It seems like there’s always something new going on around the Grand Strand year after year, and this year a big change is taking place in downtown Myrtle Beach. A brand new world-class boardwalk is set to be completed in Myrtle Beach this June! Visitors will be able to enjoy a 1.2-mile beachfront stroll between the 2nd Avenue Pier and 14th Avenue Pier.

Three sections will make up the new boardwalk. The northern section will be a calming walkway on a raised wooden deck, surrounded by peaceful views of dunes, palm trees, and the ocean. The central section will adjoin plenty of beachfront stores, sidewalk cafes, and shops for a fun atmosphere. The south section will be a wide park promenade winding between the beach and natural landscaping. Beach access points will be located all along the boardwalk and promenade.

Want to keep an eye on the progress? View the Boardwalk and Promenade construction cameras here!

Today it’s sunny and warm in Myrtle Beach, but on Saturday we had a rare sighting of snow! The winter storm which brought flurries all across the south arrived on the Grand Strand late last Friday night, leaving 3.5 inches of fluffy snow in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach by Saturday morning. Locals and visitors enjoyed the treat by building snowmen, having the traditional snowball fights, and heading down to the beach to see snow on the sand and palm trees. The area’s warm winter temperatures melted off most of the accumulation by Saturday afternoon, with none left by Sunday.

Snow is usually an infrequent event in Myrtle Beach, with flurries being sighted only once every couple of years. Inches of snow on the ground is even scarcer, with major accumulation happening only once every ten years: 5.8 inches on December 23 1989, 3 inches on January 25 2000, and Saturday’s snowfall. So those of you who book Myrtle Beach winter rentals to escape from the snow have very little to worry about!

We’ll be preparing for our next major snowfall sometime around 2020! Until then, we’ll be saying goodbye to the last of our near-freezing weather as high temperatures start heading into the 60s for a warm and comfortable spring.

Thanks to a tweeter on twitter, I found nice article about the Grand Strand area in U.S. Airways Magazine (yea, I know, odd).  I, for one, have not seen a U.S. Airways magazine in the past, even though I have flown with them on many occasions.

Even so, it’s not just one article, but a few good ones about the different aspects of Myrtle Beach, from golf to business to a “best of Myrtle Beach section”.  Let’s start with the fun stuff, shall we?

The named the Best Golf Hole as “The Gambler”. It’s at MBN’s Kings North course. Par 5, designed by Arnold Palmer. They say the best route is just a roll of the dice.  Best Ice Cream? Despite a mixture of good and bad reviews on the Myrtle Beach Restaurants website, Painters Homemade Ice Cream in North Myrtle holds the title for excellent ice cream.  Best Souvenirs? The Gay Dolphin on the ocean drive section of Myrtle Beach. And Collector’s Cafe brought the title for fine dining.

Now I have to throw facts out at you about Myrtle Beach. Some of these are pretty staggering.  The Grand Strand area has more than 47,000 hotel ROOMS, 1,700 restaurants, 1,800 golf holes, 15 million annual visitors and 60 miles of beaches.  Pretty nifty huh? There were also 3,387 marriage licenses issued in 2008 from Horry County, according to the article.

New Boardwalk

One of the articles even touched on the new Boardwalk that should open next summer. It will be 1.2 miles and connect the two piers in the downtown Myrtle Beach area.  The boardwalk will be broken down into three sections, a) a nature trail, b), a “nostalgic reverie with mom-and-pop shops and restaurants”, and c) the promenade, which will have larger areas for special events and concerts. This new boardwalk should add another who dynamic to the Myrtle Beach vacation. And since it is close to many Myrtle Beach hotels and condos, access to it will be quite easy for the tourists.

Some Pavilion History

Ready for a Myrtle Beach history lesson? Did you know the Myrtle Beach Pavilion was lost in a fire, not once, but twice? The first in 1920 (rebuilt in 1925) and then again in 1944.  Then in 1948, Burroughs and Chapin rebuilt it for the third time, but used reinforced concrete walls. The park was host to 40 seaside rides, including a carousel that was 1 of 15 in the United States. It also included South Carolina’s tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster.

Like I said, these articles covered quite a bit in the Myrtle Beach area and were well written. It’s good to see Myrtle Beach noted and on the map.  We don’t  just have Myrtle Beach condos and hotel rooms, but a history of golf, games, amusement and much more.

Get ready for the Christmas season and enjoy beautiful Myrtle Beach during a quieter, more unhurried time of year during November!  There are quite a few interesting things to do this month along the Grand Strand.

Performances
The Carolina Opry’s Christmas Special lasts all November and December. This holiday show features music, comedy, and dance all themed around Christmas and the holiday season. Another winter classic, The Twelve Irish Tenors, will be performing at the Palace Theatre this winter as well.

Concerts
Myrtle Beach is lucky to have a professional orchestra, The Long Bay Symphony Orchestra. They will be performing their concert series this month on November 8 at Myrtle Beach High School. And don’t miss the Youth Orchestra’s fall concert on November 19th, also at Myrtle Beach High School.

Christmas
It’s never too early to start enjoying Christmas at Myrtle Beach! Broadway at the Beach holds its Christmas tree lighting on November 7th, while Market Common will have its own tree lighting on November 27, along with free carriage rides starting November 28 every Saturday until Christmas. Little River will be holding a Christmas Market with a parade on November 28th.

And don’t forget, we offer plenty of Myrtle Beach winter rentals for those who want to beat the rush and get a great deal!

As many of you know, North Myrtle Beach used to be comprised of four separate cities, Crescent Beach, Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive and Windy Hill. When North Myrtle Beach was incorporated in 1968, the names still stuck with us. And now, in an effort to distinguish NMB from MB, each street sign along Hwy 17  is in the process of being color-coded with the name of the beach below the street name.

The are many North Myrtle Beach condos and hotels that still describe their location using these markers. “It’s located in the Ocean Drive section,” they say.  So this addition will help tourists familiarize themselves with the sections of North Myrtle Beach.

According to the story on WMBF News, Cherry Grove signs are red, Crescent Beach is taupe, Ocean Drive is blue, and Windy Hill, well, we don’t know quite yet.