Again this year, we were blessed with a trip to Holden Beach, NC, in mid-summer. Holden is an excellent beach for relaxation--and it's close enough to Myrtle Beach, SC, when relaxation isn't in order. Our beach house check-in time was a late 4:00, so we went to Myrtle on our way south. We also came back as "just a couple" for an anniversary date.
The best part this year? Pirates' Voyage, the new Dolly Parton Dinner Attraction that replaced the Myrtle location of Dixie Stampede. It was lots of good fun with the same tasty food you've heard about from Dixie Stampede fans. Most importantly, the wonderful creamy veggie soup is still served! The show included tumbling, juggling, diving, sea lions... more than we expected in some ways, but we missed the blacklight skeletons featured in the YouTube promo. Watching everything come together organizationally was a special pleasure for Kim.
We enjoyed a lunch at Planet Hollywood. The service was less than spectacular (but still friendly) and the esprit de corps was not as "cool" as Hard Rock. However, the food--right down to Elijah's kids' meal--was spectacularly presented, and we liked the memorabilia displays, especially the spinning aircrafts near the bar/hostess stand. While this location is the only one with which we are familiar, the restaurant chain's publicity materials lead us to think this one is more casual than some.
For shopping, it was Barefoot for us--including the inexpensive jewelry store Black Market Minerals for some good deals.
If you go, use your American Express to book advance tix to Pirates' Voyage, saving money and time. Arrive when you can get in (about 60-90 min. before your show), visiting the gift shop right away when it's at its least crowded. Eating at Planet Hollywood? Head to nearby Broadway at the Beach (a place deserving of a visit of its own, anyway) in search of coupons. We wound up with $10 off lunch thanks to a retro wear store's giveaway. Barefoot Landing is also worth its own visit--especially if you take in Alligator Adventure. We really love the seaside atmosphere of Barefoot. Use the blog search tags South Carolina and North Carolina to find more of our impressions of the area.
Relevant Twitter Handles:
@PiratesVoyage
@BroadwayatBeach
@BarefootLanding
Relevant Websites:
Pirates' Voyage
