Myrtle Beath in the South End

Best Things Nearby:
The beach, the golfing, the mini golfing, the shopping, the food, and the entertainment

Best Things About the Resort:
It is in the south end of Myrtle, where it is quieter.

Resort Experience:
The resort is across the street from the beach, but it does have its own beachfront access, with a pool, hot tub, and sundeck. The resort abuts a three-par golf course and is within walking distance of two mini-golf courses. The resort also offers shuttle service by van to many of the top shopping destinations and attractions. The resort has a workout room, hot tub heated, and indoor/outdoor pool, plus a large lazy river that you could float in all day. The two-bedroom is large (over 1,000 square feet), with a full kitchen, and the second bedroom is like a mini apartment off by itself.

This is a family resort, and there is way too much to do in 1 or 2 stays. The resort is still being built, but the addition is not much of a problem and barely noticeable.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

This restaurant is located behind The Yachtsman Resort on Ocean Boulevard, Pier 14 is right over the ocean. You certainly can’t beat the view, and they even have live entertainment in the bar area.

We have gone here each time we have been to the area. We were lucky to have found it and just love it. The food is done to perfection and the atmosphere is superb.

My wife loves the filet mignon (about $18) and I have enjoyed their steak and shrimp special (about $19). Alongside of this we were able to have their delicious desserts, cheesecake ($4), and the key lime pie ($4); plus, they also have some pretty good drinks to wash it all down. The drinks were so good that the last time we went we decided to order a pitcher ($15 to 20) depending on the type, and you get about four or five drinks out of a pitcher. They even have happy hour from 4 to 6 pm.

One bad thing about the restaurant is trying to find a parking spot. The first year we barely found a spot, and the next time we went we decided to go by bus, to avoid the hassle of trying to park, and we were then able to have a few drinks. The bus goes up and down the strip, we were able to pick it up right outside our resort, and it dropped us off right next door to the Yachtsman. The bus goes by every 15 minutes or so.

We also recommend a reservation (even though their website says they don't take one, Phone: (843)448-4314) because even with one we had a half-hour wait and heard that those coming in were to wait without one in the 90-minute time frame. Plus, if you want to send home a postcard from the area, go here; with the check you get a couple of theirs with some pretty interesting photos.

For more information (like their menu and how to find it), go to their website at
http://www.pier14.com/index.html

We decided to go after just coming out of the NASCAR Speed Park and thought that this would be the topper after riding in their cars all day. What we found was a fairly enjoyable time, where we were not rushed out and were able to look at the memorabilia that they have before you even walk in the front door, with three cars out on the curb. Plus, you can watch one of their big screen TVs, or one of the smaller TVs scattered around showing highlights and replays from a previous race, or some other sport, whichever may be on ESPN while you are there.

The food was decent but we all just wanted sandwiches for a change of pace. We ordered the Daytona Chili Burger, the Thunder Road Burger, and the Pit Pig Sandwich. They were all good and very filling since the burgers are half-pounders and they all came with a mountain of fries. If you are looking for something else, then they do have ribs, chicken, pork, fish, and steak, or maybe a salad for those wanting something a little lighter.

If you do go here, try to look through one of the many coupon books for a discount. We didn't have one but found one a few days later that would have given us 10% off, and a second coupon for a free dessert. We didn't have room for the dessert, so we didn't check any out. Sorry.

As you leave, you can also check out their gift shop for those race-car fans out there. We are not big NASCAR fans but found it to be an enjoyable experience.

Check out their website at http://www.nascarcafe.com/.

You can get the passes for all day or by the ticket. The best value is the all-day pass because the "good" tracks can cost up to six tickets and it will probably cost more by the ticket. We had five people go, and they ranged in ages, from 36 up to 59, and everybody had a good time. My mother-in-law had a great time and rode the cars and had fun just like a little kid. Plus, we were all able to drive "fast," because everybody knows how slow the traffic in Myrtle can be.

There are different tracks of different shapes or ovals, and there are different types of go-carts as well. We rode all that we could because some are just for the kids, some for just taller people, and some for two people. They do go pretty fast; I am not sure how fast, but it does seem like you are driving a race car. There are quite a few cars to drive, so as you go around, you are racing with from 4 to 25 cars, depending on the track. Make sure you take your camera, as we had quite a few good pictures of everybody as they were coming down the straight away.

For food and arcade games, they have that, too, but try to curb your appetite and go to the NASCAR Cafe, which is right next door across the parking lot and has just the right feel after racing all day. We went when there were not a lot of people, so that was a plus, but not all the rides were open due to the cooler weather (late April) and lack of the crowds. They didn't have the water bumper cars going because of the weather, and the Eliminator (which costs an extra fee and requires a valid driver's license) was also not open due to the lack of people. This was a lot of fun, and we are definitely going back again next time we are in town.

When you call ((800) 433-4401, or (843) 497-9700 for show times or dates) for reservations, they will ask where you are from for the seating (North verses South). Reservations are recommended because this is a popular show, and even though they have a large dining and showroom, you may not be able to get seats together at the last minute, or even tickets with the tour buses they have coming to the show.

When you first get there, they have an opening act/show in the carriage room that is pretty funny. This lasts for around 45 minutes, and then you are led into the main showroom and your seats. While the pre-show is going on, you can browse through the Dolly store, which has mostly Western-themed items.

The dinner is decent enough, with chicken and barbecue pork loin, potato, corn on the cob, a roll, dessert, and all the Pepsi (in a mason jar) you can drink, which is included in the price. If there is a vegetarian in the group, they also can have a meal made without meat and veggies instead.

As you eat, the show is going on and the audience is encouraged to cheer on their side as the races and the competitions go on. They have horse races, buffalo, and ostrich races. There is some comedy and also some audience members who are brought down to compete as well. The show is pretty entertaining, the food is good, and most people go out smiling, so this is really one for the whole family. For the price, you do get a show and dinner, and the kids get to make all the noise they want. For more info, go to their website at http://www.dixiestampede.com.

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.