Now, being a man, I am not much into shopping, but this is a shopping mall for everybody, male and female, young and old. What you have here is shopping (about 100 specialty stores), dining (20 restaurants, including Planet Hollywood, Nascar Cafe,and Hard Rock), 15 attractions, 10 nightclubs, and even 3 hotels (Holiday Inn, Fairfield and Hampton) on a site spread 350 acres around a large area of water. The 350 acres can be a bit confusing because some of the attractions need to be driven to and are not really close enough to walk to in the busy traffic. We went back a few times while we were there because there really is so much to do. They have a mini golf area if some want to have fun while others may want to shop, or Ripleys Aquarium, Nascar Speed Park, a movie theater, and plenty more. We did do the Dragons Lair golf (only one of the two courses however), the Nascar Speed Park and a few of the restaurants while going there a few times during our stay.

It is a nice place to go with a group of people because everybody can go their own way. We were able to keep in touch with cell phones and decide when we wanted to meet up again. Just make sure to be specific about where you are; we found some stores very similar and there are two Ben and Jerry's ice-cream shops. This was also quite a bit of exercise, walking around the water in the center and we even fed their ducks and fish which were very plump to say the least. It was amusing to watch the fish jump over each other to get the pellets available along the decks and walkways. For even more up-to-date information, go to their website. Here that is: http://www.broadwayatthebeach.com/index.html

One more nice thing about this attraction is that if you stay on one of the beach hotels, you can catch a bus to the mall, so if you want to find a favorite watering hole, it will allow everyone to have a few drinks without worrying about how to get home or if you don't want to rent a car it makes life a little easier. Our resort (South Beach Resort) actually has a shuttle van that goes there at various times throughout the day.

There are two separate areas for eating. On the south end, there is a collection of relaxed restaurants serving all different tastes, and on the east end is the more happening places. It is crowned by the pyramid that is the Hard Rock Cafe. The food is pretty good and the prices fair, compared to other chain restaurant fare. There are many restaurants down this "street" which pander more towards the younger crowd and the partiers. There is often live entertainment at at least one of these places every night.

Walking over the many bridges, you will see VERY LARGE FISH! That is because there are feeding spots all over the pond where us humans toss food in by the handful. The fish swarm aggressively or a morsel. Sometimes, the assembly is so thick that a swimming duck can walk across the fish to get to the other side! I've seen this happen! The ducks and the ducklings like to get in on the feeding act as well.

On the south end, there are paddle boats that you can rent to explore the pond yourself, or you can choose to take the ferry which goes from one end to the other. Sometimesthere are fireworks fired from barges right in the pond. Warning: they are EXTREMELY loud if you are near them. Young kids can get hysterical over it.

There is also a Ripley's Aquarium here, which has a place where you can touch a manta ray -- it's kinda like a fuzzy mushroom. It was a neat place, but at about $15 per adult, I thought it a little pricey.

Broadway at the Beach itself has no admission price. It is basically an outdoor mall, but with MUCH MUCH more to offer. At the time of my last visit, a Butterfly House was under contruction which I'm anxious to see. For family fun, the Dragon's Lair mini golf course has an attractive theme and is a fun course.

Broadway at the Beach is also a pleasant place just to stroll, especially in the morning. It isn't very busy in the morning and it feels quite peaceful watching the few others that have ventured out, feeding the fish, listening to the pond fountains and getting that fresh air.

Broadway at the Beach truly does have something for everyone and is a must see if you are anywhere near the area.

At the Caribbean Village you will find Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Café, Celebrity Square, and the Ripley’s Aquarium. New England Fishing Village East is home to the movie theater, the Butterfly Pavilion, Coastal Federal Baseball Field, Dragons Lair, the and IMAX Discovery Theater. New England Fishing Village West is home to Carousel Park, Pirates of the Carolina Coast, Myrtle Waves Water Park, NASCAR Speedpark, and the Palace Theater. Nearby you will find a Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn, and Holiday Inn Express.

There are a number of chain restaurants here in addition to Hard Rock and Planet Hollywood. There is a Joe’s Crab Shack, Johnny Rockets, and Tony Roma’s Ribs to name a few. Here you can keep going even at night, with a number of nightclubs on the premises. Take a break and climb aboard a water taxi for a relaxing ride. At special times of the year (such as July 4th and New Years), you will find a spectacular fireworks display over the lake. All ages will "oooh" and "aaahh" at the Butterfly Pavilion. This is the first facility of its kind to incorporate a fully enclosed glass butterfly pavilion. The Palace Theater offers a variety of musical concerts, comedy legends, and the only place to find the Rockettes and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. For more information, just go to www.broadwayatthebeach.com.

I would suggest visiting Boardwalk at the Beach during the middle of the week, as Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are usually very busy. Some of the stores are fairly small, and it can get very crowded inside when there are a lot of people. The waits to get into some of the better-known restaurants are also a lot longer on the weekends. I would highly recommend Broadway at the Beach if you want to do a little shopping but are getting sick and tired of all the Wings and Eagles Beachware stores that seem to be around every corner in Myrtle Beach. There is no admission and, as long as the weather is nice, you can spend an entire day shopping, eating, and being entertained.

The Palace Theater, located at the western end of the complex, offered three stage shows. We opted for Spirit Of The Dance. Ripley’s Aquarium is a fairly new building at the far eastern section of the complex. It is huge and has a great aquarium and excellent exhibits. The Imax Theater offered several shows at one time. Near the southeastern end is a castle. At one end is an erupting volcano. Every once in a while, a monster-size dragon comes out of the castle roof. It’s a place to play miniature golf.

Restaurants are equally exciting. One place near the water has a pirate ship sailing through the second floor. The bow was jutting out of the facade and the stern was coming through the back of the building near the lake. Johnny Rocket’s was definitely '50s. We had dinner at Landry’s, which has a beautiful, formal atmosphere. The French doors were open and we enjoyed watching and hearing the water while '40s music played in the background.

Stores offer unique items and services. Make-Your-Own-Bear allows you to design a bear by picking out the parts. Then the bear is constructed right before your eyes. The advertising booklets for Myrtle Beach offer a $5 coupon for that shop. Our resort gave us a coupon for a free canvas bag that magically becomes colorful in the sun. I redeemed it at Del-Sol. It’s a nice looking item and it's fun to watch it change colors. There were many excellent and expensive clothing and jewelry shops and everything imaginable in gifts and toiletries.

We were there in December. On very cold days the complex is deserted even though most business are open.

If you are hungry, then you can go to Landrys (seafood), Japanese Steak House (dinner only), Key West (bar and rest), and some small places to get a hot dog or pretzel. Across the street is the NASCAR Cafe, where you can get lunch and then do some go cart racing. Attached to Broadway at the Beach is a mini golf course and Ripley's Aquarium. Finally, if you are looking for some adult action, go back to Broadway at the Beach later in the evening, and the 10 local bars open with a variety of themes to choose from.