Myrtle Beach - the Top 5 Reasons to Plan a Visit

When you need that perfect place to relax and reflect, Myrtle Beach is the ultimate vacation destination. Myrtle Beach is heaven on earth surrounded by rolling sunny beaches, festivals and abundant leisure activities. If you are visiting South Carolina, Myrtle Beach should be on the top of you list. Here are 5 reasons why the trip is worth your while:

Hit the Beaches

This suggestion might be a no-brainer, but for those of you who haven’t experience the Grand Strand, it is truly a remarkable pristine place. Myrtle Beach is a mecca for surfing, wind surfing and water sports. If you don’t have equipment you can rent whatever you need at one of the many surf shops in the area. For those of you not into the surfing scene, you can have a blast enjoying the ocean out on a jet ski or kayak. Myrtle Beach even offers diving excursions to bring you face to face with the variety of ocean life in the Grand Strand. Catching a sunrise at one of lesser know beaches will leave you a wonderful vacation memory to last a lifetime.

Great Discounts on Lodging

Myrtle Beach offers a wide variety of lodging options from fancy hotels perched along the Grand Strand to more affordable motels further inland. With so many lodging options there is always a great opportunity to find discount packages to help ensure your vacation is both luxurious and affordable. For those of you looking for a more high-end experience I recommend checking out a place like the Island Vista Resort (http://www.islandvista.com/) during the off-season on a midweek night. For traveler like me who appreciate a great deal I always suggest looking into a Myrtle Beach Hotel with a mini-vacation offer (http://www.vacation-offer.com/special/new/18). Either way, if you keep your eyes pealed you are sure to find the right deal for you.

Take a swing on a world class golf course

With the absolute perfect climate, Myrtle Beach is a golfer’s paradise. Myrtle Beach is guaranteed to challenge and impress the most avid golfer with well over 100 scenic courses scattered along the coast. Many of the local golf courses come from designers like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. The locals joke that if you bring your clubs to Myrtle Beach, you might never leave.

Shopping, Shopping and more Shopping

No one goes on vacation without bringing back a few souvenirs, but at Myrtle Beach you will find all the stores and styles to fulfill your shopping fantasies. From Boutiques, to discount outlets and upscale malls, many visit the area just to take advantage of the shopping variety. Always remember, when planning your visit to Myrtle Beach, it is always a good idea to set aside some money just incase that perfect item catches your eye.

Music and Amusement

Believe it or not, but Myrtle Beach is actually know for having quite the music scene. Small venues with intimate settings offer a wide variety of local talent and excitement. Country music is a big draw in the area, but you can find whatever suits your fancy. The Carolina Opry (http://www.thecarolinaopry.com/) is a showcase for country inspired shows full of comics, dancers and musicians that are guaranteed to leave a smile on your face. For those more interested in classic hits, Myrtle Beach is second to Las Vegas when it comes to impersonators.

With all the option and activities that Myrtle Beach has to offer, the hardest part is usually making a plan and sticking to it. If you want to ensure a great experience I always suggest making a game plan. Whatever you do don’t forget to leave room for the unexpected.

There is Nothing Quite Like Navarre Beach Weddings

Everyone has different tastes and different plans for the ideal wedding.  If you have decided on a warm beach wedding, it can be difficult determining the perfect location.  Do you want to go to the Caribbean, Hawaii, or coast on over to California or Florida?  Wait until you hear about Navarre beach weddings. 

Navarre Beach is Florida’s best kept secret and you can experience it firsthand on your wedding day.  Located between Pensacola Beach and Destin, Florida, this is a breathtaking location that is sure to sweep you off of your feet. 

The gorgeous location and beautiful beaches sit directly on the Gulf of Mexico.  Prior to the wedding you can enjoy a plethora of activities to take in the full experience.  Everything from snorkeling to scuba diving to golfing can be done. 

From there, you can enjoy some night entertainment with a beach bar, live music, and plenty of activities to partake in.  There are a number of clubs and bars as well that you can enjoy all night long with family, friends and any other guests that have come in for the wedding. 

What separates Navarre Beach from the rest of the beaches in the area is its seclusion.  This is certainly one of the more secluded beaches with fewer crowds to battle.  This is precisely what makes Navarre weddings so ideal.  There truly is nothing quite like a beach wedding at Navarre Beach. 

There are a number of different packages you can select from with Florida Destination Beach Weddings to piece together your ideal wedding.  You want this day to be as magnificent as possible and you are off to a good start by planning it at Navarre Beach. 

Within these packages, you will find options for beach houses, condominiums, hotels, catering, entertainment, and the reception.  You want to make the planning as easy as possible on yourself and that is exactly what you will find with Florida Destination Beach Weddings. 

Navarre Beach offers dazzling white beaches that are bordered around the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  You cannot plan a better location for your special day.  And the great thing about it is few even know about this remarkable secluded location.  You can enjoy your wedding with family and friends in the remarkable region next to Destin, Florida. 

There are several enjoyable activities to partake in prior to and after the wedding at Navarre Beach.  But that is just the tip of the iceberg for what this beach as to offer you for your wedding day.  So pick out the package that suits you best and start preparing for an unforgettable day. 

Packages Galore With Destin Beach Weddings

Being that your wedding day is just about the most important day of your life, you want to make sure everything goes to plan. This includes having options and planning everything exactly the way you want it. With Destin Beach Weddings, there are several different packages you can choose from giving you numerous options.

The first package you can choose from is the “Ring of Love.” The “Ring of Love” is a package that is filled with color for your Gulf Shores Beach Wedding. The premise behind this package is a tropical setting filled with an abundance of color. It is designed with tropical flowers and can be set up in an array of different locations. Some of the locations you may choose from include the Emerald Coast, Panama City Beach, Destin Beach and Navarre Beach.

The next package to look into for Florida Beach Weddings is the “Rose Heart.” This package comes with a raised heart and is lined with red roses. There is nothing more romantic than getting married on the beach filled with roses and rose petals. The isle way will be filled with red roses and rose petals to accompany the bride and groom. In addition to this package, a Destin Beach photographer is included.

Continuing with the romantic setting is the “Sweetheart” wedding package. This package is a raised heart and isle way that includes two pedestals and vases with tropical flowers. The great thing about this package is that you can choose from any beach you want, including the most popular choice in the Pensacola Beach. No matter what beach you choose, you can rest assured you will be satisfied with the waves coming in and the soft white sand beneath your feet.

The last Destin Beach Weddings package to choose from is the “Rose Bouquet” package. This package is made of a bamboo arbor with numerous red roses scattered around. This comes with the setup on the beach and a minister for your wedding vows. As with the “Rose Heart” package, a Destin Beach Weddings photographer is included in the package.

It is always nice to have options, especially when it concerns your wedding day. With Destin Beach Weddings, there are several variables and options to choose from when it comes to packages. Whether you want red roses, a tropical theme or a combination, just know that you will never experience a day like this when opting to go with these amazing wedding packages.

Atlantic Beach, North Carolina ? the Top 5 Reasons to Visit

Breath-taking beaches, awe-inspiring nature and rich historical significance make North Carolina’s Crystal Coast the perfect vacation escape.  Atlantic Beach offers an unspoiled stretch of Southern Outer Banks Coast with some of the finest fishing and scuba diving in the country.  With so much to do, this top 5 list should help guide you on a fantastic Atlantic Beach getaway.

Beaches, Beaches and More Beaches
The beaches along the Crystal Coast are undeniably the greatest feature.  Soft warm sand spread out along the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean offers an unparallel experience of pleasure and relaxation.  Bogue Banks is where the majority of beach communities are located.  This barrier island offers access to many beautiful beaches, public fishing piers and hotels.  Most access points offer shower and restroom facilities along the pristine beaches.

Great Accommodations
With such great scenery, any lodging along the beach has a built in panoramic treasure.  For travelers looking for a high-class pampered stay, the One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa (http://www.oneoceanresort.com/) offers upscale accommodation with the added benefit of a full feature spa.  For those of you looking for a bargain stay, check out an Atlantic Beach Hotel with a mini-vacation offer (http://www.vacation-offer.com/special/new/25).  These packages are designed to introduce you to a resort's timeshare offerings and they generally include access to some great amenities during your stay.

Scuba Diving
The Atlantic Beach area is far and away one of the absolute best scuba destinations in North America.  With an abundance of clear, clean water and an amazing array of marine life, diving along the Crystal Coast is an experience that will last a lifetime.  While exploring the variety of marine animals you can visit one of the many shipwrecks or take a peak back in history by diving alongside a sunken U-boat.

History
First envisioned in 1870 as an Ocean Resort town by Appleton Oaksmith, Atlantic Beach began life as a retreat for relaxation purposes.  The first bathing pavilion was constructed in 1897 followed by the construct of the New Atlantic Beach Hotel to house guests.  Surrounded by significant historical sites such as the Civil War era Fort Macon, Atlantic Beach also offers a glimpse into World War II history with the sunken wreckage of a German U-Boat sitting on the sea floor just off the coast.  Any history lover will enjoy the many tours and historical sites available to wet their appetite.

Exposure to Nature
Atlantic Beach is surrounded by and saturated in pristine nature.  The Rachel Carson Reserve, named for the well-known naturalist, is home to an abundance of crustaceans, birds, butterflies and wonderful vegetation.  For those of you interested in observing ocean life without a scuba tank, the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores (http://www.ncaquariums.com/pks/pksindex.htm) is a must see.  This state of the art aquarium displays all the local sea life and is a great family destination if you want to take a break from the beach for a day.

With all the activities to choose from, Atlantic Beach is a prime location to get away from it all.  Pack your sunscreen, bring a good book and don’t forget your camera.  The memories you make while staying on the Crystal Coast are sure to last a lifetime.

Enjoy Christmas on a Beach - Karon Beach in Phuket

Surfing Santas

If you’ve been to places like Bondi beach, you won’t be surprised to find a pot bellied Santa dressed in his red coat, full beard surfing the waves down on the coasts of Sydney, Australia. This is about as far as it goes for the Australian Beach Xmas, sure there are a few beach parties but nothing of the level you will find in places like Thailand for example-and they aren’t even Christians! Fortunately for the sake of entertainment, having a great time anytime is not restricted to certain religions, for the fun loving Thais it’s any excuse for a party and off they go big time.

If you are staying down at the Karon Beach resorts-you won’t be disappointed in the celebrations that go on.  Approximately two weeks of full-on Christmas and New Year beach parties, hotel parties, beach barbies, you name it and something is there for you.

About Karon Beach Resorts and Phuket

One thing that stands out around the beach resorts of places like Karon in Phuket is the extent of the island’s lush vegetation and greenery. Over sixty percent of the island is lauded with lush forests, rubber and oil plantations.  The popular beach resorts like Karon lie on the West coast, while its mountain range stretches North to South-the highest point being Mai Thao Sip Song (The Twelve Cains) at 529m above sea level.

Phuket is the largest island in Thailand, its population is around 320, 000 and has a land area of 543 square km (approx the same size as Singapore).  It is also known as the Pearl of Andaman due to its beautiful pearl shape and unique colours. It is located on the southern coast of Thailand and boasts some of the most beautiful palm fringed beaches in the world.

Merry Christmas from the Karon Beach Resort

One of Phuket’s main tourist attractions is of course, the beautiful beaches and golden or white sands that stretch North to South. Picturesque palm coves and bays inundate the coastline where some of the most elegant and luxurious hotel resorts blend in to combine natural beauty with modern resortism. Karon beach, a short distance south of the main Patong beach spans 6 km of coastline and is famous for its beautiful white sands which make that unique squeak as you walk. Favoured by couples, families and the young, Karon beach heralds the Horizon Karon Beach Resort and Spa located at the south end of the beach and just a stone’s throw from other idyllic beaches. The resort is set on 16000 sqm of land, is surrounded by a forest vegetation of lush green and is slightly elevated which provides a marvellous little alcove of peace and tranquillity. The Karon Beach Resort and Spa will also be having their own Christmas and New Year’s celebrations and of course the beach parties and barbies will go on all night, every night, as if they have always been a part of Thai tradition!

See you there folks-out for now.

Renting a Beach Chair or Sitting in the Sand in Saint Tropez Beach - Which is Which?

For travelers, it is sometimes hard to decide whether to rent a chair or simply sit on the sand in San Tropez Beach. It is important to remember that there are advantages and drawbacks to both. Let us learn more about this issue by reading the sections found below.

Factors to Consider

A summer at St Tropez is perhaps one of the most exciting encounters you could ever experience in life. Tourists who visit the Saint Tropez beaches are often enchanted by the beauty of the white sprawling beaches and the delectable treats the restaurants have to offer.

If you choose to visit one of the St Tropez beach clubs, you might want to consider renting a chair or sitting on the sand when you get close to the sea. To some travelers, feeling the heat of the sand beneath them is the perfect way to enjoy the St Tropez beach. But to others, renting a chair is a more preferable and comfortable way of spending their time in the beach.

There are actually various factors to consider when deciding on whether to rent a chair or not. Let us name all these factors to serve as your guide in your visit to St Tropez beach.

*Your Comfort

Your comfort is the primary factor in choosing whether to rent a chair or sit on the sand in San Tropez beach. If you feel more relaxed having a chair around, you can certainly buy a chair or rent it in your visit to the beach at St Tropez.

*Your Budget

Chair rentals may be a tad costly to some travelers. Since these chairs are in high demands, you can expect the prices to soar high. At times, St Tropez beach travelers bring a chair instead of renting them. Those who can afford could just rent a chair nearby and enjoy the summer at St Tropez.

*Your Preferences

Chair rentals may sometimes depend on the preferences of the traveler. Most of the tourists sit on the sand to feel the Saint Tropez beach much better. Others do not opt for the sticky feel of the sand and rent a chair instead. Your preferences greatly matter in the decision process. You always have to choose the best and most comfortable way for you to spend the summer at St Tropez.

*Your Location

If you are in a Saint Tropez bar or restaurant, you no longer have to rent a chair. Since there are available seats everywhere, you can freely use them to enjoy the beach. However, the seats can be used in a particular establishment alone. You may have to rent a chair again when you exit a Saint Tropez bar.

The Advantages and Drawbacks

There are several benefits in sitting on the sand or renting a chair. There are drawbacks to both decisions as well.

*The Advantages of Renting A Chair

*There may be a thick crowd of people in some of the beaches at Saint Tropez. When your legs get too tired, the only thing that can save you is a chair.

*Chairs can be more convenient and comfortable for some San Tropez beach travelers.

*The sand heats up easily during summer at St Tropez. You might need a chair for such times.

*Adults and the older population are more comfortable on chairs than sitting on the sand.

*The Drawbacks

*You might not fully enjoy the San Tropez beaches without sitting on the beautiful and warm sand.

*The chair rental may be costly to some travelers.

10 Ways Beach Music, Romance & Self-expression Created the First ?myspace?

by John Hook

Beach Music? Many define it by its geography and the kinds of songs it includes while describing 'friendship' and 'good times’ as the glue which binds it.

If you're like me you've thrilled to square dancing in bright costumes, two-stepping in country bars, bumping and hustling in discos, and line dancing in modern clubs. They’re all filled with friendship and good times; making those insufficient illustrations of what makes Beach Music what it is.

1. Beach Music in the East and the West are similar, but not the same.
Both coastal communities celebrate individuality and self-expression. At the center of West Coast beach culture is the surfer community encouraging private quests marked by athletic achievement while the East Coast dance culture inspires a new form of social success.

2. East Coast Beach Music nurtures new ideals of social equality, romance, and improvisational self-expression.
Fifteen years before Rock and Roll, white teenagers in the Southeast embraced Black music as their own. At the same time they developed a new dance to express themselves. From that mixture the Shag evolved.

3.  Many found the secret rites of Shag and Beach Music at the Beach.
Like the "soul surfers" of the West Coast, the “soul dancers” set new standards for the 'good life.' At the beach, personal and hometown histories stayed home while they assumed nicknames and developed new personalities.

4. Rhythm and Blues and Jazz were foundations for the Shag.
In addition to early black music, soul dancers often flipped over national pop hits to see if the 'B' side had the right beat and mood for carefree shuffles in coastal and inland pavilions.

5. Society sometimes misread them as mere ‘rebels.’
Like their West coast alter-egos they weren’t rebelling as much as forming new communities and social hierarchies of greater equality with rights of self-expression.

6. Balmy days and nights, sensual Shag moves, and their own ‘coat of arms’ embraced giddy summer romances.
The Shaggers’ dress code included Bass Weejuns, no socks, cashmere sweaters, and madras shirts. Like knights of old, girl-partners were revered.  When they danced, *she* was the most gorgeous woman in the world.

7. East Coast soul dancers enshrined the Art of Play as equal to Hard Work.
As such they considered social life equivalent to work life. While they worked summer jobs to support themselves, they worked just as hard at “not working” on the dance floor.

8. It looked like a sexual revolution.
It really wasn’t focused on sex. Self-confidence and cool were guiding principles and the 'safe date' was integral to Beach Music. They put dancing before drinking--unlike some who need a 'boost' to drop their inhibitions.

9. Classic Beach songs include national hits and treasures unknown outside the Southeast.
Fifties Beach songs celebrated the good times in several ways. Although "Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O Dee" mentioned wine, it more loudly proclaimed the 'good times'! Fifties hits included "Good Rockin' Tonight," "Sixty Minute Man," and "Sh-Boom." The 60s added hundreds more like “Under the Boardwalk,” “My Girl,” “What Does it Take To Win Your Love,” and “Brown Eyed Girl.”

10. The ‘Shag’ had other names including the 'Bop' 'Freestylin'' and 'Fas' Dancin'.
The music wasn’t named for 25 years! In the beginning most teenagers found it at the Beach. Eventually there were 500+ inland dance clubs, Pavilions, restaurants, swimming pools, and fishing lakes with dance floors.

Beach Music and Shag history show a culture celebrating individual uniqueness in the rituals of music and romance experienced by those who were dancing to their own destinies.  The Beach Music community was like a ‘beta’ version of MySpace, a ‘flat’ world where everyone was equal, each member was in charge of their own self-expression and the accumulation of friends with whom they had common interests.  The internet has simply made the field of dance partners much much larger.

To learn more about this fascinating chapter of American life that is still being written, follow this link http://www.beachshag.com/BMG%20SITC.htm

"Fessa" John Hook is a 39 year broadcaster captains the Endless Summer Network of Beach and Shag music on the net.

His three books on Beach music and Shag  are: "Shaggin' in the Carolinas," and the "Beach Music Guide 1945-2006, Vols 1 & 2" and another, "Dancing On the Edge - How Music Freed the South," coming in the fall of 2009.

"'Shagging In the Carolinas,' according to Hook, a Beach Music and Shag enthusiast, is a love letter that took 26 years to write." --Sun Times newspaper

"Hook writes about how Shagging defied social conventions as carefree white teenagers were inspired by the possibilities inherent in improvisational black dance and music." --Lexington Dispatch

"Hook knows what he's talking about when it comes to Beach Music. As a broadcaster in the late 1980s, he was responsible for the first full-time Beach Music radio station in history....he chronicles the evolution of the dance....before the Lindy Hop, before the Jitterbug, came the Shag, a dance born and bred in the Carolinas." --Our State magazine