Dear Friends,

His name was Ernesto. He arrived early evening on August 31st and he didn't have a reservation. He packed high wind and rain for his visit and he provided many guests their first experience of this kind... a tropical storm. Staff and guests alike awaited his arrival, taking his indecision of where he wished to arrive and how strong he was going to be when he got there in stride. For most of the day leading up to his arrival, it seemed that he was "eyeing" North Myrtle Beach as his vacation destination, but at the last minute changed his mind and chose Coastal North Carolina instead. We were lucky to report no damage at the resort and no major damage in the city of North Myrtle Beach. By Friday morning, things were already starting to return to normal...to just another day at the Avista.

We are still in the heart of golf season and it's not too late to pack up your clubs and head down to Myrtle Beach for a couple rounds! Our latest golf brochure showing all our packages and specials is now out! If you have not received one, please call our golf department at 1-800-982-5699 and they will be happy to mail one to you. Whether you're a 5 handicap or a self-described "hacker", one of our golf specialists will help you take advantage of the latest specials at the area's top courses. You could save enough money to buy yourself a new driver, or some more balls if you fall into that "hacker" category!

With the holidays quickly approaching, the area theaters are getting ready to unleash their Christmas extravaganzas on Myrtle Beach. These popular shows begin the first week of November and book up fast so if you are interested in seeing one be sure to make your reservations ahead of time. We will be more than happy to make your show reservation in advance, just let a reservations, front desk or concierge staff member know!

Attention Snowbirds
Monthly guests will be receiving a special snowbird newsletter in the mail prior to their arrival. The newsletter will contain information about housekeeping and mail services, as well as information regarding some of the Snowbird events we are working on. We are also sending out a Snowbird registration sheet that will help the staff get to know our monthly guests better and will also help them plan the activities and events that would make their stays more enjoyable. If you have any suggestions for events/activities or if you just have a question, please feel free to email Concierge Abbey @ concierge@avistaresort.com! We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Avista Activities
September 4th marked the end of our kid's activities program for the year and what a year it was! Our interns Justin and Afton ran one of the most successful activities program in all of Myrtle Beach. In the heat, the rain, the wind and the tropical storm, they were here offering kids with fun alternatives to the pool and the beach! By far, their most popular activity was tye-dye t-shirts held on Tuesdays and Thursdays! This event was so popular; they tye-dyed over 1,000 t-shirts at the Avista this summer. We would like to thank Justin and Afton for their hard work and dedication and for providing our younger guests with some great vacation memories!

Did you know?

• There are more than 2,000 restaurants on the Grand Strand. That means you could eat out every meal for almost 2 years before you would eat at the same restaurant twice!
• There are over 100 golf courses on the Grand Strand and they are played more than 3 million times a year! No wonder Myrtle Beach has the reputation for being one of the country's top golf destinations!

Congratulations!

The Avista Resort would like to offer best wishes to the following couples that were married at the resort during the month of September:

        Mr. and Mrs. Josh Tickle     September 9, 2006
        Mr. and Mrs. Jay Roche     September 10, 2006

Until then…
Staff/Management
Avista Resort

The month of October hosts two of the area's most popular events if you are an animal lover! Be sure to check out the 12th Annual Grand Strand Humane Society's Annual Walk for the Animals and the famous Pet Parade on October 21st. Held at Broadway at the Beach, the Walk for the Animals raises money for the Grand Strand Humane Society. Following the walk is the Pet Parade, a Halloween themed parade for pets and their people. For more information visit www.grandstrandhumanesociety.com or www.broadwayatthebeach.com.

"Chicken what?"
If animals are not your thing, take a ride over to Loris on the 21st for the 27th Annual Loris Bog-off Festival. This festival honors one of our great southern dishes, Chicken Bog. If you don't know what Chicken Bog is, it is a mixture of rice, chicken, sausage and spices. This festival began as an amateur chicken bog cooking contest and now features many arts and crafts, pageants and events. For more details visit www.lorischambersc.com

"Trick or treat, give something good to eat!"
If your kids are looking to rack up some serious candy this Halloween, bring them to Myrtle Beach to go trick-or-treating. With trick-or-treating on October 31st at Barefoot Landing, Broadway at the Beach, Colonial Mall and Coastal Grande Mall, they will be sure to get a lot of treats without the threat of any tricks.

The Alabama Theatre | Barefoot Landing, U.S. 17, North Myrtle Beach, "One: The Show," featuring dancing, comedy and a variety of music, including country, Broadway, bluegrass and gospel. Shows this week at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets $31.60-$36.25 for adults and $15.80 for ages 3-16. Call 272-1111 or visit www.alabama-theatre.com.

Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show | Northern intersection of U.S. 17 and U.S. 17 Bypass, Myrtle Beach, featuring fast-paced competition between North and South with music, games and performers on horseback. Shows this week at 6 p.m. today, Saturday and Wednesday. Tickets $36.99 for adults and $19.99 for ages 4-11. Call 497-9700 or visit www.dixiestampede.com.

Legends in Concert Theater | 301 U.S. 17 N., Surfside Beach, featuring tribute artists paying homage to Garth Brooks, The Temptations, Trisha Yearwood, Elvis Presley and Louis Armstrong. Shows this week at 8 p.m. today, Saturday, Monday-Thursday and also at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets $31.95-$35.95 and $14.95-$18.95 ages 3-16. Call 238-7827 or visit www.legendsinconcertsc.com.

The Palace Theatre | At Broadway at the Beach, U.S. 17 Bypass and 21st Avenue North, Myrtle Beach, featuring Le Grande Cirque with acrobats, contortionists, trapeze artists and aerialists. Shows this week at 8 p.m. today, Saturday and Monday-Thursday and also at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Tickets for 8 p.m. shows $33-$44 and $10 for ages 3-12; $26 ages 13 and older and $10 ages 3-12 for 10 a.m. show. Call 448-0588 or visit www.palacetheatremyrtlebeach.com.