September 2009, Volume 2, Issue 9
Greetings from the Beach, Friends As the many colors of September begin to emerge, we bid farewell to the summer season and look forward to a rich fall season. We first noticed the change in the sparkling ocean water, the crystal blue sky, white cotton-puff clouds, and the gently flowing marsh grasses of our coastal environment. Also, the numbers of warm-weather visitors began to dwindle by the end of August. Since Labor Day fell a week into September, we did see many families enjoying the beach until then, but after the start of school, most people here are now either local residents, people here for long weekends, or people just now able to take a break and enjoy a "summer" vacation after their long, hard summer of working to keep up with the economy. Though seldom found on the beaches during the day, golfers have arrived, too. They find our golf packages especially attractive this year because of various incentives such as lower rates in accommodations, course specials, and after-golf specials at the local sites of entertainment. Great beaches, breath-taking scenery along the coast, a wide variety of restaurants, and an array of golf service (that is everything from lessons to club fittings) provide a golfer with high return value for his money. Whether a short stay or a longer golf retreat is what you seek, we urge you to contact our golf department to get just what you need in a golf outing. Let the clean, crisp air of fall welcome you out of doors each morning. Whether you are up for an early morning tee time or sleep late, you can count on our fall weather allowing you to wear short-sleeves well into night. Though slowly diminishing, the light at day's end is still bright enough to end your golf game by 7 PM. In this season when nature has ripened to a beautiful hue, we find a new energy to get out there and DO something, such as fishing. The report from the anglers' groups indicates that king mackerel and spotted sea trout are just two of the fish to look for. Another leisure pursuit, boating, is a great way to see the scenery or fish from just offshore or along the waterway. While we move gracefully into the autumn season, we hope that you will give some thought to planning your Thanksgiving this year. Our chef has a superb feast planned, hoping to tempt you to put aside your love of hard work to prepare the traditional Thanksgiving meal all by yourself and let us pamper you here at Horizon for this holiday event. Just give a call to our reservation agent to discuss the possibilities of leaving Thanksgiving to us! Hoping to see you soon back here at the beach! Your Friends at The Horizon at 77th Expressions of Gratitude to All Who Assisted or Watched the KenDucky Derby Duck Races Any of you who visited us this summer will be familiar with the wonderful duck races that we called The KenDucky Derby. From June through Labor Day, we enjoyed featuring this fun event not only for the enjoyment of our guests, but also to raise money for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. By summer's end, we tallied the results and found that our little ducks, nearly 200 in number, produced outstanding results to approximately $6,000. As some of you might know, our Supervisor of Engineering, Dennis Chestnut (plus his team of "duck specialists") was a driving force in organizing and delivering these enjoyable race events. Of course, one additional recognition for Dennis came earlier in the summer at the actual relay event at Coastal Field, the Pelican's ball park. There, the entire community of Grand Strand participants in Relay for Life participated in a group at which he was crowned as "Miss Relay 2009," a parody on an actual pageant. To each and every person who contributed to Relay for Life, we say "thank you." Every week had many tales of generosity and fun. Here are two of the many outstanding ones who went beyond our expectations: On one occasion, an anonymous guest offered $100 to support a "flock" of ducks if we did not exceed the previous week's record of having 144 ducks on the race course. Selflessly, he only asked for two duck-race tickets (eligible for prizes if his ducks won the race) and yet gave those two tickets to another guest in the pool deck. His contribution helped us over-take the mark set by the previous week, but we never saw the benefactor again. He had told someone that he was going to take a nap before driving to Florida the next day. Thereafter, we think of him as our "duck race angel." On the last duck race before Labor Day, August 28th, we made announcements about the overall goal of the summer, $6,000 and held the race, but even by the end of the event, we lacked $220 to reach that goal. Later, that evening a guest came to the front desk and asked how much money kept us from our target amount and wrote a check for the full amount. Her words to us were "thank you," but if we can reach her through this newsletter we want to thank both her and the "duck race angel" in Florida and every other contributor, no matter what the donation was! Together, we made the monetary goal of contribution to the American Cancer Society, but we also made many, many new friends! Such a delightful event took the time and effort of many talented people. Thank you, one and all! Fall Golf Packages at Horizon Some of our fall golf guests are booking directly on our dedicated website www.MyrtleBeachGolf.net. Others are calling in on the toll-free line (800.682.5699) where they can talk with one of our golf agents in person to make plans for everything from tee times to booking entertainment packages and sports massage treatment. After Labor Day is ideal for arranging these outings because prime golf season occurs in fall and spring. Our golf agents can help you decide among the many courses and golf packages available up and down the Grand Strand. The Burroughs and Chapin package, for example, is a grand collection fit for players of all skill levels. It contains premier courses often coveted by golfers: Grande Dunes, Tidewater, Myrtlewood Palmetto, Myrtlewood Pinehills, Farmstead, and River Hills Golf and Country Club, all of which feature unique designs of waterway, marsh, and elevations. Just across the North Carolina border, approximately a 45-minute drive from Horizon, lies the prestigious Ocean Ridge Plantation, home to the "big cat" courses: Leopard's Chase, Panther's Run, Lion's Paw, and Tiger's Eye. Lion's Paw, for example, is said to be William Byrd's finest golf course design, and Panther's Run designed by Tim Cate lies along a natural preserve to test any golfer's skills. Breath-taking scenery features are a part of each of the "cat" courses Preparing Now for Flu Season With an eye to the early arrival of cold and flu season, Horizon personnel are showing strong support of effective daily health habits such as the following: Wash hands often Avoid close contact. Avoid spreading germs. Keep hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Cover mouth and nose at each sneeze or cough. Practice good health habits (eat beneficial foods, get enough sleep, manage stress, etc.) If sick, stay home to avoid spreading the illness. Doctors warn of more upper respiratory problems this year, not just among school-age people, but everyone, so let's all keep ourselves as healthy as possible. In fact, Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts is taking a proactive approach by arranging a flu clinic at one of its sister properties in the weeks to come. Whether you choose to have a flu vaccine with us or another clinic or through your own doctor's office, the importance of everyone's doing his or her best to prevent illness this year cannot be over-emphasized. Let's all stay healthy! Featured Recipe - Oyster-Mushroom Vegetarian Stir-fry The robust oyster mushroom grows wild on trees and appears in the fall season harvest produce departments at this time of year. Caps from the wild "king" oyster mushroom are scallop shaped and have a delicate anise-like aroma not usually found in oyster mushrooms grown on artificial material. Occasionally, an oyster mushroom has as many as ten caps, some spread out to 18 inches in diameter. The meat is sweet-tasting with thick flesh. To clean the fresh mushroom, cut off the lower part of the stems, especially when using cultivated caps. You want to remove any shreds of other debris of its growing environment such as wood or straw. Stems are tough, so discard them. Then, rapidly flush out the gill spaces, especially for the wild mushrooms. This recipe serves 2-4 appetites. Ingredients: 2 cups oyster mushrooms sautéed 2 tablespoons of butter 2 tablespoons of shallots, finely chopped 2 cups snow peas (be sure to remove strings) 2 cups cherry tomatoes (cut in half) 1 teaspoon of soy sauce Directions: Melt butter in large skillet. Add shallots and cook till tender, stirring. Add snow peas, tomatoes, and soy sauce. Stir fry about 3 minutes. Add oyster mushrooms. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve as a side dish with rice or couscous or on slices of toasted fresh bread as a mushroom bruschetta. (Even makes a great topping on homemade pizza.) Click here for a printable version of recipe Local Events Calendar for September Join us this fall for a wide array of events and activities, more of which appear at our web site. For your convenience, click here to book online with us: 10/1-3. Fall Bike Rally. The weather is still warm and the hospitality is, too! Come stay with us just moments away from the all the excitement, whether you participate in the motorcycle rally or just hang out at the local fun places. Enjoy our spacious accommodations near the water and count on our friendly service and much more! Call 800.968.8986 for more information, and ask about specials! 10/4. Beach Music Celebration called "Let the Good Times Roll!" Relive classic hits by some of the most popular performers in the Beach Music world (The Tams, Craig Woolard and Billy Scott to name a few). Full symphonic accompaniment to great beach tunes. Long Bay Symphony. More information at 843.448.8379. 10/11 and 12. Shrimp and Jazz Fest in Little River, SC. Held on Columbus Day weekend, this party in beautiful historic Little River is a major attraction in this part of the Grand Strand with non-stop music, family fun for all ages, a shrimp cook-off, arts and crafts vendors, plenty of food, and lots more. Come to the waterfront from 10 AM to 6 PM. 10/17-18. The 29th Annual North Carolina Oyster Festival, held annually in Ocean Isle Beach (just over the NC/SC state line). Whether or not you are a long-standing fan of oysters or not, you will enjoy this fall festival because of its local color and culture, plus its tribute to fall and food and fun. This is great place to get a start on holiday shopping, to unwind while listening to live bands, and to roam the grounds watching all the sights. For information call 800.426.6644. 10/27. Taste of the Town. Each year the Grand Strand area enjoys a special fund-raiser for Come to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center to taste delicacies from some of the Grand Strand's most delightful restaurants. Over 50 top restaurants share their culinary specialties and compete for coveted prizes of being the "best" in various categories. For more information, Myrtle Beach Convention Center 843.448.5930. 10/31. The Annual Endless Summer Festival on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach. For more information, 843.281.2662 or www.nmbevents.com. 10/31. Trick or Treating at Broadway at the Beach, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Bring your children of all ages to trick or treat at Broadway at the Beach where you'll find much to see and do, plenty of kid-friendly events, and opportunities for shopping and dining. Come to 1325 Celebrity Circle. For more information, 843.444.3200 or go online to www.broadwayatthebeach.com. 10/31. Trick or Treating at Market Common from 6 PM to 8 PM. Each store has clues to find treats. Great for kids of all ages. For more information, go to www.MarketCommon.com or call 843.839.3500. Address of the event is 4017 Deville Street in Myrtle Beach 29577.	Guest Comments Horizon at 77th loves hearing from its guests after they return home because, not only do we enjoy knowing what went well, we like to know where we can strengthen what works and find a better when something does not work as it should. Here are some of the recent notes that have come in from guests: We have stayed at Horizon twice, and [each time] our room was great, clean, and staff was excellent too. Will come again. Email through newsletter response, Hall family, 08.25.09. ~~~~~~~~~ Our stay was from 8/29-9/4/09. Nice place, lots of room. We have a 10 and 12 year old- 3 large flat screen TV-bonus. Master bedroom own private area. Sleeper sofa-my 12 yr old slept on, no complaints... Very clean, newer. Ocean view, [at the] side, quick walk to the beautiful quiet beach. The hotel was NOT busy at all. We were able to get pool chairs anytime we needed. Food Lion-groceries- really close. Close to all restaurants. Cleaning crew did a great job, no complaints. We would return... Email on TripAdvisor.com from "Ricklisaball," Amherst, OH, 09.05.09 ~~~~~~~~~ ...How nice the Horizon... felt like home, with a nice view, granite counter tops in the kitchen and very comfortable beds. We enjoyed the staff as well as the pools and especially the lazy river. I cannot wait to return to Myrtle Beach and stay at the Horizon. Email on TripAdvisor.com from "Sidney003" from Raleigh, NC, 08.23.09 ~~~~~~~~~ We started out in Wilmington, NC and the beaches close by. But after stopping at several places and not wanting to pay the prices they were asking for basic rooms, we drove down to North Myrtle Beach, SC. We didn't find a room there so we continued on to Myrtle Beach, SC. We found the Horizon at 77th by chance. My husband went in to inquire about getting a room and when he returned to the truck he had a room key. When we got up to the room we were very much pleased. The two bedrooms had king size beds with flat screen TVs and DVD players along with the sitting area. We had a full kitchen and washer/dryer that we weren't expecting. The only thing that surprised me was the depth of the pool. If you're looking for a deep pool then this isn't a good place to stay. Overall, I'm sure we'll be booking this place more often. Email on TripAdvisor.com from "Krys03," Wilmington, NC, 08.23.09 ~~~~~~~~~ We went on our honey moon and it [Horizon] is a wonderful hotel. Would love to go next year and stay for even longer. A++++++++++ Email on Hotels.com from unnamed guest, 07.24.09 Groups Staying at Horizon Groups of people traveling together have a good time in transit and a good time once they reach their destination. Recently, we welcomed the Hatcher~Scott Family Reunion during the month of August, and the following list represents those groups traveling to stay with us in September: Care Giver's Ministry Retreat Triangle Singles Strapon / Hanson Wedding Regan FR Wright / Freeman Family Reunion Harris Family Outing Chartis Transportation Group Lift Ministries Bridges Grove AMEZ Church Fort Bragg Military Retreat Sunset Church of God Union Grove Christian School Crown Screening Super Invitational Golf We want to express gratitude to each and every guest from these groups, with special hopes that we will see you again soon, perhaps for Thanksgiving dinner or long weekend. Fun Facts Some people avoid rain when they are staying at the beach, but take a look. If this is one of those sudden, heavy coastal rainstorms, watch for a vibrant rainbow or two over the water. What a vision and well worth the short wait until the skies clear! A rainbow can best be seen with polarized sunglasses, viewing from an elevated position. For example, from an airplane in flight, you can see a rainbow as a complete circle with the shadow of the airplane in the center. If you are staying in a condo at a high elevation, look for the rainbow! When you see a rainbow, the outside red band is made of long light waves, and the blue-to-violet bands are on the inner edge where short light waves are found. If you see a second rainbow, it is outside the primary rainbow and parallel to it, but the sun's light is reflected twice before emerging from the raindrop, so the color sequence is reversed, and it is not as bright as the main rainbow. If you also see a third rainbow, it will be faintest of all three (a rare sight in nature, indeed). A rainbow is, of course, not a real bridge of color but just light and water. By the law of physics, it will always be located in front of you with your back to the sun. Two people viewing the same rainbow do not actually see the same rainbow. Their two sets of eyes are not occupying the same place in space at the same time, so each sees a slightly different set of rainbow colors and shapes. Because the raindrops are moving, the appearance of the rainbow is always changing, too. Each time you see a rainbow, that particular band of color is unique in its own spectacular way, just as a snowflake is uniquely patterned! No two are exactly alike. Rainbows are included in many legends of many cultures. In our Western culture, the rainbow has become a symbol of renewed hope; something lucky to gaze upon. The old "pot of gold at the end of a rainbow" myth started in old Europe. The Catawba Indians of the southeastern U.S. and the Tlingit Indians of the northwest both regard rainbows as a bridge between the living and the dead. In Middle Eastern culture, Iranian Moslems, in particular, see the brilliance of the colors in a rainbow as symbols (for example, if green appears dominant, then it means abundance, red means war, and yellow means death). How far away is the rainbow that you see? Distance of rainbows depends on how far away the rain cloud is from where you see it, especially if it is moving. The rainbow's distance extends from the nearest to the farthest raindrop. The closest raindrop to you might be miles away. Your best opportunity to "touch" a rainbow might be the one made when the lawn sprinkler is on; there, it seems you can reach in and "touch" the rainbow.