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.

According to a story in the Sun News yesterday, tourism for the 2009 season may prove to be a very challenging year for the Myrtle Beach area. Lisa Fleisher spoke with Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, where he said the “number of trips taken will be down next year, and hiring levels will be much lower”.

Most of those in the hospitality industry will agree that tourism did take a blow for the 2008 season. Of course, this all depends on what particular industry you are in. I even remember a story a few months ago when even Hamburger Joe’s Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach was taking a hit. And now with bike week bikers being bummed about the new ordinances for bikers, the spring bike rally probably won’t bring as much money as it has in previous years. So yea, 2009 might be quite tough!
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It’s pretty far out of the way if you are here on vacation. Even in the off season, though, its always packed. My fiance and I drive by it every day to and from work. Every night we drive by, there are ALWAYS cars there. I’d hate to see it during tourist season! So we thought….well….is HAS to be good.

Located on Hwy. 9 outside of Little River on your way to Loris, Horry’s Restaurant packs a mean seafood punch, all while giving you that ‘down home country atmosphere.’ (Yes, the southern hospitality friendly service is included.) It is a bit out-of-the-way, but if you have heading in or out of North Myrtle Beach through Hwy. 9, you should definitely stop in for some good grub.

We strolled in one night on Friday night at about 9 p.m. (normally they are closed then, but on Friday, they are open till 10.) It wasn’t very busy then, seeing as how its far away from any part of North Myrtle Beach. We were immediately greeted with a smiling face and shown to a booth. If you are looking for a type of “high class” restaurant, then please head in the other direction. Horry’s Restaurant was obviously, (or at least it looked it) a large house at one time, now dotted with booths, chairs, and tables, followed by nostalgic pictures and random keepsakes on the walls. It wasn’t to the point of needing any repair work, but it definitely showed it’s age. You surely won’t be able to compare it to one of these new Myrtle Beach condos that monopolize the coastline, thats for sure.

After the drink order, we took a gander at the menu. Very fair prices, something you would expect from a place like this.

Their menu wasn’t huge like the chain restaurants. Most of it was seafood. The rest was steaks, and some chicken. They also had one page dedicated to the history behind the place. Nice touch Horry Restaurant! I had the chicken tenders, hush puppies, and onion rings, with my significant other having the sirloin steak.

Service was nothing short of perfect. Every time I THOUGHT of a refill, there she was, ready to top off my glass. And let me tell you, the food was GREAT. The waitress even waited around for my fiance to cut into her steak to see if it was cooked to her perfection. Indeed it was. And my meal was great too. How can you say no to deep fried onion rings and hush puppies? :) I felt like a bear ready to go into hibernation after I finished my meal.

I will definitely be heading back to Horry’s Restaurant. It is close to Aberdeen and Long Bay, so if you are finishing up a late afternoon of Myrtle Beach golf there, you can stop in for dinner.

If you’re planning for an evening of relaxation and fine dining near the beach, Soho Restaurant may be your perfect choice.

Step into this restaurant and experience a refreshing ambiance, a wonderful wait staff and affordable, yet fine choice of cuisine. During my first visit, I was relaxed as I walked into Soho’s dimly lit, cool atmosphere.

After stepping foot into the door, I was approached by the hostess, who smiled from ear to ear as she asked how many were in my party and our smoking preference.

As I sat down in a cozy spot, I browsed the dinner menu filled with choices of steak, seafood, chicken and their remarkable sushi; enough to fulfill anyone’s appetite.

Since this experience (two years ago) at Soho, I have fallen in love with it. It is the perfect spot for a date, dinner with friends, or just a stop to have a glass of wine, martini or a brew of your choice.

My favorite dinner selection includes Soho’s stuffed shrimp appetizer ($7.99) and dynamite shrimp sushi ($5.49) topped off with their cheesecake (ranging $6.00-$7.50).

I’ve taken several friends from out of town to this restaurant and now every time they visit, they always want to take a trip to Soho. Some of their favorite selections include the house miso soup ($2.49) and the chicken tempura (14.99); however, most enjoy their sushi the best.

Not only can you sit inside their restaurant where you’ll have a great meal, hear relaxing music from Jack Johnson, John Mayer, jazz artists, and others, but you can also step outside and enjoy your cuisine on the deck while listening to their live music on select nights.

Located at 406 21^st avenue in Myrtle Beach (off 17 business) and a few blocks away from the coastline, Soho is a great way to end the evening, whether you had a relaxing day by the beach or played one of the many Myrtle Beach golf courses.

This restaurant is conveniently open from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. daily. Although I have not eaten here during lunch hours, I can only imagine that their lunch would meet the high standards of their dinner choices.

I definitely would suggest visiting Soho during any stay in Myrtle Beach.