South Carolina: Myrtle Beach, Rockin’ Out Teen-Style. 
Until two weeks ago I did not have an opinion about Myrtle Beach. My friends kept saying you’re "gonna" love it. I kept thinking “What if I am stuck with my family the whole time?” When we arrived I saw a lot of teens and that assured me that I would not have to be with my family the whole trip.
My sister and I shared one room and my grandmother and mom had another, a good idea for everyone. We dropped our bags and headed down to check out the beach and the pool. The hotel is known for its “The Lazy River,” a cool snake-like canal that winds inside and out and even circles a hot tub. It’s a great water activity for parents to enjoy with their young kids. At the Breakers kids of all ages use The River and later in the day it is sort of a meeting place for teens.
We were more interested in the beach so we left the river area and went directly to the beach. We walked down the beach. It was crowded and everyone was having fun. We met kids from Long Island and Atlanta. The water was warm to them but seemed cold to us. After we had seen enough of the beach we headed back upstairs. From our 6th floor balcony we could see everything happening on the street. Spring break in Myrtle Beach is chaos and I mean that in a good way. Horns honking, everybody waving, everyone having a good time.
Our first night we went to the Alabama Theatre at Barefoot Landing. The production we saw was called One –The Show. It was fun and is definitely a good thing to do with kids as well as grandparents. The theatre is huge and the lighting very dramatic. One of my favorite parts was the comedian who pretends to be Ricky the maintenance man caught on stage before the show begins. He is funny. His real name is Grant Turner. The Broadway show tunes were great and the costumes amazing.
The Landing is also where the House of Blues is located. From the outside it looks like an old shack or warehouse. But inside is cool. They feature well-known entertainment like the Dave Matthew’s Band, The Vines, and 50Cent. Sometimes there are teen nights. I think it is always fun, especially for teens that like music. On nights where there aren’t concerts the House of Blues hosts a fun interactive comedy “who dunnit” murder mystery dinner show.
One of the coolest things to do in Myrtle Beach has to be Hard Rock Park – the world’s first rock ’n’ roll theme park. It just opened in June of 2008, and features more than 50 attractions including roller coasters, shows, restaurants, cafes, stores, children’s play areas and even a live music amphitheatre. Totally sweet, guaranteed.
Myrtle Beach is the place for kid stuff and teen stuff. There is a mini theme park, The Pavilion, not far from all of the beach hotels. For families that are miniature golf nuts there are more than a dozen places to try. I talked to some kids from Virginia that were competing in their own family miniature golf tournament. For them it was kids against the adults and when we left on Sunday the kids were winning.
The Palace Theater has an amazing show called The Spirit of the Dance. Even teens will like it. It was created by the same people who made the Lord of the Dance but it has all kinds of dance. It is a high-spirited dance show set to techo-type music.
Next to seeing the Vines at The House of Blues, the teen club (The Attic) was the best part of my vacation. They have a DJ and live bands and wide variety of music. Sometimes they feature guest bands, which is a bonus. When my sister and I and some friends we met at the House of Blues went to The Attic, which is a club for the under-21 set – it was a really cool way to end the night.
Until two weeks ago I did not have an opinion about Myrtle Beach. My friends kept saying you’re gonna love it, and they were right!
To see the bigger picture, make vacation plans and take advantage of website online discounts go to
www.VisitMyrtleBeach.com
Here is the deal. 
No family vacation in Myrtle Beach is complete without a few deals. From the Myrtle Beach website you may print coupons to redeem on your vacation.
Fun deals: Participating in the Amusements/Water Parks category: Broadway at the Beach, Brookgreen Gardens, Family Kingdom Amusement Park Grand Prix Family Thrill Park, MagiQuest, Myrtle Waves Water Park, NASCAR, Speedpark, Pavilion Amusement Park, Downwind Sails and Ocean Watersports, U-Save Auto Rental and Planet Hollywood are on the list. G
olf deals: For golfing you will find discounts provided by Cane Patch Par 3 Golf & Driving Range, Captain Hook's Adventure Golf, Dragon's Lair Fantasy Golf, Jungle Safari Mini Golf, Jurassic Golf, Midway Par 3 at South Beach Resort, Myrtle Beach National, Shipwreck Island Adventure Golf. Shopping deals: Find deals for shopping at Barefoot Landing, Bass Pro Shops, Coastal Grand Mall and Colonial Mall.
Entertainment deals: Take advantage of discounts at Alabama Theatre, Carolina Opry, Legends in Concert, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament and Palace Theatre.
Planning Details
Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. 1200 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, 29577 or
www.VisitMyrtleBeach.com
Hard Rock Park. 211 George Bishop Parkway, Myrtle Beach, 29579. 1(843) 236-7625 or
www.hardrockpark.com
The House of Blues. 4640 Highway 17 South, North Myrtle Beach, 29582. Located at Barefoot Landing, they have plenty of cool acts scheduled all year long.
www.hob.com
The Palace Theatre. Located at 21st Avenue North and Hwy 17. 1(843) 448-0588 or (for groups) 626-8927 or
www.palacetheatremyrtlebeach.com
Alabama Theatre. Located at Barefoot Landing, 4898 Highway 17 South, North Myrtle Beach, 29582. 1(843) 272-1111 or
www.alabama-theatre.com
For fun, kid-friendly
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