Dragons and boats. In mythical fables, those unfortunate souls on the water never stood a chance against those in the sky. But in 2018, the combination of dragons and boats means it’s time once again for the 10th Annual Ground Zero Dragon Boat Festival, which returns to The Market Common in Myrtle Beach on April 28, 2018. For those of you who might be asking yourself just what is dragon boating, we're here to tell you it's an absolute blast! The boats feature dragon designs, of course, and can seat 20 paddlers and one drummer in a competition…

It's FAIR TIME! It's time for the 3rd Annual Horry County Fair which returns to the Myrtle Beach Speedway, April 20th-29th, 2018. It’s 10 days of Fair and Family Fun. Come see the Robinson’s Racing Pigs, pet the animals at the Petting Zoo, see the exhibits, eat tons of fair food, play the games and of course ride amazing carnival rides. Plus enjoy live entertainment every day of the fair. Unlimited ride wristbands are available for the thrill seekers who want to ride everything. Plus kiddie rides are there for the little ones to enjoy. Make…

Regardless of the success of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans ball players on the field, 2018 already looks like a win for anyone looking to entertain their family this baseball season. The Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs released their promotional schedule for the year recently, and I really like what I’m seeing. Themes including Myrtle Beach Mermen Night, NASA Night, Women in Sports Night, Christmas Vacation Night, Old School Hip Hop Night, Cubs-A-Palooza, Star Wars Night and (what is sure to be our family’s favorite) Touch-A-Truck…

The Myrtle Beach area is home to a large number of great festivals and events throughout the year. (If you keep up with our events calendar , you likely already know this.) But one of my newer favorites is the Myrtle Beach Food Truck Festival, celebrating its second year in downtown Myrtle Beach this weekend. While this event is newer to the area, its first year was wildly successful. The combination of an amazing oceanfront view, outstanding food vendors and fun live music make its success no big surprise… we had a blast last year! This year,…

I am not a thrillseeker by nature. The times I rode the Slingshot in downtown Myrtle Beach and the Sky Coaster at Broadway Grand Prix were each well documented, so anyone can see firsthand my fear of heights is real. When Visit Myrtle Beach lovingly asked me to take a look at Myrtle Beach from above via a biplane, you can imagine my reservations. Was I confronting a slight fear of heights by doing this tour? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Taking the 30-minute ride along the South Carolina coast in a biplane turned out to be one of the most…

The Myrtle Beach area is home to two outstanding South Carolina State Parks: Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach State Park. As an outdoor enthusiast, I enjoy spending time in both of these parks throughout the year. In fact, we’re annual pass holders--something I definitely recommend investing in if you are a South Carolina resident. When we’re on the southern end of the Grand Strand towards Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island, I always like to stop at Huntington Beach State Park. The park is home to a wide, pristine beach, over 300…

It’s no surprise that a few years ago, Trip Advisor rated Alligator Adventure as the number one attraction in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It’s as unique an attraction as it is memorable, and a place I’ve enjoyed every time I’ve visited. Anything that involves learning about animals is fascinating to me, but even if I wasn’t so interested in wildlife I think I would still find Alligator Adventure to be a worthy stop. The 15-acre park features over 200 species of animals on display at any given time, from reptiles to other exotic animals,…

While I often recommend the Myrtle Beach Art Museum as an ideal spot for those waiting for clouds to pass or a sunburn to subside, the truth is it’s a great stop even on the sunniest of days. The Franklin G. Burroughs Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum is housed within historic Springmaid villa and has been open to the public since 1997. There is so much to love about the museum. For starters, admission is free for everyone. The museum houses 11 galleries with exhibitions that change throughout the year featuring a variety of artists and types of work…

As a lifelong Myrtle Beach area resident, I’m not sure why it took me 29 years to make it onto one of our area’s dolphin watching cruises. I was missing out... Because now having done it, I can say It was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had while out on the water along the Grand Strand. While there are multiple operators that offer great dolphin watching experiences-both out of Murrells Inlet and Little River-I hopped aboard Captain Mark Collins’ vessel with Blue Wave Adventures Dolphin Watch Cruise. Their dolphin watch cruise runs…

As we head into the spring, our family is bound to be spending a good bit of time exploring Brookgreen Gardens. As the largest outdoor collection of American figurative sculpture in the world, Brookgreen has plenty to check out any time of year. But through May 13, 2018, attendees also have the chance to visit their one-of-a-kind dinosaurs exhibit. This exhibit is a first for Brookgreen Gardens, but I’m hoping it won’t be the last time they host something like this. While my three-year-old tends to prefer tractors over dinos, he had a blast.…