October is a busy month for events on the Grand Strand! Oktoberfest, Taste of the Town, and Halloween will give you plenty to do this month.

Oktoberfest
Germany’s Oktoberfest, started in 1810, is known as the largest public fair and has become so popular that Oktoberfest celebrations are held around the world. There are many different places around Myrtle Beach hotels to enjoy the festivities. Market Common will be holding its festival on October 3rd with German food, beer and wine, and children’s activities. The City of Myrtle Beach will also be celebrating Oktoberfest on October 3rd along downtown Ocean Boulevard, with food vendors, a biergarten, a bratwurst eating contest, an alcohol-free kids zone with inflatables, and live music featuring Edwin McCain. The town of Surfside Beach will also be holding a Family Festival on the same day with food booths, live entertainment, and children’s events. Broadway at the Beach celebrates Oktoberfest and its Fall Festival October 9th-11th with a German-inspired menu at Liberty Steakhouse, musical and dance performances, and pumpkin painting and fireworks on Saturday.

Taste of the Town
Taste of the Town is the talk of the town! This event, now in its 25th year, is the Grand Strand’s biggest culinary and social event. Over fifty of the finest restaurants in Myrtle Beach will offer samples of their delicious dishes and desserts. Don’t miss out on this chance to mingle and try some of the best food around. Taste of the Town 2009 takes place October 27th from 4PM to 10PM at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Halloween
There are Halloween events for both kids and adults in Myrtle Beach this year. Head over to Broadway at the Beach for trick-or-treating, Booville at Pavilion Nostalgia Park, and a Halloween costume party and contest for adults. There will also be Halloween trick-or-treating at the shops at Market Common.

Have fun on your Myrtle Beach vacation with these great events! You can view the entire calendar of events on our Myrtle Beach Condos website.

The world’s largest inflatable waterslide is now set up between 1st and 2nd Avenues South in North Myrtle Beach. The addition was set up last Friday and is already making a “splash.”

Known as “The Hippo” by the manufacturing company FreeStyle Slides, this slide is 36 feet tall and 180 feet long.  The charge is $3 per ride or riders can purchase an all-day wristband for $20. Tickets are located at Ocean Park, which is located at 2nd Avenue South street end.

The Hippo is located close to a some of CondoLux’s North Myrtle Beach vacation rentals such as The Ashworth, The Verandas, and Ocean Bay Club.

Being a bit out of the ordinary, my wife and I decided to take a helicopter ride.  We saw the sign while passing the Myrtle Beach airport, and said “$20 for a helicoptor ride….. WHY NOT!?”    Well, we have good and bad news.

The good news is, we had fun! I can’t remember where were were headed, but we just finished looking at some Myrtle Beach condos along the Ocean Blvd when we drove by and decided to give it a try.  We actually had the ride back when tourism season wasn’t so bad, so we only had to wait 10 minutes to get on the “chopper”, which was alot smaller than we thought it would be.

We took a look at the map they had on the wall to plot which course we wanted. (You get alot of different choices, check em out here.) We went for the one right above the “cheap” one. I had been watching the “chopper” (sounds cooler than helicoptor) take off, and it seems like the $20 ride only lasted maybe 2 minutes, if that. They took off and landed VERY quickly.  SO, if you are going to do this, go for at least the Pavilion Tour if you can spare the cash. With that one, (the one we picked) you did have time to relax and soak up the scenery before you landed again.

Enough blabber. So we were up in the air, I was taking pictures with my camera phone and having a blast. You always see the guys in the movies with the huge ear-muff speakers on… well… you need em!  It is VERY loud up there. And of course, they have speakers and microphones so you can talk to each other and the pilot as well.  You got an EXCELLENT view of all the Myrtle Beach real estate out there. You fly right along the coast so you see all the condos, as well as all the land and some residential neighborhoods as well.  It does feel weird though, definitely not like flying in an airplane. It more or less resembles flying in a tin can.

So whats the bad news?  For value, I give it a 3 out of 5.  At $40 per person for a 10 minute ride, I can’t say I would recommend that unless you have extra money to spend. And if you have a full family, forget it. You might as well go to the new Freestyle Music Park and spend a few hours.     Do I recommend the experience? YES! Definitely put it on your list if you have the money for it.

Only in Myrtle Beach, SC!

Looking for something to do in Myrtle Beach with the kids?  Well, we found the answer – a website dedicated to just kid-friendly activities.

Granted, Myrtle Beach lends itself to a family friendly vacation, but wouldn’t it be better to plan your trip knowing your agenda?  There is plenty to do in Myrtle AND North Myrtle. And there are even kid-friendly resorts with cool mini-water parks they can enjoy. All in all, there are plenty of Myrtle Beach attractions for kids.

Let’s see. Water Parks. Check.  Mini-golf. Check. Ripley’s Aquarium. Check. Of course, the beach. And plenty more for all age groups, from the little ones to the teenagers. (They would love Medieval Times.)

While you are checking out Myrtle Beach condo rentals for your next vacation, be sure to ask your reservationist of what kind of kiddie pools are at the condo.

Of course, check out the Myrtle Beach attractions for kids website as well at http://www.myrtlebeachkidsstuff.com/.

The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce recently launched www.myrtlebeachbikerinfo.com stating in a message from mayor John Rhodes the city’s decision to no longer host the  Harley-Davidson Dealers Association Spring Rally and the Atlantic Beach Memorial Day Bikefest bike rallies.

Mayor Rhodes indicates in his statement that this ordinance was an  extremely difficult decision for the city. Myrtle Beach welcomes anyone who would like to visit anytime of the year, after all the city has some of the nicest luxury condos rentals, restaurants, golf, live theater, and shopping anywhere on the east coast. Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand are a vacation paradise resort of sorts.

In fact though, the rallies were just growing too large and putting an undue strain on the city.  Government staff, Myrtle Beach residents, and local businesses strained to keep up with the hundreds of thousands of people that flooded the city in such a short amount of time. Mayor Rhodes wants to be very clear that Myrtle Beach is not anti-biker. The point of contention here for the city is that the rallies are just too big and last for too long.

One fact that could not be ignored was the clear and insistent opposition that was being raised by the residents of Myrtle Beach. Many people that live in the area felt like they were forced out of their homes and their hometown for the better part of a month.

The city has passed a dozen or so new ordinances which will govern those bikers that still chooses to come to the Grand Strand during these weeks in May. We will highlight just a few of these new laws here, but for the complete list please go to www.myrtlebeachbikerinfo.com.

“Everyone on a motorcycle must wear a safety helmet and protective eyewear (glasses, goggles, face shield, etc.) at all times while the cycle is moving.”

“Curfew is in effect from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. for juveniles under age 18, with certain exceptions. Violators are detained and parents are called.”

“No alcohol consumption or open container possession allowed in parking lots and garages of any business.”

*All ordinances taken verbatem from the information posted at www.myrtlebeachbikerinfo.com.

It is difficult to predict at this juncture what the long-term  effects will be for the city, businesses, and residents, but one thing is for certain the area will always be a popular destination for vacationers looking for Myrtle Beach Condos to rent, delicious seafood to eat, endless entertainment possibilites, warm ocean air, bright sunshine, and a wonderful vacation experience year after year.