Myrtle Beach's May Festival Lineup Announced

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Posted by Ryan Swaim

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, along with city leaders, began announcing plans over the past week for several weekend festivals aimed at boosting travel to the area during the month of May. The festivals, all of which target different genres of music, will feature concerts from nationally-known acts as well as other related activities including fireworks shows.

Festivities will kick off downtown on Saturday, May 15 with several big events: the city's new Beach Music Festival will coincide with the ribbon cutting for the new oceanfront Boardwalk. The festival will run all day, from 10 AM 'til 10 PM, and the lineup of performers is a veritable Who's Who of beach music: Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, The Coasters, The Embers, Jim Quick & Coastline, Mark Roberts & Breeze and Billy Scott & the Party Prophets will all lead up to headliner Ben E. King. In addition, Buddy Valastro, TLC's "Cake Boss," will attempt to bake the world's largest flip-flop cake. Put 'em all together, and you've got the perfect recipe for a great weekend.

The fun continues on May 22 with the Beach Blast! contemporary Christian music festival. The festival will feature a number of the most popular contemporary Christian artists, including headliner TobyMac, and will take place at the former site of Myrtle Square Mall in the heart of Myrtle Beach.



Finally, plans for a reinvigorated Memorial Day weekend were announced this morning, and the lineup is truly impressive. In addition to the already-scheduled Military Appreciation Days events held in and around Market Common, the downtown area will host a full slate of events. The first Memorial Day parade in recent memory will wind its way down Ocean Boulevard past arts and crafts vendors on May 29, and a world-class fireworks show will end the evening with a bang.

In between, visitors will be treated to meet-and-greets with a host of Disney celebrities, including Nathan Kress of iCarly, Savannah Outen of Hannah Montana, Jasmine Richards of Camp Rock, Drake Bell of Drake and Josh, Tiffany Thornton of Sonny with a Chance and Debby Ryan of Suite Life on Deck. The weekend's highlight, however, will be a concert at the former Myrtle Square Mall site featuring not only Outen, Bell and Richards, but Hannah Montana's Mitchell Musso and American Idol Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks!

Memorial Day is definitely back in the Myrtle Beach area, and we hope you'll have the chance to experience it with us!

Myrtle Beach Pet Friendly Rentals Offered by Dunes Realty

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Posted by Ryan Swaim

Pet-friendly travel is one of the fastest growing trends in the vacation rental business, and we've decided that the time is right to "join the pack," so to speak.

Beginning this month, a select number of our homes will, at the discretion of their owners, become "dog friendly." Renters will, for the first time, be allowed to bring small (under 35 lbs.) dogs on their vacations, avoiding the expense and hassle of boarding them or otherwise arranging for their care. More importantly, dogs that are "members of the family" will finally be able to enjoy all the perks that come with that title!

True, there will be a small fee associated with bringing a dog, and there are some extra rules and regulations that must be followed. However, these are necessary to insure the comfort and safety of all of our guests, including those without dogs.

Currently, only homes may become dog-friendly, as none of the Homeowners Associations in our condo complexes allow pets of any kind. As the number of dog-friendly properties grows, however, there should be a property perfect for any family, regardless of size or budget.

You can visit our website for more information, or give one of our Vacation Coordinators a call... we'll be happy to get you started on your greatest vacation ever!

New Myrtle Beach Vacation Rentals Mobile Site From Dunes Realty

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Posted by Ryan Swaim

These days, it seems like everyone is addicted to their mobile phone. Whether from an iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, Instinct, etc., the ability to access any information almost anywhere has made the newest generation of smartphones a near-neccessity. However, as anyone who has tried to navigate a traditional website on a 3" screen can attest, these phones are not without their limitations.

For this reason, Dunes Realty is proud to announce the launch of our new mobile website. Specifically formatted for the small screens and browsers of today's smartphones, this site will allow visitors to not only search and browse our huge selection of properties, but can even direct them (via Google maps) right to the front door! A link will be featured to our new Area Attractions page as soon as it becomes live, and all of our departments and staff are just a click away.

If you have a web-enabled phone, take a look and let us know what you think. The mobile site won't have all the features you've come to expect from our main site, but we think it fits the bill nicely and hope you do as well.

Spirit Airlines adds Atlanta route to its Myrtle Beach schedule

Friday, December 11, 2009

Posted by Ryan Swaim

Spirit Airlines announced yesterday that it was opening a new non-stop route between Myrtle Beach and Atlanta beginning in May of 2010. While that may not seem big news at first glance, especially considering the fact that other airlines already offer service to "Hotlanta," the real news is the wholesale fare reduction that is sure to follow. As one of the country's premier low-cost carriers, Spirit promises to make connecting flights reasonable once again, and to open a new world of easy access to Myrtle Beach's golden sands, championship golf and countless attractions.

In my younger days, I was generally willing to put up with more connections and a seat in the baggage compartment in order to save a few dollars. Today, thankfully, that's no longer necessary, especially if Myrtle Beach is on my itinerary (which it usually is, since I live here!) The Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) offers non-stop flights from a staggering 26 destinations all over the country (in addition to connections from almost anywhere.) The list of cities from which non-stop flights can be booked is impressive:

Atlanta, GA
Charlotte, NC
New York City, NY (LaGuardia)
Niagara Falls, NY
Plattsburgh, NY
Boston, MA
Worcester, MA
Washington, DC (Dulles)
Washington, DC (Reagan National)
Newark, NJ
Atlantic City, NJ
Pittsburgh, PA
Philadelphia, PA
Allentown, PA
Huntington, WV
Columbus, OH
Toledo, OH
Detroit, MI
Kalamazoo, MI
Chicago, IL (O'Hare)
Rockford, IL
Springfield, IL
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Orlando, FL
Punta Gorda, FL

In addition, the first regularly scheduled non-stop flights to Toronto will begin in 2010 as well.

Getting to Myrtle Beach has never been easier!

Dunes Realty Goes Live with a New and Improved Myrtle Beach Vacation Rentals Website!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Posted by Ryan Swaim

Chances are you arrived at this blog via our Dunes Realty website, and if this wasn't your first visit, you may have noticed our new look. If not, take another look; we just went live this morning, and we're very excited about the changes.

Don't worry: the same functionality and ease of use that you've come to know and expect from dunes.com is still there (along with a few new touches that we think you'll enjoy,) but we felt that it was time for a little "updating." One of my favorite features is the new individual property page (like this one for Slo M'Ocean,) and we've also added links to our Facebook, MySpace and Twitter pages. Thanks to Rand McNally, customizable driving directions are available right from the site, and WeatherBug gives you instant weather information as well. (Here's a hint: it's always beautiful here!)

We're not done yet, though... keep your eyes open for our all-new attractions page and our concierge service, enabling our guests to both see and book tickets for some of the Myrtle Beach area's most popular theaters, attractions and watersports. Both of these features should be live by the end of November.

We'd love to know what you think, so please let us know!


E-mail: info@dunes.com

Best fish recipe?

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Posted by Ryan Swaim

It's been a while since my last post, but summer can be a little hectic around here... I promise to try and do better from now on!

Our staff is very often asked for restaurant recommendations by our guests, and that's an easy answer for most of us with over 1,800 restaurants in the Myrtle Beach area. The Murrells Inlet Marshwalk with its seven world-class eateries is just around the corner, and the new Market Common district is just a few minutes up the road on the southern end of Myrtle Beach. However, because all of our properties include full kitchens and because of the abundance of fresh seafood in the area, we're also often asked about our favorite recipes. While everyone may have their own personal opinion, I'm writing the blog today and this is mine!

First of all, this recipe is designed to highlight the flavors of fresh fish, not disguise not-so-fresh fish. So, the first logical step is to find some fresh fish. Virtually any kind will do, but some of my favorites for this recipe include mahi-mahi (usually referred to as "dolphin" around here,) grouper, hogfish (sometimes called "hog snapper,") swordfish or halibut. Most are readily available at local seafood markets like Harrelson's in Murrells Inlet, although there are no shortages of opportunities to catch your own. Because thick pieces (1"-1.5") work best on the grill, I usually avoid flounder for this recipe, and the strong flavor of tuna (while one of my all-time favorites) tends to overpower the other ingredients.

Because we're talkin' fresh here, no fancy marinades are needed, although you might need to make a trip to the grocery store as well as the fish market. Here's what you'll need in addition to the fish:

1 ripe mango
1 shallot
1/2 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
1 lime
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Pre-packaged Black Beans and Rice (I like Zatarains or Vigo, but most will do)
Any other side items you'd like (fresh corn is a very popular addition at my house)

I make the salsa first to give the flavors time to blend, and it's easy. Dice the red pepper and mango (instructions can be found here, although you'll need smaller cubes than shown in the example,) mince the shallot and jalapeno, combine them all in a bowl, squeeze the juice from the lime over the top, and salt & pepper to taste. That's all there is to it... some people like to leave it at room temperature, but I like it chilled.

The next step is to fire up the grill and make sure the grate is clean. (It doesn't hurt to brush the grate with oil or "grill formula" Pam right before the fish goes on, as this will help with the final presentation.) I usually take the fish out of the fridge at about the same time and add a little olive oil salt and pepper to each side. Go ahead and start the black beans and rice according to the package directions, as well as any other side items you'd like. I usually grill the fish for about 3-4 minutes per side on a hot grill, and I like to turn the filets 1/4 turn once per side to give them nice perpendicular grill marks. (This also helps to keep them from sticking.)

When the filets are done, I lay them on a bed of the black beans and rice and spoon the salsa over the top, and that's it... time to eat!

We'd love to know what you think, and would be happy to share your favorite recipes as well, so please let us know!

Affordable Myrtle Beach Area Vacations

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Posted by Ryan Swaim

I am often asked how a vacation rental can be considered an "affordable" vacation (usually by those who have only stayed in hotels in the past.) While we do have a wide range of properties (and rates) available, some can appear quite expensive at first glance. However, once you dig a little deeper, it's easy to see where the value lies.

First of all (and this applies to hotels as well as vacation rentals,) getting to the Myrtle Beach area is considerably easier for most Americans than, say, Florida or Hawaii. We're within easy driving distance of most eastern states, and actually sit right on the halfway point to central and south Florida for many travelers. Rarely is expensive airfare or car rental needed, and with gas prices down considerably from their 2008 levels, driving is once again an economical alternative.

Of course, getting here cheaply doesn't help if you have to mortgage the house to pay for your accommodations, and that's where Dunes Realty and vacation rentals in general really shine. For example, an oceanfront king bedroom at most of Myrtle Beach's nicer hotels will run somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,500-$1,800 for the week beginning July 4, 2009. Not bad, but that room only sleeps two comfortably and you'll need to eat any meal that can't be microwaved or stored in a mini-fridge out at a restaurant. Again, not always a bad thing, but we're talking about making things economical, and fixing breakfast and lunch at home (and even a family dinner or two) can certainly help in that regard.

By contrast, a top-notch five bedroom oceanfront house with a private pool will run somewhere in the $6,000 range for the same week. Sounds expensive, until you consider that this house will sleep 16 people comfortably... that's only $375 per person for the week of the Fourth of July! (Fitting the same number into the hotel rooms mentioned above would require 8 rooms at a cost of at least twice that figure.) In addition, a vacation rental comes complete with a fully-equipped kitchen, giving you the option of eating out or dining in, as well as the ability for the entire family to gather together in one location... did I mention the private pool?

If this particular option doesn't work for your family, we can certainly find one that does from the more than 1,000 properties we manage. Keep in mind that the week mentioned above is the most expensive of the entire year, and you can save considerably by moving earlier or later in the season. Don't need five bedrooms? No problem. Need more? We can do that too, and often for a lower per-person cost. Don't mind a walk across the street to the beach? Second and third row rates can often be as little as half of oceanfront prices, and with many of the same amenities. You can also save a good deal by choosing a property without the private pool... after all, the Atlantic Ocean is just steps away from all of our properties.

Speaking of the ocean, I think it's important to remember that it is our single biggest attraction, and it is completely, 100% FREE! Sure, we have amusement parks, waterparks, miniature golf, live shows and all of the other attractions that made Myrtle Beach famous, but the ocean is still number one. Whether it's long days on the beach with the kids or long moonlit walks (without them,) the beach is always sure to please, and you never have to wait in line to use it!

The bottom line is, well, the bottom line, and we know of no other option that offers so much for so little. If you haven't made your vacation plans yet this year, give us a try, and we think you'll agree.