Pickerington Neighbors "at the beach"

Waterway traffic from Crab Catchers

     Our old neighbors from Pickerington were in town last week so we enjoyed spending some time with them. We had dinner at Sukura's and took a walk on the beach at Cherry Grove point. They were in town for a family reunion so their time was limited. They were kind enough to deliver some books to The Ohio Glass Museum in Lancaster for me. Please tell one and all the Glass Museum now has signed books. The gift shop hours are 10-4 Mon.-Fri. While you're there, enjoy a tour of the museum and maybe a glass-blowing exhibit.
     The Lakeside Crossing community between Myrtle Beach and Conway, and Seasons at Prince Creek West in Murrells Inlet make up half of South Carolina's offerings in "Where to Retire Magazine's" latest list of the 50 best places to retire in the U.S. Two North Carolina communities in Brunswick County - Brunswick Forest and St. James Plantation also made the list.
     Another new oceanfront hotel is in the works for Myrtle Beach. A Residence Inn-Spring Hill Suites Oceanfront Resort is planned for the vacant lot just north of the Second Avenue Pier.  The 150-room property aims to open in the spring of 2015.
     Also, a 22-story, 230-unit timeshare hotel tower could take the place of two Beach Villa apartment towers seen on the Myrtle Beach oceanfront. A proposed Hilton Grand Vacations Club is coming to the stretch of beach between Schooner II Beach & Racquet Club and Boardwalk Hotel on N. Ocean Blvd. The project is estimated to cost $41.5 million.
     More than 17,000 athletes could be traveling to Myrtle Beach as soon as 2015 to use a new state-of-the-art 100,000 square foot indoor sports facility. Nearly 10 years in the making, Myrtle Beach City Council voted to move forward with plans to build the estimated $12.4 million facility adjacent to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.    (I guess the economy is turning around because this is the most new spending in Myrtle Beach for a long time).
     Real estate sales are picking up along the Grand Strand. More and more contracts and closings are being done every day now. Y'all come on down before all of the deals are gone.
     I've been doing book signings for my book Murder on the Front Nine almost every evening since the tourists have come to town. I did a signing at Night Fever Retro Party Club last Saturday night and had a great time. I sold some books and did some great research for my upcoming book Cougars at the Beach. Thanks to Sharon and Scott for inviting me.

     Hope to see y'all soon, Steve & Bev

  

 

 

 

 

Neighbors from Pickerington with Bev

    
    

    

Wet "at the beach"

      Rain totals measured 12" during the month of June in Horry County. 10" this past weekend closed several golf courses along the north end of the Strand, including River Hills where we live. On Saturday my neighbor told me this was the most water he has seen on the golf course since Hurricane Floyd came through.
     The Grand Strand Senior Center's VIP Golf Card Book is no more. The 20-year program that has offered discounted rates to its members will be discontinued at the end of September when the current annual membership expires. The fundraising program hit a peak of 10,000 members in the early 2000's and still had about 5,000 members in each of the last few years.
     Barbecue lovers soon will have even more places to "pig out" in Myrtle Beach. Three new BBQ restaurants plan to open in the coming weeks. Simply Southern Smokehouse on Mr. Joe White Avenue and Rockabilly BBQ on N. Kings Highway are slated to open this week.  Dickey's Barbecue Pit aims to open in mid-month.
     Real estate is starting to boom again. Prices seem to be holding steady so far but some sellers are now receiving multiple offers. Come on down while the prices are still low. They have nowhere to go but up.
    On the book scene, several book stores have sold out of my book Murder on the Front Nine, which is great news. I am doing book signings at Harborview Driving Range most evenings, weather permitting. Those sales are going well also. Bev and I met some folks from Colorado and Atlanta last week in Pawleys Island. I met the one lady on line. They were going to be in town and they wanted signed copies. We have really met a lot of swell people on the book tour.
     Hope y'all have a great 4th of July.
     See ya, Steve and Bev
     www.stevenmcmillen.com

Nosh Restaurant at The Hammack Shops

Colorado on left, Atlanta on right