We have two couples in town from Ohio and they are coming over for dinner tonight after the Ohio State game. We are having a prime-rib roast thanks to my lovely bride Beverly and Boulineau's. She entered one of those in-store contest at Boulineau's in Cherry Grove, and she won a 7 pound boneless prime-rib roast.
The Myrtle Beach Marathon was run yesterday and there were over 2,250 runners in town with their families for the long holiday weekend. The occupency rate in town was supposed to be almost 80%. Funny thing is that in 2010 it snowed this same weekend and they had to cancel the race. Thank goodness this year it snowed the day after the race.
A new mini-golf course (Shark Attack) and seafood-inspired restaurant (Hammer Head Grill) is rising from the oceanfront spot where the historic Chesterfield Inn once stood and are on track for the spring tourist season. The new development at the corner of Ocean Blvd, and 7th Ave. N in Myrtle Beach is amoung a flurry of new offerings along the city's main drag that are expected to be ready this spring. To the north, a 6,000 square-foot candy and ice cream shop named "I Love Sugar" is under construction.
A golf themed restaurant is planning to open this spring in Carolina Forest. Sam Snead's Tavern plans to open in the former Max & Erma's restaurant in the Forest Square Shopping Center at the intersection of U.S. 501 and Carolina Forest Blvd. This will be a return of a Sam Snead's restaurant to the Grand Strand. Sam Snead's Grille opened in the mid-1990's along restaurant row but closed in the early 2000's. On a side-note, I have been in the original Sam Snead's Taven in Virginia next to The Homestead.
On the real estate scene, single family homes jumped in 2012 by the highest % since 2005. The medium price for those homes declined 1% from 2011. Prices crept up-ward in December, the highest December to December since 2006. Sales of condo's also rose during 2012, but at a smaller %. Prices of condo's fell 3% during 2012, but were up 6% in December.
On my book scene, I did a presentation and book signing for my book MURDER ON THE FRONT NINE for the Conway Book Club at Coastal Carolina University this past week. It was a lot of fun and I had a great audience. My book is available on amazon.com and kindle. My website is www.stevenmcmillen.com. My next book COUGARS AT THE BEACH, which is the second in a series of Mickke D mystery/thrillers, is coming along but rather slowly. I seem to spend more time marketing my first book and less time writing the second.
See ya, Steve & Bev
Book signing
President Conway Book Club
Bev at Boulineau's
Our dusting of snow
