Issue 29, February 28, 1997
The long delayed TPI theme park, Isle of America, has initially defaulted on its option to buy the land at the old Air Force Base that was to house the park. The company still has three months to post a bond and begin construction, but it now looks very unlikely that this will happen. TPI was counting on an investment by a wealthy Arabian prince, who has purchased half of the design firm that was to build the park, but he and the firm have now dropped out of the project. If a final default occurs, the state-run Santee Copper utility will repurchase the land for the same price TPI paid for it, and put it back up for sale.
Another planned theme park, Sandman's Dreamland, to be built on the site of the old Magic Harbour park, has also fallen through. The attraction was to be based on the children's book 'The World of Sandy Sandman', but the project never got off the ground.
Burroughs and Chapin, the Myrtle Beach giant that operates the Pavilion, still plans a major theme park to be built beside Broadway at the Beach. This project has always been a much surer bet than the others.
The Opryland Hotel, located in Nashville next to the famous Grand Old Opry, may soon have a counterpart in Myrtle Beach. Gaylord Entertainment is considering building a Myrtle Beach Opryland Hotel in addition to locations in several other resorts.
At Barefoot Landing, the Alabama Grill restaurant, named after the famous country music group that has a musical theater in the complex, has closed. In its place will be a Greg Norman golf-themed restaurant. Meanwhile, at Broadway at the Beach, Joe's Crab Shack has opened. The shopping complex will have a new section of 40 more shops open by this summer. The Hard Rock Cafe is now staging an outdoor light show on its landmark pyramid-shaped building, around dusk.
If you're looking for a deluxe meal at a reasonable price, you might want to try out one of the video poker emporiums along the strand. Both Club Casablanca and Tycoon's Gallery of Games feature fancy foods at discounted prices. South Carolina state law forbids gaming establishments giving players free food or drink, to reduce the temptation of gamblers to visit or stay for extended periods. However, there is no regulation about inexpensive meals.
Beginning in March, the Brookgreen Gardens outdoor sculpture attraction at Murrells Inlet will bring back the creek excursion tours that explore the plant and animal life behind the formal gardens area.
The large scale beach renourishment project in North Myrtle Beach has had its completion date moved back to May. Local officials say it has not adversely affected tourism; in fact, the sand dredging is bringing up numerous seashells that some visitors have been taking advantage of. The city of Myrtle Beach will begin its phase shortly.
The book that is advertised on the web site, Half a Hundred Tales of Women, by John O'Doherty, will be featured at Barnes and Noble Bookstore at the Seaboard Commons shopping center on U.S. 17 Bypass. On Saturday, March 8, from 2 to 4 p.m., the author will be on hand for a booksigning. The author is my uncle, and he has written a book of 50 short stories about the more memorable females he has encountered in his 80-plus years of life, first in Ireland and now here in the U.S. Call 803-444-4046 for details.
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