July 2010
Family Vacation & Golf Newsletter

The end of July is about as summery as 2010 is going to be. Temperatures might increase in August, and your skin might glow with increasing humidity, but all that just puts you in the mood for sipping cool beverages and taking afternoon naps under ocean breezes. These melt-away days won't last forever, though. Not many weeks away, Labor Day grows nearer, and Carolina Summertime ticks away. Have you had your summer vacation yet?

The good news is that your options for summer vacations remain as high as ever, with the added bonus of potentially saving money with last minute booking for a vacation or long-weekend getaways. Many families here now on vacation are multi-tasking, having fun but also busily shopping to take advantage of end-of-season sales on back-to-school clothing and supplies. At summer's end, those advantage can be yours, too!

One of your largest advantages, though, will be the discounts on accommodations. If you have yet to take action on a decision about your 2010 vacation, explore the calendar, find several dates that will work for you, and then (with some flexibility in mind), contact us. Our friendly Reservation Agents can find the most vacation for you and for your vacation budget.

If you have been denied a summer vacation up to this point, do not despair. Let us come to your rescue!

Your Friends at Grande Shores Resort

Sleepy Sprouts

For an unforgettable experience where characters come to life and story time becomes magical, book your precious ones individual room reading or group story time that will keep them talking for months! Call reservations today for more information on our Sleepy Sprouts package.

August 6-8 = Tax Free Weekend

Take a shopping vacation and save money on things you need such as back-to-school supplies! End-of-season sales are now in full swing. Discounts plus August tax-free days add up to cash staying in your pocket. Contact our Reservation agents now to book accommodations, and ask about discounts with us! A great time to shop! A great time at the beach!

Travel Guard Travel Insurance

Grande Shores invites you to protect your vacation investment through our new opportunity called Travel Guard. For more details, click here or contact Reservations.

Grande Shores Recognizes People of Action.

This Month ~ WAYNE SMITH

Wayne Smith has been with the company for 12 years. In his capacity as Night Auditor with Grande Shores and our sister property next door, he has solved problems over the years, handled tasks simultaneously, and performed his duties exceptionally well to the point that he has built quite a fan base of both guests and colleagues. In recognizing Wayne's anniversary date and his excellent service, we want to share some of the comments he has been receiving. Guests, feel free to send your own commendations to Wayne. We will pass them on.

Wayne, you are a true asset. You are quiet, unassuming, and just know what you have to do and do it. We are truly blessed to have you. It has been many years since you started [here], and I am glad you have stuck with us. Nivi S., Director, Quality Control.
We are lucky to have Wayne! He just had his anniversary with the company... 12 years! Congrats... Kudos... YOU ROCK! Thank you, Wayne, for all you do, being there... handling all crises with ease and generally making it so easy for us day people to relax because when you're there. You have it all under control and always make me smile...You are an asset to our company...Jenna H.
Congratulations, Wayne, and thank you for anchoring the Hotel all these years! I know all the properties' Night Auditors have had to call on you, and you have always lent them a hand. - Jim E.
Wayne, I have said it before, because you are here taking care of our guests, we can all sleep better at night. Please know that even though we do not see you every shift, we do appreciate and recognize how important you are to the success of Grande Shores and Horizon. You don't have a twin do you? Congratulations and best to you always. Your grateful GM - Debbie B.
Hi Wayne! My favorite memory of Wayne is seeing him jump over the Front Desk at Grande Shores in the overnight [hours] during one of the bike weeks...I'll never forget that! Wayne is a man of many hidden talents. After one audit shift, he changed hats and used welding equipment to make a plumbing repair in the hotel! Wayne, it's clear you are appreciated!! Congratulations and Thank You! - Paula D.
Congratulations Wayne!! Jenna is correct in saying... YOU ROCK!!! - Donnamarie R. Engineering Coordinator
Wayne, I think the world of you, congratulations and thank you. We truly appreciate all you do. Thanks again. - Jeannie P, Director of Food and Beverage (GS, HOR)
Congratulations Super Wayne on your 12th anniversary... Wow!!!!. and thank you for all you do for us on the night shift ... We really appreciate your help; and even when we don't see you , we really like you! Ana Milena A. Engineering Dept. GS and HOR
Great Job Wayne, lets go 12 more. Jesse H., Corporate Controller.

Grande Shores Supports U.S. Service Personnel in Many Interesting Ways!

What began as a fan's accolade for the rock-and-roll band KISS evolved into a nationwide charitable walking tour called Kiss Walk, supporting wounded U. S. military personnel through a program called The Wounded Warrior Project which happens to be KISS' favorite charity. (Details at www.WoundedWarriorProject.org). The Project provides legal assistance, jobs training and assistance, rehabilitation, and much more for soldiers who have severe wounds suffered while on duty for our country.

This month Kiss Walk organizer Ben Castro (shown here in KISS costume) and his group were here in the Grand Strand area, having trekked their way up the east coast from Louisiana. Their intentions are to reach Ohio by the end of July, so they did not stay very long. Mr. Castro received the costume from Gene Simmons of the KISS band so that, through Kiss Walk, he can raise awareness and funds for service personnel. By the end of the walk, the outfit will be autographed by KISS band members and auctioned to raise more money for The Project.

In addition to The Wounded Warrior Project, Grande Shores and its sister properties have supported many charitable endeavors to aid soldiers and their families. One example is the local group Scents for Soldiers which raises funds to bring soldiers to the Grand Strand for beach vacations while they recover at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Grande Shores and its sister properties also offer a military discount for service personnel to stay at any of our resorts. So if you know military service personnel who might enjoy a beach getaway, we hope you will mention us. Grande Shores and all of Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts support our troops!

Heart Walk

The Heart Walk program encourages healthy living and physical activity, and so do our Heart Walk duck race events at Grande Shores. This summer we hold "duck" races in the lazy river with spectators vying for "prizes" if they select the winning duck of a race, and later our department representatives will "walk" for Heart Walk.

Heart Walk, of course, is much more than events. It is an awareness program that seeks out ways to improve our health, as well as raise funds to find a cure for heart disease. So if you are here in the area, come be part of our various activities to promote and raise funds for Heart Walk.

Stay at Grande Shores and Play Golf

When you stay with us at Grande Shores, our Golf Department has several exciting and cost-saving packages for your consideration. Click here to see more. Here is one option from the selections:

Summer Special for play 5/24/10 - 9/8/10 - Two Options:

(1) Play any 3 of these: Myrtle Beach National West or Southcreek, Waterway Hills or Aberdeen

(2) Play at least 1 of these: Myrtle Beach National West or Southcreek, Waterway Hills or Aberdeen followed by any of (2) these Litchfield, River Club, Willbrook Plantation, Blackmoor, Wachesaw East, Wild Wing Avocet, Tradition Club and Long Bay Club

Call for these special golf prices!

Featured Recipe - Summer Tomatoes

This simple yet elegant and delicious side dish takes only 15 minutes from start to finish (not counting your stroll through the farmer's market). It originates in Mediterranean section of France where summer heat, great tastes, and simple summer dishes are the norm. As an option, let the mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and onions marinate together overnight to take some zest from the onions and render them almost sweet, a great accent to the tomatoes. Use them with summer sandwiches or as they are.

Ingredients:

5 fresh tomatoes
5 shallots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 loaf French bread, for dipping (optional, preferably fresh)

Directions:

First, find a farmer's market with fresh whole tomatoes.
Core and slice the tomatoes, and arrange them in a serving dish.
Sprinkle the shallots over the tomatoes.
Whisk the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together with a fork, then pour over the tomatoes.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving, or refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.
Eat with French bread, and dip the bread in the marinade when finished with the tomatoes.

Click here for a printable version of recipe

Groups at Grande Shores:

Grande Shores sends friendly greetings and best wishes to the groups who stayed with us over the past month:

Lancaster Surge
Hunter Smith family reunion
Catton family reunion
Dreamz Dance Company
Illinois Dirtbags
Yellow Mustang Registry
Witherspoon Holiday family reunion
United Jamison family reunion
Hinton family reunion
Coleman Best family reunion
Goodson Bacote family reunion
Harrington family gathering
Wall Baldwin family reunion

Space plus location - just the right combination for a group meeting or fun time getting together. Our Group Sales Department can help you explore the possibilities. Call at 843.417.5510. Our meeting rooms come in various sizes and shapes to meet your needs:

Conference Room A 532 square feet
Conference Room B 520 square feet
Conference Room C 529 square feet
Combined A and B 1,061 square feet
Combined B and C 1,057 square feet
Combined, A, B, and C 1,598 square feet

Guest Comments

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you. We had a really great stay. A little short, but lots of fun with spectacular views. Excellent relaxation and play.
Email through Grande Shores Quality Control, T. Eddins, 06.28.2010.

I finally have some time to compliment your resort, Grande Shores. I arrived on May 3, Monday. The resort was very well kept. My family had the vacation of a lifetime. No one in our party had a problem (usually someone would have a complaint). Jenna Hillman went way beyond call of duty to answer all of our questions and made this a memorable vacation. Everything was beyond expectations: the rooms, the pool, pool bar, restaurant. I may be back later this year. If not, I will start making reservations for my family of 8 and 2 other families [whom] we hook up with every Memorial Day for a week.
Email through Grande Shores Quality Control, Razewski, 06.28.2010.

I took two teenage boys with me to this hotel last summer. We were very pleased with the hotel. I liked being able to park near my door... When we left, we accidentally forgot my son's cell phone in the room. [Yet], when we went back almost an hour later, the maid had retrieved the phone and gave it back to my son. I was very impressed by her honesty. That doesn't happen at most hotels...[if people] leave their valuables, they will probably never see them again. I wish I had gotten her name. We had a great vacation at Grande Shores and would stay there again!
Email from TripAdvisor.com, "weeysanne" of Roswell, GA. 06.24.2010.

I am writing typing this using the wifi at the hotel, which is very strong. We loved the location of this group of hotels, not too far from the fun, but away from the city ... Everything... about this hotel is amazing, and we have been coming to Myrtle the past 15 years and have stayed in many hotels. The elevator situation, usually a problem with high rises and the wait times, was never a problem. They were fast, and there was always one within a minute of waiting. The parking garage was not nearly as tight as the other hotels garages we were at, and we loved that we could park right next to our room on the 5th floor. Very convenient! ... The maintenance man was the nicest, most helpful guy we have encountered... The other woman who really stands out is the lady working the buffet in the morning (she had a cast on here arm). She had such a bubbly personality and was a great way to wake up to see her. The food at the buffet was great and so was the pool bar where they had reasonably priced burgers and hot dogs. Our favorite part of the hotel that beats any others was the pool area. The pool and lazy river were huge and the lounge chairs were plentiful. We loved hearing the music too in the background that they were playing (most hotels don't have this). When the manager reads this, I really think you guys have a great place, and you made our stay incredible. You have a great staff and location with great amenities
Email from TripAdvisor.com, "gburn07" of Pittsburgh, PA. 06.19.2010.

Fun Facts

In the U.S. the first picture postal card appeared in 1873. Over the years they have been printed on everything from paper to leather, wood, and metal. The art of post-card collecting is called "deltiology."

Fishing for catfish during the winter was once considered foolishness by the majority of fishermen in South Carolina. However, with the introduction of blue catfish to the Santee Cooper lakes years ago, that view changed so that now fishermen enjoy catching the "blues" in big numbers and sizes throughout the year.

In the 1950's, people switched from radio listening to television viewing. TV became a key part of many people's everyday life. Where some people had one TV at first, gradually every family now has more than one at home. During this time, AM radio became more popular, along with the advent of 45 records, jukeboxes, and eventually albums.

Most time periods have fashion fads. In the 1950's, wearing a leather jacket was once (probably is still) considered "cool." Having a turned-up collar was especially chic. For some places, though, practicality ruled. Here in the South, for example, summer time with high heat and humidity make wearing black leather year-round a bit, well, hot...literally.

The weight of an average human brain is about 3 pounds. That is about the weight of one bag of sugar. The brain is nearly the same size at birth as it is in later years, with a newborn's brain tripling in size during the first year of life. The brain stops growing around at age 18.

According to unnamed sources, the sense of touch (especially around the mouth) is the first sense to develop in a baby, and years later the sense of sight is the often the first to diminish before death.

Of your five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), your sense of taste is the weakest, even though you have approximately 10,000 taste buds on your tongue (and on the roof of your mouth).

About 12% of people dream only in black and white.

It is not true that humans only use 10% of their entire brains because each part of the entire brain has a different purpose.

Local Events Calendar

Look at the coming events for the remainder of the summer! What fun to plan a beach visit around several of them, especially if you can get great rates! Late-summer availability usually means great rates for late summer vacations, so get moving and get to the beach before October arrives!

Click here for the online list of events..

Ebb and Flow of Information

Don't miss out on summer. Book your reservation at 1.877.798.4074 or
by e-mail to VacationPlanner@GrandeShores.com.

~
We are asking our guests to share seven of the best experiences at GRANDE SHORES, so even if you saw an
unusual sand pattern left by the outgoing tide, please send that along. Send your list to the e-mail address below,
and be sure put GRANDE SHORES in the subject line.

Contact: sue.duncan@mbseasideresorts.com (please write the word "GRANDE SHORES" in the subject line).

201 77th Avenue North | Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 | | UK and Germany: 00800-1231-2302