down everynight at 10 pm so if you are visiting the ocean after this time you will have to walk around the building to get back in.

There is also a snack stand by the outside pool where a young lady has sodas, liqueur, smirnoffs, beer and snack food. The snack bar closed everyday at 5pm.

I am probably leaving alot of stuff out so if you have any questions leave a message and I will try to answer promptly.

Reviews of things we did:

Captain Dick%26#39;s in Murell%26#39;s Inlet (30 minutes away):

Parasailing and the Dolphin Tour were great and so worth every penny we spent there. While parasailing at 8:30pm my daughter and I saw a hammerhead shark right near the surface. LOL, we were a little afraid to be dipped after seeing that. Once we got to the boat the captain explained that the sharks come to the surface at dusk to feed.

We were only on the boat for 10 minutes during the dolphin tour when dolphins were spotted so we were able to spend an hour watching them.

Ripley%26#39;s:

The Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach was fantastic. The museum, haunted house and 3D movie were all located on Ocean Blvd. The musuem was great with all of the different things to see. The haunted house and the 3D movie were not worth the money at all.

Sling Shot on Ocean Blvd was cool but would never do it again. The sling shot sent you up 200 feet in the air.

MagiQuest at Broadway was not what I expected for my 3 girls. They could not do the quests because it was so loud in there you could not hear anything it told you to do. I would do it on a slow day if they ever have one.

Dixie Stampede (near the Carolina Opry on Rt 17,) was a great show and the food was yummy even though you had to use your fingers. We sat on the North side and won 7 challenges against the South who won 3. My little girl was even blown a kiss and a red carnation was thrown at her. It made her day.

Nascar Speedway was nice according to my husband and 4 of the kids. I had to leave because my youngest passed out from the heat. It was the hottest day down there with a heat index of 118 degrees and even though everyone was chugging water my little one succumbed to the heat. Thank you to the 2 ladies that helped my baby girl.

It was a great vacation even if it was the hottest week down there all summer but we would do it all over again. I wish I could go on and on but my hand is hurting.

Camelot By the Sea, 8/5 to 8/11

Glad you had a great trip!

We were there the same week and it was HOT! Glad your little girl is ok.

Camelot By the Sea, 8/5 to 8/11

I realize your post was six or so months ago but just wanted to chime in for others who might search on topics you discussed in your trip report.

Thank you for posting your trip report, I was searching on dolphin tours and your reports adds another checkmark to the PLUS side for my family going on a cruise in May/June.

I could not agree with you more on the noise level inside MagiQuest. My wife and I went during the week in September (no kids, just us) and we could not believe how the noise interfered with your playing the game itself. I was extremely disappointed in the cost to fun ratio and will not suggest others go because of it.

Thanks again for your post.

What to bring - March trip

Hi guys!

Well, my trip is almost here (just a few short weeks away) and I%26#39;m just so excited. I%26#39;ve got my itinerary and restaurants down pat and all I need to do is confirm them and I%26#39;m set.

I just have a question with regards to clothing. As far as tops go, I%26#39;m planning on wearing short sleeve t-shirts and bringing jackets/cardigans that I can layer on top (in case the weather is cool). Of course I%26#39;ll also bring some long sleeve shirts and a sweater or two, but I really want to avoid overpacking. My main concern is what type of pants to wear - I can bring some jeans and slacks, but I%26#39;m wondering if the weather is ever really warm enough to bring long shorts (knee length). I%26#39;d like to bring a few just in case, but if mid-March weather is generally too cool, I won%26#39;t.

Also, this may sound silly, but I%26#39;ll go ahead and ask it. In NY, I would never be wearing spring-like outfits (lighter colors, lighter materials) until mid to late April, if then. I%26#39;m kind of getting bored with wearing winter clothing now - is Mid-March considered spring down in Charleston? Would I be out of place wearing spring-type clothing?

Thanks so much for your help!

What to bring - March trip

Just FYI - about a week ago the news showed girls in bikins sunning themselves at the College Of Charleston. Yesterday in the city I saw a lot of tank tops and shorts. I%26#39;d check the local weather report just before coming but be sure to bring some ';warm weather'; clothing. Here%26#39;s a link to the local weather forecast. http://www.live5news.com/ I%26#39;ve found that weather.com is usually a few degrees off in their predictions (usually warmer than they say)

What to bring - March trip

Hi CultureHound!

Great - I have lots of warm weather clothing and I look forward to wearing some of it (though no bikinis!). My mother insists that it may snow ....I think I need to convince her that Charleston is in the south, lol.

I always check the forecasts before I leave even though, of course, more than half the time they are wrong. I love how the weathermen in NY all predicted a couple of inches of snow on Friday and we ended up with 5 or 6.

Thanks for the help!

We rarely get snow here.

March can be unpredictable. Actually, anytime November through March is unpredictable as far as temperature. It may be cool but not cold. The shorts usually do not come out here until late April or in May sometime. It was bikini (pushing it a bit) weather the other day but coats downtown today. Plan to layer and remember that the weather changes faster than you can change your mind!

The weather channel is also pretty close in its predictions.

Don%26#39;t forget to tuck in a small umbrella.

Hi SC Blossom

I%26#39;m used to layering, so that%26#39;s no problem and I always bring an umbrella. I actually like cool (not cold) weather (fall is my favorite season), especially for touring. If it%26#39;s like that for my trip, I%26#39;ll count myself lucky.

Restaurant recommendation for lunch

We%26#39;re planning to take a day trip to Charleston while staying at Surfside Beach. We were in Charleston for a longer stay in the past and know there are many wonderful restaurants to choose from. Since we%26#39;ll only be there for one meal this time, wondering what people%26#39;s favorite restaurants are for lunch? Thanks.

Restaurant recommendation for lunch

The restaurant ';Slightly North of Broad'; has a wonderful lunch. Many of the downtown business people use it for business lunches. Arrive early (before 12) or make a reservation. Prices are reasonable (by Charleston standards anyway) This restaurant was named ';Restaurant of the Year'; and has been written up in a number of national publications. (New York Times, Esquire, The Today Show, etc)

Many other downtown restaurants are great also....

Magonolia%26#39;s, Blossom%26#39;s, High Cotton.

Restaurant recommendation for lunch

Sorry, cyberspace cut me off before I was finished!!!

It is Magnolia%26#39;s, I misspelled earlier. All of the restaurants I mentioned are on East Bay Street in close proximity.

At any rate, wherever you eat, I hope you have a great visit.

If you want ';homestyle'; southern food, you might be interested in lunch (they call it dinner) at ';Virginia%26#39;s on King';. This is a new restaurant that has had some great reviews in the forum. See - www.virginiasonking.com

If you want fast, cheap and delicious, our favorite lunch spot is Joseph%26#39;s, on Meeting Street. See - www.josephsofcharleston.com

Poogan%26#39;s Porch

I second Virgina%26#39;s on King...it is my new favorite lunch spot.

I just got back. We were dissapointed with Joseph%26#39;s for lunch, but had a wonderful lunch at Poogan%26#39;s Porch.

The BLT (made with Fried Green Tomatoes) at Poogan%26#39;s is awesome. So are the cathead biscuits that are served with certain plates. I am not fond of Poogan%26#39;s for dinner, however their lunch is great.

OK - I%26#39;ve spent some time on the ';Restaurant Links'; page, (see ';Restaurants'; and find the ';Links'; link :) ) The restaurants I could think of that had websites are listed here. You could use this to view menus, then cross-reference under the TA comments to see what diners think of the restaurants.

Anyone out there finding a broken link or noticing that I missed a breakfast, lunch or dinner place (and I know I have missed a lot, but this is a start!) please let me know! :) Since that page is not for opinions. I thought we%26#39;d leave it pretty simple.

Oh - in case you noticed I skipped JBistro - we read in the paper this week that they%26#39;ve unfortunately closed down, and TBonz is becoming Liberty Steakhouse.

I%26#39;d recommend Virginia%26#39;s On King as well. The others mentioned above are OK, but nothing to write home about - (somewhat pricey, touristy, service can be mediocre). Virginia%26#39;s is reltively new and has great reviews.

If you should find yourself in Mt. Pleasant (perhaps on the way down or on the way back) I highly recommend Gullah Cuisine on Hwy 17 (just north of the Hungryneck Connector and south of Towne Center Shopping. For under $7 they have an all-you-can-eat buffet of ALL southern (gullah) food. Examples: Mac and Cheese, at least 4 different types of rice, Fried Chicken, baked chicken, sweet potatos (or are they yams?), mashed potato casserole, all kinds of greens, salad bar, banana pudding, bread pudding,...

The last time I was at GC it had to be about 12 years ago and it has grown. I would put it in the ';upscale'; buffet category now.

pimple cure

Since we talking about driving....(from Orlando)

Please tell me about the drive up to Myrtle from the Orlando area. Any tips, advice etc. would be greatly appreciated!

Since we talking about driving....(from Orlando)

I find it a fairly easy drive. You%26#39;re on 95 for the bulk of the trip. I guess it%26#39;s all relative to what you are used to driving. I%26#39;m not sure what kind of tips you need. It takes about 8 hours (depending upon when you leave, what time of year you are going, and the ages of your group).

Since we talking about driving....(from Orlando)

I guess I%26#39;m specifically asking about traffic. We are thinking of leaving on Thursday, July 3rd early in the morning (6am) or so.

All roads in and out of Myrtle will be HEAVY TRAFFIC.Check in time at most places is 3PM or later so consider that when planning arrival time. I would try to arrive earlier than that if bored and anxious children wont be a major item if you have to wait to check in. Could always spend a couple of bucks for parking and wait on the beach at Myrtle Beach State Park. Plenty of parking, picnic tables, beach and pier for walking. I would stay on 95 past Florence to exit 170 and follow signs from there. Some people like to go through Georgetown and take 17 north to Myrtle, but I have never seen light PM traffic there.

I wonder if it would be wiser to leave Orlando later (2 pm or so). That way when we arrived, we could check in immediately. Although we are not traveling with small children, the idea of not being able to check into our hotel after a long drive does not appeal to me at all!

It really depends on what day you are arriving. We did the dreaded no-no in October and arrived on Friday afternoon during bike week. we had made good time from Nashville even coming through the mountains in the rain until we got close..... We sat in traffic for well over an hour once we got to Myrtle waiting to get across the waterway.

I%26#39;m afraid you%26#39;ll have traffic regardless since the 4th falls on a Friday. Lots of people will be leaving Thursday afternoon/evening to get a jump on the weekend. Bring your patience~maybe a great book on tape for the ride!

We would be arriving on Thursday, July 3rd. What would you suggest, earlier (6 am) or later (2pm)? I think I%26#39;m inclined to say earlier.

Would you do Wednesday afternoon (the 2nd), or Thursday morning (the 3rd)?

If it were me I%26#39;d leave on Wednesday afternoon. I%26#39;d rather get in late Wednesday night and miss as much of the 4th traffic as possible.

i second that motion, arrive Wed instead of Thursday cause I will bet thursday traffic is horrible.

Last Minute VRBO

Hey Everyone, Going to myrtle in late April for a week with two teenagers. I have been pricing LOTS of different units but would really like to stay on the beach in a private house, has anyone rented at the very last minute and can you get substanitally lower prices that way? Seems to be TONS of place for the week we want (April 19 to 26th). I was just wondering if I can save some money as the teens have a HUGE list of things they want to do.

Last Minute VRBO

It%26#39;s highly possible to get a reduced rate. I%26#39;d have several in mind and many times the rate is already reduced around a month to 1.5 months out. 2 weeks is pushing a TRUE Vacation Rental ';BY OWNER';; getting paperwork done and keys sent. There will be many available in April and it is a GREAT time to go.

On our way to Myrtle next week! Last minute trip!

I was required by my employer to take a week of vacation next week or lose it. It just so happens that my fiance is on spring break from her college classes at the same time, and she only works on weekends, so I thought we would squeeze in a visit to MB next week. I looked at my hotel points account for choice and ichotels, and we decided to book a two night stay at the Holiday Inn in Surfside, and a two night stay at the Comfort Inn Oceanfront in Myrtle Beach, all for free hotel points, it would seem they take points in the off-season. An unexpected visit, and we have never visited in March, but thought it might be a welcome detour in our schedules. I%26#39;ve never stayed at Surfside, nor have we visited Myrtle in March. We hope the weather is well enough to lounge on the beach and take in a good book. Looking forward to a few days of nothing to do, but listen to the surf!

On our way to Myrtle next week! Last minute trip!

Have a good trip my vaca is still but a few months away!

On our way to Myrtle next week! Last minute trip!

We come in March evey year and I like it. There aint any crowds like in the summer or really no crowds at all. The weather can be iffy this time of the year. We have been in March and the highs have been close to the upper 70%26#39;s and been before and the highs being in the lower 40%26#39;s. So you may or may not be able to sit on the beach and read a book. Also they have the beach renourishment going on also. They6 are done in Surfside and are working up the beach. There is a post a few pages back with a link about the timeline but it aint day by day. It is a few months spand of what they have on there.

We are going Easter weekend for the first time so I%26#39;m wondering what that will be like.

Have fun.

Weather today is slightly overcast and highs in low 50%26#39;s, this weekend they are calling for low 60%26#39;s and I think that next week you can probably expect low to mid 60%26#39;s.

Supposedly the biggest rain maker we%26#39;ve had in a long time will be coming in the first part of next week (according to Raleigh weatherman)......we need it!!!! Maybe the last part of the week will be great? 70%26#39;s are possible and 60%26#39;s often happen. long range forecast... www.wunderground.com/US/SC/Myrtle_Beach.html

Make some indoor plans the first part of the week and plan outdoor the last part.

southwind on the ocean

Has anyone stayed at Southwind on the Ocean? It seems nice and we are staying there Jan. 31 through Feb 3rd.

southwind on the ocean

I have visited Southwind and it is an upscale newer hotel located in a great section of Myrtle Beach.Southwind is bordered by a single-family home neighborhood that is quite charming.Very easy to reach all major roads from there.I believe you have made a good choice.

southwind on the ocean

I stayed in a 5BR unit two years in a row and will book again this year. Great place. Very family friendly.

Well kept and aappointed. Only a few years old.

Restaurants and Tours

I will be in Charleston in June and wanted to take some type of haunted tour. I have not read good reviews about the bulldog tours. Does anyone know about any haunted pub/bar tours or any that would be worth while?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on great restaurants? I will take any suggestions, but are there any good seafood restaurants in particular?

Any comments would help!!!

Thanks!!

Restaurants and Tours

I%26#39;ve never taken Bulldog Tours (but have heard great things about them!), but have done a couple of ghost tours with The Original Charleston Walks - they were awesome! They are located off of Broad Street, and offer several different types of ghost tours - the tour guides really know their stuff!!

Restaurants and Tours

I agree with the previous poster. I%26#39;ve done tours with them and they were great!

Where to find a bank?

Can anyone tell me where to find a bank in the historic district, and also bank machines? Thanks.

Where to find a bank?

relax, they are all over the place. you%26#39;ll be fine, they want your money.....

pimple cure

Renting agreement

How important is this? I have a property I am interested in but the renter does not provide renting agreement ( he said that the property is family operated endevour and he does not provide renting agreements). We spoke to him on the phone and he ';sounds'; legit. He said that he is happy to provide e-mails of previous guests so that we can chat to them.

We rented properties in the past withought agreements and basically had no problems.

What do you guys think?

Thanks!

Renting agreement

No way would I rent without a rental agreement. Now having said that, just because you have a rental agreement doesn%26#39;t guarantee the ';owner is legit';.

Every owner I know who rents their properties has some sort of rental agreement. Rental agreements can be found all over the internet. Being a ';family operated endevour'; does not eliminate the need for a rental agreement.

Think about it this way--I manage an apartment building (not in SC) for long term renters. Do you think any of them would rent without a lease or rental agreement? Just because you rent for a week doesn%26#39;t mean you shouldn%26#39;t have an agreement.

Just curious, does the owner you are dealing with require a security deposit? (If yes, you%26#39;d better get some sort of agreement that explains what is expected of you the rental guest).

Renting agreement

There is no reason they can%26#39;t provide some kind of agreement. I would NEVER rent something without a contract.

AGREE. AGREE. AGREE.

No matter how ';nice'; the owner appears to be, you do not know these people and you are not staying in the home as a private guest. You are not willingly assuming the risks that you might undertake as a family friend in a known location.

It is important for your protection, and the owners%26#39;, that there be a rental agreement. Explain to the owner that you would feel much more comfortable if you had a simple statement in writing of the terms of your agreement. Simple tenancy agreements are easy to turn up online, so he doesn%26#39;t have to ';reinvent the wheel';.

If the owner will not provide a written agreement, there is something wrong ... Maybe the owner is trying to avoid business license fees or hotel tax or declaration of rental income on income tax? Maybe the home is located in an area where short-term tenancies are not permitted? No matter what his reasons, you so not want to be party to the scheme.

This renter does not require security deposit. His deal is 50% now and 50% 30 days before arrival.We finally found something we liked .....withought rental agreement. Great :(

So, your agreement is that there will be no rental agreement? just cash-in-hand, now and 30 days before arrival?

To those of us who own South Carolina vacation-rental property (like myself and OurGreatEscape) the lack of a rental agreement sounds very strange. If it is somewhat generic place, set up for the rental market, then why not the rental agreement? Also, if this place is a beloved family home - complete with treasured family artifacts, then why not a security deposit?

Sorry to sound so distrustful, but I hope that you are paying with a credit card that will offer you some financial protection should anything go wrong. (Of course, if something should go wrong, the lack of an agreement will be a problem, even with a credit card.)

Good luck with this. I really hope that all goes well for you. In some areas of the USA, like New York City, you should NEVER try this approach to renting. Luckily for you, scams are rare on Hilton Head.

VickyCanada,

There are a couple of things you can do to protect yourself in the event you decide to rent from this chap. First, I%26#39;d ask who is property manager is. Who do you call is something goes wrong?

Second, pay with a credit card. This gives you the ability to do a charge-back if things are not as has been presented to you (a charge-back is not a done deal and again may require a contract from the owner).

Third, get on line and check the property records. Double check the chap you%26#39;re dealing with is the actual owner (I believe HHI is Beaufort Co. and prop. records are online).

Fourth, google the owner%26#39;s name and phone number. Make sure everything matches--meaning the phone number you have matches the address he is giving.

KiawahVilla and I have heard of the nightmares in NYC about folks renting places that didn%26#39;t even exist! The vacation rentals industry is a booming biz. Unfortunately, there are people who want to take advantage of situation. When this happens, it makes those of us who take pride in our industry ( and work extremely hard to be ';transparent';) look bad.

JMO,

Eliza

Thanks,everyone

I will stongly take all your comments into account when making my decision. Presenlty the renter provided few references for me to chat with and I shall see what they have to say.

Vicky

Hi Vicky

You don%26#39;t mention if it is a house or a condo that you want to rent. You may not want to mention the house name here but if it is a condo then what is the complex name as the same unit/house might be available to rent through a rental agency. The reason I ask is that this year I rented a house from VRBO but when it came to sending in a deposit the owner asked me to go through Resort Quest. I have rented a few condos through vrbo and the owner has always sent me a rental contract. If you do go through with it then besides paying by credit card you could always send a check by recorded/special delivery(sorry this is English postal system terminology) whereby the recipient has to sign that they have received it. That way if your check is cashed you do have a record of it being received. I personally would be unhappy parting with 50% in case later on the owner says they never received it. However at the end of the day go with your gut instinct. Lee

Thank you Lee.

The property is on Homeaway.com and it is a condo. In fact, I already received an e-mail from one of the guests who previously stayed there and the reply was very positive ( they stayed there few times already and going again in March). Your suggestion is great though. I will look into it. Decisions,decisions.....

Vicky

Charleston Trip Report

I was in Charleston February 18th to the 20th to meet up with my cousins for their first visit (I have been several times before). I arrived at the Charleston Mills House at 9:30 am and was pleasantly surprised when they said my room was ready and I could check in. We loved this hotel. Comfortable, nicely decorated, and so very convenient to all the attractions. The weather was rainy until the afternoon, but manageable with an umbrella.

We started off at the Nathanial Russel House at 51 Meeting St. Admission is $10, but if you plan on touring the Aiken-Rhett House (which I recommend), purchase tickets for both for $16. The Nathanial Russel House is a beautiful home and the tour guide was wonderful. This home is beautifully decorated and furnished. Tours are every half hour, with the last one at 4:30 pm.

We headed to Joseph%26#39;s for lunch and were dissapointed. We had ordered a pastrami %26amp; swiss, a reubin, and a wrap. The wrap was good, but the sandwiches were not so good. If we had ordered low-country food, we probably would have been pleased. That%26#39;s what you get for ordering ';northern'; sandwiches in the south - kind of like ordering shrimp %26amp; grits in the north.

We then headed to the Aiken-Rhett House at 48 Elizabeth St. This, in my opinion is a must see. The home is not restored as the others are, this home is preserved (which means it everything is original to the home). This is the only urban plantation around, filled with history and has the original slave buildings. You take a self-guided audio tour and it is wonderful. There is staff around the house, should you have any questions.

We then headed to the Heyward-Washington House at 87 Church St. The cost is $9. Tours are every half hour, with the last one at 4:30 pm. This home is very nice with beautiful antiques and a complicated history.

That evening, we had dinner reservations at North of Broad on East Bay St. Our reservations were at 7:45pm and they were packed on a Monday, so I would suggest making reservations. We had ordered quail, duck, and tenderloin. The quail and duck were fabulous, but the tenderloin was tough and not a very good cut.

The next day we took the 11:00 am ferry to Fort Sumter. It was so very cold and windy. The fort is now ruins, and I was dissapointed that I froze for the two hours to see it. I will say that the narrative given by the park employee was very informative and interesting.

We had lunch at Poogan%26#39;s porch and found it to be very, very good. The she crab soup and biscuits were fabulous.

Left there and headed towards battery park to Calhoun Mansion. This home is not mentioned in the official visitor%26#39;s guide you get, but it is the most spectacular home in Charleston and a DO NOT MISS. The tour costs $15 and is worth every penny. The archetecture is spectacular and the home is filled with THOUSANDS of antiques from all over the world and every time period. It%26#39;s like walking into an antique museum. You tour the first two floors and the tour guides are very, very well informed about both the history of the home and all the wonderful antiques. If you cannot do anything else in Charleston, you must do this one - you won%26#39;t be dissapointed. My last visit to Charleston was prior to 2004 and the home was a private residence not open for tours. The current owner purchased it in 2004 and opens it to the public (even though he lives there - on the same floors you tour). It is closed for special events and parties on occassion.

We then went to the Edmonston-Alston House at 21 East Battery. This historic home has a fabulous view of the harbor and was one of the first homes to be built on Charleston%26#39;s High Battery. This home%26#39;s history is tied in to the Middleton Plantation. Tours are every half hour with the last being at 4:30 pm.

We had dinner at the Barbados Room in the hotel and it was very good.

The last day we went to Middleton Place Plantation. We purchased a ';spend the day package'; for $45, which included the tour of the home, gardens, stable yard %26amp; craftsman, as well as a carriage tour. It was wonderful, and well worth spending the whole day there. We arrived around 10:45 am and left at around shortly before 5:00 pm. One bit of advice, do not let small children run around by the butterfly lakes - there are large alligators there and they like to sunbath along the shore. You may not see them, but they are around. We had lunch in the restaurant there and it was so, so, so good. It costs $16 and is a three course meal. You choose your appetizer (the she-crab soup and ocra soup are wonderful), main course (best fried chicken I%26#39;ve had and the sampler platter was very good), and dessert.

Sorry this report is long, but I wanted to give as much information as possible to those who will be coming to Charleston for the first time. I absolutely love this city and love to share it with others. If you would like any additional information, send me a private message.

Charleston Trip Report

we also have just returned from a week in Charleston. The only thing I would add to this is that you should go to the visitor center on Meeting St and purchase the historic homes pass, which includes admission to 3 historic homes (Nathaniel Russell and Edmonston-Alston are 2 of them) PLUS admission to Middleton Plantation and Drayton Hall PLUS the Charleston Museum, which was really interesting. I think it was around $40, but it was a really good deal if you%26#39;re going to all of those sites.

Charleston Trip Report

Great report! Glad that you had a good time!

Thanks for the reports! Especially the add about the pass at the visitors center!

I just called the visitor center. According the the lady who answered the phone the two day pass (must be used in consecutive days) are $39.95 and include admission to the Aiken Rett house, Heyward-Washington hosue, Joseph Manigault house, Nathanial Russell house,Edmondston-Alston house, Charleston Museum, Drayton Hall and the stablyards and gardens of Middleton Place. This is a great deal. It is worth purchasing this pass even if you are not going to do everything. If you wanted to take the carriage ride or tour the home at Middleton you would have to pay the extra ($10 for house tour and I%26#39;m not sure about the carriage ride).

I never go to the visitor%26#39;s center (I will next time), since I don%26#39;t need maps or such - but I will now for that great pass. Thanks for the info.

With apologies to Maxwell Smart - ';Thanks, 999!';

Wonderful TR! Thanks for your candid observations and especially the info on the Calhoun Mansion.

Hey, it%26#39;s only 1:45 down the road, so come back soon!

Great report!

Sorry that Joseph%26#39;s (one of my all-time favorites) didn%26#39;t go so well for you. You are proBably correct about regional cuisine. Coming from New York, it would never occur to me to order a Reuben or a pastrami sandwich at Joseph%26#39;s!

Next time try anything involving oysters or shrimp or creole sauces. The fried green tomatoes are nice. Curiously, they also do a first-rate grilled cheese sandwich!

Spartanburg forum help

Whats to do in Spartanbug if I%26#39;m there for a weekend while the wife will be working? What is there neat to see and do? Not even sure of the city size, but coming from Indiana there must be something unique to your city.. Thanks Mark

Spartanburg forum help

I%26#39;d go eat at the Beacon Drive In - besides the good food, it%26#39;s a great show! '; Cheeseburger A -Plentay!';

Drive over to Greenville one afternoon and visit the world class art museum at Bob Jones University. It rivals many in Europe.

Tour the BMW plant - very interesting.

Hollywild Animal Park is near there - lots of exotic animals used in films.

Drive up to the Outlet Malls in Gaffney.

Just a few suggestions - Best wishes.

hold the tough drive freshly founder

Beachwalker Park

I was looking up information on Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island and the website said that in April it is only open on weekends from 10-6. Does this mean the concessions and restrooms are only open at this time? Can you still pay the $5.00 and walk the beach while they are ';closed';?

Beachwalker Park

Whenever there are no lifeguards on the beach at the park, the park is ';closed';. When the park is closed, the parking lot is gated and locked.

The park%26#39;s location on Kiawah is quite remote for ';daytrippers'; from the Charleston area. In the off-season, there are not enough weekday visitors for Charleston County to justify paying guards and attendants.

An alternative (more expensive) would be to plan lunch at The Sanctuary Hotel and get a day pass from the Kiawah Island security gate. From the hotel, you will have access to the entire ten-mile beach. There also is a lovely county park on Folly Beach, which is closer to Charleston and may have better hours for your purposes.

Beachwalker Park

Will you be staying on Kiawah or elsewhere? There are plenty of beaches around here that don%26#39;t charge, the parking is free or cheap, and you can walk for miles. Typically if you pay to park, you%26#39;re getting the added benefit of the use of restrooms and showers, as well as access to shops and concessions.

We are staying at the Shem Creek Inn April 2-4. People have said such nice things about Beachwalker, so we were going to try that. But if it isn%26#39;t going to be open, we will probably try Folly Beach. Thank you for saving us a lot of driving time on our short trip.

From Shem Creek you are about 5-6 minutes to Sullivan%26#39;s Island beaches, and 7-8 minutes from Isle of Palms beaches. Sullivan%26#39;s is completely free to park, but it%26#39;s very residential. IOP has a main ';shopping district'; that has meters but the rest of the island is free to park. Just follow the people with the beach chairs (or jobbing outfits, since you%26#39;re coming in April).

Yes, for Shem Creek, either Sullivan%26#39;s or IOP would be more convenient. If you do decide to drive out to Folly Beach, the County Park is very nice, and the beach at the park is quite natural and unspoiled. Also, on Folly, the town area around the picturesque pier has a different, more old-style beach town atmosphere. There are shops and restaurants on Folly, as well.

Trip Report - Quick Visit

A friend and I spent the day in Beaufort today. The weather was scruptious after the light fog lifted, and I wanted to share the experience before I had my evening glass of vino.

We got to town at around 11 am and parked on Bay Street in front of some cute shops that we felt we ';had'; to visit. My friend and I had a blast at the children%26#39;s clothing/accessories/toy store called Doodlebugs that, IMHO, is the best such store we%26#39;ve ever laid eyes on or feet in. If you are shopping for anything for children, this is the place. If you find a better shop, let me know! The next shop was the pottery guild nearby - their jewelry and hand-thrown pottery was exceptional. Bay Street is a very historic street with many boutique shops and galleries and is a delight to walk around. The town makes sure it%26#39;s as pedestrian-friendly as possible by clearly marking all crosswalks so cars don%26#39;t fly through town. We went in to an import store with mostly folk art - and I love folk art. Very nice. Then we went to a consignment store where I bought a wrought iron fireplace screen for $35. (How could you pass that up?)

Time for lunch. We had lunch at the Sea Island Wine and Gourmet. I will say this...I have never had such good chicken salad in my life! I had almost sworn off of it since some places make it so chewy or with dark meat. This was a little piece of chicken heaven. The place was very cute with an outdoor patio and a wine shop (attached). There is no doubt that on my next trip I will pack a cooler and buy this chicken salad by the pound. (which they do sell that way since it%26#39;s a deli as well) The iced tea had sliced strawberries, orange and lemon and gave the tea that extra ';love'; that went so well with our delightful meal.

Next we went on a carriage tour, which started near the marina (in the main public parking lot which has strange parking meters - you have to press a button on them to indicate whether yours is the car on the left of the meter or the right). Our driver was Walter Gay, and he never stopped talking (except to hear what his horse had to say). I felt like this made the trip worth twice the amount we paid and tipped him nicely. If you have never been to Beaufort, you cannot imagine how beautiful it is. It is a town with the largest concentration of Antebellum homes - and it sure shows. The number of movies that were filmed here will make you dizzy. I took about 100 photos and can%26#39;t wait to download them. The azaleas were blooming yet some camellia%26#39;s were still not blooming - how odd! The lemon and orange and grapefruit trees were fully ready for the picking! There is so much Spanish Moss in this town you could probably fill Charleston Harbor.

On our drive out of town, I couldn%26#39;t wait to stop at the Caffino%26#39;s drive through. If you don%26#39;t know what this is - it%26#39;s a coffee place that originated in California, and having just moved to SC from CA it was - honestly - one of the things I longed for. To find it%26#39;s now in SC was a thrill, and I ordered my ';usual'; which is a nonfat Chai latte - it was exactly the same as in Cali! If you%26#39;ve had other Chai%26#39;s and have not been impressed, give this Chai a chance. It will not disappoint! Now, if we can only get them to open a Caffino%26#39;s in Charleston....

I love Beaufort - it is one of the real hidden gems of the east coast. Those who have been here know - those who have not should drop everything and race down here immediately, shedding your cares along the way so you can take in the smell of the flowers and the feel of the town.

As one Cali governor once said in another role...';I%26#39;ll be back';! :)

Trip Report - Quick Visit

CultureHound: So the weather in Beaufort was warm yesterday? Is that what you%26#39;re saying? I sure hope so. We are heading to HHI March 8-15, so leave in a couple of weeks. We will be heading to Beaufort on the 12th for a Natalie MacMaster (Canadian fiddler) concert at the U of SC in Beaufort. It will be myself, my husband and another couple with their 16 yr old daughter (couldn%26#39;t drag the two teenage boys to listen to Celtic music, go figure!). My Q is: what place would you suggest for dinner? The lady at the University suggested Saltus Island Grille and Batteau in Port Royal. We don%26#39;t want anything too pricey but waterfront would be great.

Thanks,

D in Muskoka.

Trip Report - Quick Visit

I have to laugh because as I was reading the word ';perfect'; in your reply, there was a clap of thunder. (Thank goodness we didn%26#39;t go today!) So - as any place in the lowcountry - expect anything up through mid-April, then it should be consistently warm. 74 yesterday, 77 and rain today, 55 tomorrow and sunny; it%26#39;s like traveling the country while staying in one place!

As far as dinner suggestions - I%26#39;ll look into it - we%26#39;re close enough to not stay for dinner and that%26#39;s what we did. We have gone to the Shrimp place on the creek where Forrest Gump was shrimping - I don%26#39;t remember the name - it was good but very casual.

Oh and I did mean to say ';Scrumptious!'; which actually applied to yesterday%26#39;s weather and yesterday%26#39;s lunch.

I guess it was only ';perfect'; in my head - not in your reply!

Can%26#39;t go wrong w/ Saltus River Grill (check out their menu on their web site...very unique..you%26#39;ll also get an idea of prices). Plum%26#39;s is good too, and there are a few other riverfront dining restaurants. Barabara Jeans is not %26#39;in%26#39; downtown Beaufort, but is famous for their crab cakes. Steamer%26#39;s is also across the bridge towards Dataw and Fripp...VERY casual, raw bar...good service and food.

steamers is awesome!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your report. My daughter and I used to go to Beaufort a couple of times a year when she was younger. It%26#39;s now been several years since we visited. She%26#39;s married now, with a 6-year old and another baby due in April. We%26#39;ll be camping at Hunting Island in August and I%26#39;ll be happy to visit Beaufort again. I will definitely check out the Sea Island Wine and Gourmet. Glad to know that they have a deli where I can buy some good food to take back to the camp site.

Sounds like Beaufort has changed quite a bit since my last visit. Glad you enjoyed it.

BTW, I visited CA last March. My brother lives in San Diego and he was able to give us a pretty good tour although we were only there for 4 days (we drove back to Las Vegas for another 4). I plan to go back with my grandson and spend a little more time. I%26#39;d like to travel a little north of San Diego next time. Take a little road trip and see more of the state.