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August 2009 Newsletter Volume 3, No 8 Shadows are growing longer in the afternoons as 2009 moves through August and on to September's Labor Day and beyond. What a summer this has been! We hope that you were able to take advantage of our summer savings deals, but if not, if you were one of those whose summer has almost left you behind, don't despair. We have some wonderful late-summer discounts. How about planning for some fall golf in our "Terrific Tuesday" deal, or even later in a special Thanksgiving stay, or beyond that perhaps Christmas at the beach! Yes, that is right, Christmas. It is not too early to plan, especially since the time is moving as quickly as it has all year long. We do want to pause a moment here at the end of summer to thank the many people who selected Seaside as their beach venue of choice this year. Some of you are new friends, and we are so pleased to have made your acquaintance and hope that you will return again, soon. Others returned because they always come to the beach to stay with us, year after year, and, for that we are grateful. The past months have tested all of us in one way or another, and some of you described having to adjust your vacation plans to to skip vacation altogether. Others of you opted for a beach stay with us, and we are very glad that you did. The summer brought a number of surprise discounts, not least of which was the price of gasoline that stayed lower than expected. Usually gasoline prices run high in summer, but this year prices held steady at a relatively moderate level compared with what they were earlier this year when they went sky-rocketed to over $4/gallon. Other price cuts occurred in entertainment around our area. The "kids free" deal, for instance, at The Alabama Theatre and Legends in Concert, both of which end after Labor Day, brought a lot of families great joy in being able to see a live show together. Others, such as the new Freestyle Music Park featured specially slashed prices starting with their July 4th extravaganza and then continuing with other price cuts later in the summer. So, as 2009 winds into autumn, give thought to some fall get-aways, especially if you had to pass up summer vacation altogether. If Labor Day occurs in only a couple of weeks, how far away can Thanksgiving and Christmas be? Looking for you here at the beach, whenever you are ready for a stress-free break! Your friends at SeaSide News and Happenings at Seaside Golfing in the Fall along the Grand Strand Seaside's golf reservations agents can help you put together an affordable and memorable golf outing for Fall '09. As you who have stayed and played with us know from past experiences, we have a wide array of courses located around the Strand from north to south and can match your play level with the right courses for you. In this month's newsletter, we want to feature the "Glens" courses which compare with a trip to the Highlands in their use of native foliage, distinguished links design, and attention to detail: Glen Dornoch - A Johnston-design in Little River, this course uses natural terrain to challenge players Heather Glen - Combined talents of Byrd and Johnston blend to produce a Scottish feel in Little River Shaftesbury Glen - A little further out in Conway, SC, this challenging Johnston-designed course delights players Possum Trot - Known as the "friendliest" course, this Fazio-design works well for all skill levels We have many options, including something new called "Terrific Tuesday," so give a call to 1.800.682.5699 today and get in on the fun! Featured Recipe - Baked Banana Crisp From CDKitchen.com, this dessert with a tropical outlook is ready 30 minutes after you begin it. Serves 4. Ingredients: 3/4 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 ripe, firm bananas, peeled 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons cold butter -- cut in bits Directions: Combine orange juice and vanilla. Slice bananas lengthwise and place cut side up in a buttered baking dish. Combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles small peas. Drizzle bananas with orange juice. Spoon the crumble mixture over fruit. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Local Events Calendar - September, 2009 Click here to view more calendar events, or to book your reservation online during the time period coinciding with a favorite calendar event. Ongoing events: Pelicans Baseball! Now through Labor Day. See the Pelicans' web site at http://www.myrtlebeachpelicans.com for details. (843) 918-6000. Summerfest! Now through September 5, 2009. See the 10:15 pm fireworks every Monday at Barefoot Landing over the lake. Boardwalk entertainers nightly. www.BarefootLanding.com. Now until 10/31. Grand Strand Fishing Rodeo. For recreational fishermen only. Fishing area: coastal waters from the NC line at Calabash southward to the South Santee River. Where boats are involved, only the fish caught from those that depart and return to port within the above named area are eligible. Entry card must be completely and clearly filled out. Anglers must see weigh masters to certify fish. For more information, contact the Fishing Rodeo Committee at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce: 843-626-7444 or toll-free at 800-356-3016. Email -- info@VisitMyrtleBeach.com Calendar events: 9/4-5. Beach Boogie and BBQ Festival. This event includes a run/walk, live music, plenty of kid-friendly activities and food, car show, and much more. 9/5 to 1/3/2010. Faces and Stories: A Portrait of Southern Writers. Bibliophiles and art lovers alike will appreciate seeing these moving black-and-white photographs taken by internationally acclaimed photographer Curt Richter. The first author to sit for the series was Eudora Welty and the last was Alice Walker. This project grew over a seven-year period as Richter photographed more than 200 writers associated with the South. Sixty of these portraits are presented in this traveling exhibit from the Southern Arts Federation at the Burroughs and Chapin Art Gallery. For more information, 843.238.2510 or email to artmuseum@sc.rr.com. 9/6. Barefoot Improv Comedy Show. The Barefoot Improvisers perform in an audience-interactive comedy show every Sunday from 4:30 - 5:30pm through September 6 at DockSider's Grille. For more information, 843-597-6393 or online at www.carolinaimprov.com. 9/7. South Carolina Senior Open Pro/Am. Tidewater Charity Tournament Committee. Play with a PGA Senior Professional. Have a chance to win a 2009 Volvo C30 in hole-in-one contest, closest-to-the-pin gift certificates, and many other prizes. Details 843.283.3752 or www.tidewatercharitytournament.com. Proceeds benefit Autism Advocate Foundation and North Strand Helping Hand. Tidewater Golf Course in beautiful North Myrtle Beach, SC. 9/12. Loretta Lynn at the Alabama Theatre in North Myrtle Beach. Get tickets now to be part of the audience for this country music legend. Her live performance begins at 7 pm. Call 800.342.2262 or see www.alabama-theatre.com for more information. 9/12. LeAnn Rimes at Freestyle Music Park with Billy Joe Royal. The park opens at 11 am, and the concert begins at 8 pm. For details about park events call 843.236.7625. 9/12 and 13. The 4th Annual Oktoberfest in Little River, SC. Celebrate the fall season on the waterfront in historic Little River. Starting at 9AM. and lasting to 6PM, you will enjoy authentic German cuisine prepared by Erna Blome, special musical guests providing live German music, and dancing throughout the day. With free admission to all children under 12, a special Children's Booth holds lots of fun, games, and surprises. More than beer, authentic German music, bratwurst, and polka, Oktoberfest is a great party! For details 843.249.6604. 9/18-27. Pawleys Island Festival of Music and Art. The 2009 Pawleys Island Festival of Music and Art will be held September 18-20 and September 25-27. Headlining the Festival will be Steve Tyrell, jazz vocalist, arranger, producer. This is a "Kid Friendly" Event. Location is Brookgreen Gardens and Litchfield Plantation. Call for details: 843-237-4774. Online: www.pawleysmusic.com. 9/19. Beach Sweep. Become a part of the "keep the beach clean" solution and join volunteers around the country, state, and nation in this annual event as we band together to "sweep" our beaches clean. In order to make it more fun, prizes will be awarded for certain categories and a raffle drawing will be held for all participants. Drinks will be provided. Appropriate for all ages. Contact Myrtle Beach State Park or SC Department of Parks and Recreation at 803.734.1700 or toll free 866.224.9339. 9/30 to 10/3. Fall Myrtle Beach Bike Rally. Located in Inlet Square Mall Event Grounds at Murrells Inlet, SC. Also, Ragtops and Roadsters Auto Museum, Murrells Inlet, SC. For more information see http://www.myrtlebeachbikeweek.com. Check out what's happening on the beach right now with our Web cam   Guest Comments We want to share some of the comments that people have posted by email. In fact, much of the correspondence that we receive comes to us electronically, but every now and then someone actually writes a real letter…on paper…with ink. Feel free to contact us by means of our online contact link (see www.Seasidemb.com) or in the manner most convenient to you. We had a great stay at Seaside! We stayed from August 1st through 6th. We loved the location and so close to the beach. Pools were great and the covered lazy river was our favorite when we were done in the sun! The condo was more than adequate! It smelled so good when we walked in. ... The bedrooms and bathrooms were huge! We really appreciated the abundance of towels, although it seemed the tubs and sinks were not cleaned the entire week. ... The balcony was awesome...so big! In room safe was large enough to fit 2 laptops plus cameras, money, purse, etc. Be sure to pack light and take advantage of the washer and dryer! (bring detergent). ... Breakfast was sufficient enough for being free. ... Fantastic beach! [condensed email] From "Kathy" on TripAdvisor.com who traveled with a family including teenagers, 08.08.09. I was anxious but had no need to be. I booked 5 nights for my family visiting us from UK so we had four adults (ages 50-60) and two teens. The 3-bed, 3-bath units were perfect and accommodated us very nicely with privacy. We were on the 10th floor ocean front, and the views were breathtaking with spacious rooms and all with sea views. We didn't want for anything. The beds were comfortable, new bedding (how nice was that), towels typical but plentiful. All was very clean. It was great to have a service every day as we were used to timeshares. We had washer/dryer, granite countertops, large fridge, etc. (although why do any heavy cooking?) and lot of space to spread out and relax. The hotel staff were friendly, the expanded continental breakfast was a bonus, as was Flo in the breakfast room who will make you feel at home. There was always room around the pool but we preferred the beach and did a lot of body surfing and beachcombing. I was afraid NMB would be too crowded, but it wasn't, and the resort was nice to come home to after visiting busy Broadway at the Beach. Ripley's Aquarium surprisingly the highlight, and they do a good job there. We preferred Barefoot Landing's shops and restaurants as they were closer and everywhere we ate there was great. Nothing to complain about the resort or location. Lots to do or nothing to do but enjoy the beach. We also had two cars, and parking was never a problem. I expected crowds at this time, but it wasn't bad at all. The locals were friendly, and this was a pleasant trip to remember for our family and the 5 nights was perfect. We will come back. Email from "GolferGirl" on TripAdvisor.com who traveled from Pinehurst, NC, with international family, 08.03.09] I spent the week of July 25th at the Seaside resort and loved it. ... I was up and at the pool by 7 am every morning, and I saw the staff vacuum and clean not only the pool but the entire pool area. The staff was very kind and professional ... My only complaint with the Seaside was they need a kiddie pool for the smaller children. The breakfast was great, and Flo was such a kind person. I can't wait to go back again soon. You need to try the Seaside, and I promise you will not be regret it. The Seaside is an excellent place for the entire family. Just read the other reviews and know that many people can't be wrong about the Seaside Email from "Burrlis" on TripAdvisor.com with family, 08.01.09. Fun Facts The South holds BARBEQUE in a time-honored position within the domain of Southern cooking across the deep South. Southern states (in particular, according to www.southernBBQtrail.com, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas) have a deeply engrained history of barbeque. Yet all across the 14 Southern (or quasi-Southern) states, barbeque is not merely a cookout in the back yard. It is a cherished part of the state's cultural heritage. One feature of this type of cuisine, the barbeque sauce, has maintained distinct regional flavors that has taken on a life of its own (see the barbeque sauce section of any grocery in the South). Sometimes even within families, barbeque sauce draws deep divisions of taste preferences. Barbecue's tradition here in the South extends back hundreds of years. When George Washington "went in to Alexandria [Virginia] to a Barbecue and stayed all Night," as he wrote in his diary for May 27, 1769, he won eight shillings playing cards and probably ate meat from a whole hog, cooked for hours over hardwood coals, then chopped or "pulled." Even before the first settlers arrived on the bank of the Ashley River in April 1670, England had begun to create and preserve records of life in the "colonies." The first entry in the Account of Disbursements and Receipts kept by the Lords Proprietors is an explanation dated 6 June 1663 for four shillings and three pence "To Cash paid for this booke." This initial cash outlay paid for the first volume in what has become one of the largest and most valuable collections of colonial and state records. The government of South Carolina has existed for over 300 years. In Beaufort County, SC, the Coosaw River Estates tract of land is a proposed 123-acre residential development on the north shore of Ladys Island. Exciting archaeological and historical findings are turning up there right and left, so much so that state officials have issued a notice for everyone to assist in finding and recovering artifacts. In the middle of 2003, archaeological investigations at the Coosaw River Estates tract indicate that people lived in this area from about 4,500 years ago to the present. In 2008, a local man, Matthew Carey of Hilton Head, unearthed two ancient stone tools in an archaeological dig in Allendale County, S.C. The 22-year-old University of South Carolina anthropology major volunteered last summer at the same site where USC archaeologist Dr. Albert Goodyear had been excavating for the past 10 years. Young Carey found the ancient tools on June 8th, the last day of the dig. Even though Dr. Goodyear had spent so much time there, new finds are typically named after their discoverers. The Palmetto is rooted in historical significance dating back to the Revolutionary War. On June 28, 1776, the British fleet's attack on Sullivan's Island was repulsed in part due to the fact that the palmetto-log fort, under Colonel William Moultrie, withstood the barrage of British cannons until the fleet retreated. The British cannon balls lodged into the logs harmlessly.