When it comes to beach vacations, few destinations offer more family fun than Myrtle Beach, SC. Want proof? Just look around at all the accolades Myrtle Beach consistently receives from leading travel groups.

The U.S. News & World Report recently listed its best vacation destinations for 2011-2012. Myrtle Beach was named #7 among Best Affordable U.S. Destinations; #9 for Best U.S. Beaches; #6 for Best Family Beach Destinations in the U.S.; and #6 in the category for Best Family Vacations in the U.S.

In the 2011 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, Myrtle Beach was named the #1 U.S. Best Beach and #6 among the world’s best beaches.

The 2010 National Geographic awards named Myrtle Beach as having the third best Boardwalk in the U.S. The beach boardwalk was also listed among America’s best by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

New to the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is the SkyWheel, the largest observation wheel east of the Mississippi. Standing 190-feet high, the SkyWheel offers a phenomenal view of the city and the beach from its air conditioned gondolas. After sunset, you’ll also enjoy a spectacular light show by the SkyWheel’s computer-generated lighting system.

For more information on Myrtle Beach discount family vacation packages and savings on resort accommodations, visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/.
                                                                                                                

Looking for a little added adventure in Myrtle Beach? Chances are you can find a thrill ride or attraction that will fit your needs for speed or excitement. In fact, thrill seekers can find plenty of heart-racing options along the beautiful Grand Strand.

Buckle up your seat belts and hold on tight. Thrill-seekers have plenty of rides and attractions to keep their hearts racing in Myrtle Beach this summer.

Carousel Park at Broadway at the Beach is ideal for the younger dare devils in the family. The area features a mini ferris wheel and bumper cars, among other rides. But cross the complex to Pavilion Nostalgia Park and you’ll find some wilder rides for the older crowd, including the pirate ship.

At nearby NASCAR Speedpark, you can find NASCAR-style go-karts and various tracks and speeds - from the bumping and banging on the Intimidator track to smaller and tamer layouts for younger racers. There’s also an arcade and mini golf.

For some aquatic thrills, try Myrtle Waves Water Park with thrill rides like the Turbo Twister, Ripride Rocket, Snake Mountain, Arooba Tooba, Night Flight, Super Chute and Thunderbolt. Or simply relax in the Wave Pool or Lazy River.

Another water adventure is parasailing. Strap on a parachute and then float high into the sky over the Atlantic Ocean while being pulled by a boat.

For those who prefer the ocean from sea level, you can also rent jet skis and other watercraft including banana boats and pontoon boats. You can also find a scuba diving trip or a dolphin-watching tour.

For another thrill ride, check out the Skyscraper. Located in the heart of downtown Myrtle Beach, Skyscraper is a 160-foot propeller featuring twin arms that spin riders in a full circle in open air cars, spinning at speeds in excess of 55 mph and at heights of 16 stories.

Also downtown is the Sling Shot, twin towers that rise 300 feet above the landscape. Riders are strapped into an open-air car connected to bungy cords and hurled into the sky at speeds of more than 100 mph.

Family Kingdom amusement park also offers several thrill rides including The Galleon, Hurricane and Swamp Fox roller coaster, plus a log flume.

The newest ride in Myrtle Beach is the epic SkyWheel, the largest ferris wheel east of the Mississippi River.

For information on other Myrtle Beach attractions and lodging including Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort, go to http://www.westgatereservations.com/.

Summer is going by quickly, but there’s still time for a trip to Myrtle Beach. With that in mind, here are some convenient tips for enjoying a fabulous time along the sunny shores of South Carolina’s amazing Grand Strand!

Sunscreen - Bring plenty of sunscreen. You won’t want to spend your vacation feeling miserable due to sunburn. Lather it on frequently, even on cloudy days and avoid the burn.

Bargain hunt - It’s fun to shop for souvenirs, but some of the best are free! Just look around you - there are plenty of beautiful seashells to be found along the beach. You can also take advantage of your Westgate villa to fix snacks and light meals throughout the day.

Wake up early - It’s nice to sleep in while on vacation, but it’s also worth it to start at least one day early and witness a beautiful sunrise from the beach. You can always take a nap on the beach later in the day.

Don’t push yourself - With all of the many attractions throughout Myrtle Beach, it’s easy to try and do too much. Pick out a few things you absolutely must see or do and enjoy those. Save the rest for next time. Take advantage of Westgate’s resort amenities including a lazy river.

Be careful with your sunglasses - One thing that’s easy to misplace on vacation is your sunglasses. You might leave them behind at a restaurant or the pool. Or you might lose them while splashing in the waves.

Bring your camera - What better place to get a great family picture than Myrtle Beach. Be sure to bring your camera and capture the joys of your vacation.

Relax - Enjoy the surf, sun and sand. Myrtle Beach’s single greatest attraction is the beach itself! Dip your feet in the ocean, build a sand castle, soak up the sun and have fun!

For more on discount Myrtle Beach vacation packages and accommodations, visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/.

A visit to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina can be great even if you never leave the beach. But there are also plenty of other kid-friendly things to do around Myrtle Beach. Consider these 10 options for summer fun along the Grand Strand.

Water Park - Experience the refreshing wave pools and fun-filled water slides at Myrtle Waves and Wild Water & Wheels water parks.

Mini Golf - Golf is a year-round hit in Myrtle Beach and that includes mini golf. Choose from dozens of miniature golf courses with a variety of fun themes.

Museums - The Children’s Museum of South Carolina offers unique, hands-on activities that allow everyone to learn a little while having a lot of fun.

Baseball - Head out to the ballpark for some professional baseball. The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Texas Rangers’ Class A Advanced Carolina League team.

Fireworks - Pyrotechnics light up the sky on a regular basis around Myrtle Beach, particularly at Broadway at the Beach and the Second Avenue Pier.

Festivals - The 5^th Annual Beach, Boogie and BBQ festival on Labor Day weekend offers a special Kids Zone with bounce houses, rock walls and more.

Nature Centers - Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach State Park offer nature centers to teach kids about sea turtles, alligators, birds and fish.

Amusement Park - Everyone will enjoy a trip to Family Kingdom where you’ll find roller coasters, rides and water park fun.

Zoo - Waccatee Zoo features an array of exotic animals - elephants, lions, tigers, camels & kangaroos - plus a petting area where kids can feed goats and birds.

Beach - What better place to dig, play, swim, surf, and build sandcastles. Myrtle Beach is the area’s biggest sandbox and water park!

Visit www.westgatereservations.com for details on discount family vacation packages and discount accommodations in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Beatlemania Now, a tribute to the music of the Beatles, brings its renowned show to the popular Carolina Opry in Myrtle Beach this summer.

In this high energy performance, 30 Beatles’ classics are performed against the backdrop of images from the 1960s, such as street protests, the Vietnam War and Martin Luther King Jr. The show brings guests along on a memorable ride that shadows the Fab Four’s career and seemingly never-ending stream of number one hits.

The show features hits ranging from “All You Need is Love” to  Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane.”

Beatlemania Now kicks off its run in Myrtle Beach on June 15. Show times are Wednesdays through Sundays at 5 p.m. through Sept. 14. For additional show information, visit www.TheCarolinaOpry.com/Beatlemania or go to http://www.westgatereservations.com/ for details on discount Myrtle Beach vacation packages.

The Carolina Opry and Good Vibrations shows also continue throughout the summer at the same venue, with weekly matinee performances at 2 p.m. and nightly performances at 8 p.m.

There are still horses involved, but Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede dinner show location in Myrtle Beach, S.C., is set to reopen this week with a brand new pirate theme.

Now called Pirate Voyage, the new dinner show brings an exciting and up-tempo pirate adventure to the South Carolina beach town. The Dixie Stampede building underwent a massive $11 million renovation and now includes a 15-foot, 750,000 gallon indoor pool. At either end of the pool you’ll find 30-foot pirate galleons while a third sunken pirate ship sits in the middle of the set.

Dolly Parton wrote the musical score for the new show which features pirates, mermaids and sea lions in addition to the horses.

The original Dixie Stampede show continues to operate at two locations, Branson, Missouri and Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, Tennessee near Parton’s Dollywood theme park.

For discount tickets and accommodations in Myrtle Beach, Branson or Gatlinburg, please visit www.westgatereservations.com.

With more than 60 miles of pristine sand beach, the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area offers plenty of opportunity walk, play and enjoy the extraordinary ocean views.

But Myrtle Beach visitors looking for a new walking adventure might consider a leisurely stroll along the city’s beautiful Myrtle Beach Boardwalk & Promenade.

The $7 million Boardwalk took nine months to build. The walkway consists of nearly 800,000 feet of lumber, 300,000 nails, 555,000 screws and 10,000 bolts. More importantly, you’ll also find a variety of shops and restaurants along the 1.2 mile-long Boardwalk & Promenade that also offers exceptional oceanfront views.

The Boardwalk consists of three distinct sections. The northern leg runs from the 14^th Avenue Pier to Plyler Park. A middle section runs from the park to what used to be the Pavilion Amusement Park at 8^th Avenue North. This carnival-like section is a high energy atmosphere with a number of restaurants and businesses.

The third and southernmost section, offers visitors a meandering oceanfront park leading up to the 2^nd Avenue Pier.

The centerpiece of the Boardwalk is the SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, a giant

oceanfront attraction that stands 18 stories high (196 feet) and includes 42 glass enclosed, temperature controlled gondolas that can hold up to six people.

Opening in June, the SkyWheel plans also call for a full service restaurant called, Jimmy Buffet’s Landshark Bar and Grill, an observation deck overlooking the ocean, a gift shop and ongoing evening light shows.

The Boardwalk will be filled with festivals and events all summer long, such as Ocean Boulevard’s Hot Summer Nights at Plyler Park. Monday nights will feature a Kids’ Carnival complete with inflatables, bounce houses, face painters, balloon artists, and stilt walkers. Tuesdays and Saturdays will bring live concerts to the park. Wednesdays will offer up fireworks. Thursdays will feature a strolling bagpiper while Fridays will include a strolling Dixieland band. Sunday nights include jugglers, acrobats, a fire show, stilt walkers, human statues and more.

Learn more about discount Myrtle Beach vacation packages for the entire family at www.westgatereservations.com.

When it comes to fabulous beach vacations, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is still the place to go. Need proof? Just check out two recent “Traveler’s Choice” polls released by Trip Advisor.

Myrtle Beach was the top destination in the 2011 Traveler’s Choice voting for the Top 25 Beaches in the United States. It was the second consecutive year Myrtle Beach led the way, beating out Cape May, NJ; Panama City Beach, FL; Miami Beach, FL; Sanibel Island Beach, FL; as well as other beaches from Florida and Hawaii that rounded out the top 10.

The poll gave Myrtle Beach high marks for its panoramic views of the Atlantic, calm waters and white sand. Ideal for swimming and sunbathing, Myrtle Beach was also rated high for a large number of family attractions that make it perfect for beach-loving families.

Myrtle Beach was also listed by Trip Advisor in its poll highlighting the Top 25 Beaches in the World, coming in at number 6. Myrtle Beach trailed only Tulum, Mexico; Negril, Jamaica; Palm/Eagle Beach, Aruba; Boracay, Philippines and Providenciales in Turks and Caicos in the world rankings.

For additional information on discount Myrtle Beach vacation packages and resort accommodations including Westgate Myrtle Beach Resort, please visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/ today.

Sharks.

No sea creature draws attention faster than sharks. And now Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach is ready to give shark fanatics a feeding frenzy of new information and intrigue.

It’s all part of a new exhibit at the aquarium called Sharks- Perfect Predators. Interactive displays and more than a dozen species of sharks combine to provide visitors with plenty of shark thrills.

Sharks, which opened in early April, will be on display in Myrtle Beach throughout 2011. The goal of the exhibit is to shed additional light on various myths and superstitions that surround the sea’s greatest predator. The exhibit is free with paid admission to the aquarium.

Guests will have an opportunity to interact with each other via more than 30 hands-on displays. Exhibits include a chance to see like sharks with “shark vision.” You can also feel the force of a shark bite and try to guess what strange objects have been found in a shark’s stomach. The exhibit helps provide visitors with a better understanding of sharks and the way they fight to survive.

Ripley’s Aquarium is located at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach and is open 365 day a year with education programs, group tours and a variety of other exciting exhibits.

For information the discount aquarium tickets, as well as discount Myrtle Beach lodging and vacation packages, go to http://www.westgatereservations.com/.

It’s true. Myrtle Beach is one of America’s favorite beach destinations. But Myrtle Beach is also one of America’s favorite golf destinations, as well.

The “Seaside Golf Capital of the World,” Myrtle Beach offers up some of the most unique, challenging and picturesque golf courses anywhere in the world. And with more than 100 championship courses along the Grand Strand, golfers of any level have plenty of playing options.

Choose from wind-blown, oceanfront holes or scenic layouts carved between giant live oak trees draped with Spanish moss. Choose from carefully crafted layouts designed by golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer or equally dramatic courses developed by Tom Fazio and Robert Trent Jones. 

Myrtle Beach offers an incredible array of courses to challenge any skill level, from weekend hacker to low handicapper or professional. And for those who just want to take the kids out and test their putt-putt skills, you’ll also find nearly 50 mini golf courses in the area. 

Golf vacation packages can be created any time of the year and be tailored to any skill set. So get ready to tee it up in Myrtle Beach. Better yet, you can also enjoy amazing accommodations at Westgate Myrtle Beach Resort. For more details, go to http://www.westgatereservations.com/ today.