Lots of Friends "at the beach"

     There are lots of friends in town right now, Lancaster friends and high school friends. We are going to dinner tonight, with some of them, at Midtown Bistro. Spaghetti & meatballs night, $4.99, what a deal. Tuesday night everyone is coming to our place for corned beef and cabbage, and Thursday night we are going to one of their places for dinner. Busy week "at the beach".
     News from the beach: Allegiant Air is starting non-stop air service from Columbus to Myrtle Beach. This will make things much easier to fly back and forth from Ohio.
     Springmaid Beach Resort, which anchors the south end of Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach, has been sold for 40 million. The resort which opened in 1948 is a private getaway for employees of Springs Mills, and  includes a 500 room hotel, conference center, camping facility and pier. The resort will be managed by Hilton World Wide until it is fully renovated and repositioned as a Double Tree Resort by Hilton.
     "Dinosaurs: The Exhibition" will open at Broadway at the Beach March 16th between Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville and Ripley's Aquarium in a roughly 8,000-square-foot space known as the "boat building" . The $1million attraction will have 25 animatronic dinosaurs that will move and roar, including the signature piece: a 20-foot-tall, 25 foot-long Tyrannosaurus Rex. In addition to those figures featured in the "dinosaur walk", there will be a soft play area where kids can climb over dinosaurs, a sandpit where kids can dig for dinosaur "bones" and a gift shop.
     A new 15,000 square foot wine hub is under construction off U.S. 17 at Barefoot landing next to Alligator Adventure. The new Doplin Wine Family location will give drinkers the chance to see the bottlling operation-one of the most popular features at the family's sprawling winery in Rose Hill, NC.-then sample some of the brand's 42 labels at three tasting bars, mingle and snack on some of Duplin's other products, such as cheese dips and fudge.
     On the book scene, I am still working on my upcoming book DEATH ON MT. PLEASANT and sales for my other two books, MURDER ON THE FRONT NINE & COUGARS AT THE BEACH are still strong. For more info go to my website, www.stevenmcmillen.com.
     Real estate has really picked up. I have more and more people looking to either move this way or purchase a second home or condo "at the beach". Y'all come on down, we're dealin'.

     

                                                     Book signing at Dead Dog Saloon