I'm going to be in Myrtle Beach next week. Where should we go?

[Ian David]

My wife and daughter and I are going to be traveling with my dad and his wife's family.

While I always try my best to "buy blue," including in restaurants, I also have to avoid driving everyone else crazy by doing things like refusing to step foot inside a particular restaurant that everyone else insists on going to. And we're probably going to end up at one or more Busch Gardens operated theme parks-- no use complaining about that, even if I wanted to.

But I'd like to know if there are any restaurants and businesses in the Myrtle Beach area I should particularly try to patronize-- based on both quality and progressiveness. For example, restaurants that are gay owned and operated, or run by Democrats, etc.

Also, are there any DU or progressive group meet-ups going on this weekend or next week?

[Heddi]

1. My hubby grew up in Myrtle Beach

Father in law still lives there (we live in Washington) and we visited just a year ago .Yes, real people DO live there.

Firstly, have you ever been to Myrtle Beach?

If not, here is what to expect:

1) You're going in the height of Tourist Season. Expect ALOT Of people wherever you go. If you find a restaurant you like, try to call ahead..way ahead in the day for reservations. Lie and tell them "We're local" so they'll actually put you on the list. Do not fret if you go someplace and they tell you the wait is 2 hours. It's going to be like that no matter where you go. There are SHITLOADS of people there, and only so much space to hold them

2) I hope you like pancakes, as there is a pancake/waffle house on every corner

3) I hope you like Calabash Seafood as well, as there is a Calabash Seafood house on every corner as well. I'm actually amazed that there is any seafood LEFT in Calabash, seeing how much of it has been sold on the corners of Myrtle Beach during my lifetime...

4) If you want to be at dinner by 8, prepare to leave by 6 if you're driving. Traffic is horrible. There is excatly one road into, and one road out of Myrtle Beach. During the daytime it is literally bumper to bumper traffic. Same for "The strip" which is the seedy hotel and rock-n-roll t-shirt shop, the "main drag".

5) There used to be a very great little bar behind one of the Pavillions (theme parks) that alot of locals and Scottish golfers went to called Neils. Neil was the owner and lived upstairs. Very seedy looking but EXTREMELY laid back bar. Free Ms Pacman and Donkey Kong video games. Couches. Neil lived upstairs and at night when he was tired he'd just leave the bar open and go upstairs and go to bed. Last person out locked up. WHen we were back to the beach in 05, Neils was quite closed down

6) Most bars will be frequented by biker boys and girls, street bike boys and girls, old shriners, and golfers. Awful loud music. No place to sit. wet-t-shirt contests. That kind of thing.

I'm sorry I really don't have any great advice to give you---the really bad thing about Myrtle Beach is that the dynamics are so fluid. One year a really great restaurant is opened and the next year it's closed and the building razed and the whole area turned into a theme park or NASCAR cafe or night-club. I've lived in SC all my life (aside from the 6 years so far in Washington) and my husband specficially lived in MB his whole life, and hardly any restaurants are there from one visit to the next---the dynamics are so fluid. One year, Trend Restaurants (Hard Rock, NASCAR Cafe, Sports Cafe, Planet HOllywood) are in. The next year, Outdoor Cantinas are in. Next year, it's Asian Fusion.

Businesses do NOT cater to locals. They cater to the finicky and often sub-par tastes of tourists who go there and are willing to spend 2 hours for a seat at Margaritaville only to be served blow-par seafood that comes fresh from the freezer and pay $32 for it. Who cares if they're not happy? Not like they'll be coming back---not only bcause they may not be back to myrtle beach next year, but all chances show that the restaurant will most likely have closed, changed owners, changed facades, changed menus 100x's between this season and next.

10 years ago, it was easier to find good restaurants, that catered to and were owned by locals. Back then, the tourist season was from Memorial day -Labour Day. Now, tourist season is Jan 1-Dec 31. There is no end. There is no "no crowd".

Good luck, and I hope you have fun. Go to the beach. Go to the Gay Dolphin, the self-proclaimed World's Largest Gift Store! Walk down the strip. I Iwould not advise a visit tothe Ripleys' Aquarium---last time we went it was nearly $20 per adult--an okay aquarium, but not $20 a head good.

Broadway at the Beach is where the big pyramid-shaped Hard Rock Cafe is. Lots of cheesy tourist shops and restaurants there. Every night they have this fireworks show with a big dragon that blows fire all over the place.

Enjoy your time! PM me if you want any more info re: Myrtle Beach or anythign else along the SC coast.

Oh! If you can, try to snag a drive down to Brookgreen Gardens, about 45 minutes south of MB. IT's a great big garden with all these statues and sculptures and plants. Really niceplace to go and quite a retreat from the crowds of MB!

Have fun! I'm jealous! It's darn tootin time to go back to SC for a visit :D

[Ian David]

2. I just got back on Friday night, and we had a great time

I didn't realize that North Myrtle Beach was so different from Myrtle Beach-- we were actually staying in North Myrtle Beach.

We had a had a rented condo with a great pool and a "lazy river" right on the beach. We went to MagiQuest, Barefoot Landing, had pictures taken with tigers and monkeys...

I'm going to post more about it later, but here's something about the hat I wore:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=38734&mesg_id=38907

Unlike my last trip THROUGH The South-- as opposed to a trip to The South, I can see why people might actually enjoy living there. North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach remind me of Kissimee St. Cloud minus Disney World.

[Heddi]

3. N.Myrtle Beach is much different

as are places south of MB and more inland. The in-city MB big time bright light blah blah is just that--myrtle beach.

Glad you had a great time. I live in Washington State now and this past weekend my husband and I went scuba diving in Puget Sound. The water temp was 54. We both commented on how much we missed the beach, the warmth....I mean, I love it out here but there ARE things down there that make it real nice. I didn't see it that way when I lived there---the beaches are nice but the atmosphere (people, I mean) are oppressive. The wages are depressed. It's hard being me and living there. I hated the tourists and those that harboured them :)

But the first time we went back, after being out west for about 3 years...the first place I went was the beach. To downtown Charleston. To myrtle beach. Aaaah!! My old home. The sand between my toes. Fiddler crabs that wave in unison as you walk down the beach.

Then, I got tired of hearing country music and seeing confederate flags everywhere and anxiously boarded the plane back to Seattle, where I could order a double tall double chocolate mocha with 2% and not be asked what language I was speaking :D

[Nectar1269]

5. Neil's - Myrtle Beach

I spent the summer of 1996 in Myrtle Beach and was at Neil's several times a week. Great, laid-back place - I wonder what happened to it and to Neil... So many great memories there.

[LastDemocratInSC]

4. I'm a South Carolina native and have never visited Myrtle Beach ...

... and I don't plan to.

There are other coastal areas in South Carolina that are far more beautiful, have absolutely no crowds, and have far better seafood for far less money.

Myrtle Beach is an economic engine for the state. That's its purpose. It has nothing for me.

[Name removed]

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