Dear Friends,

Summer at the Avista is Hot! Hot! Hot! The kids are out of school and families have made their way to the Avista for their family vacations. The beach is lined with the familiar sight of umbrellas and beach chairs and the pool area is alive with the sounds of splashing and laughter. Children are busy making tye-dye shirts with the activities staff and their parents are enjoying the break and cold smoothies from the pool bar. Aahh…Life is good!

We had our first 4th of July Celebration this year with over 450 people attending! It was such a success that we decided to hold another summer event shortly after! We had an Avista a "Fair" with lots of games for the kids, cotton candy, corn on the cob, rib stations and much more! The event was celebrated with Sparky from Ripley's Sea Aquarium and Larry Green provided music and entertainment! This may be the beginning of a summer tradition ~ to provide more fun summer activities than any other resort in the area!

If you stayed with us this summer, you will have noticed many changes to the outdoor and indoor pool areas. We seriously reviewed many comments and complaints last year about the usage of the pools by non-guest and issues with lounge chairs. This year we have implemented the usage of "Pool Bracelets" for our guest to wear while in the pool areas so we can remove any non guest and leave more room for you. We have also purchased more lounge chairs and hired pool attendants to monitor the pool areas for towels, non guest and lounge chairs. We feel this has already had a positive impact on our guest experience. Thanks for your feed back and suggestions!

If you have not checked out our live webcam on our website, you should ~ you never know ~ you may spot someone you know! Last month we had 238,350 clicks to our live cam! Click here to view the live webcam!

Congratulations!

       Tiffany and Tory Trammell     July 8, 2006
       Flora and Rodelio Burboa     July 14, 2006
       Lauren and DJ Riley     July 22, 2006
       Dana and Samuel Rex     July 29, 2006

These happy couples were married at the Avista during the past month. The Avista Resort Management and Staff wish you a lifetime of happily~ever~after!

Until then…
Staff/Management
Avista Resort

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour bus enters during the groundbreaking of the $400 million Hard Rock Park on Thursday.

Myrtle Beach has seen its share of tour buses, but never one like this.

The Magical Mystery Tour bus - a psychedelic relic that toted the Beatles around Liverpool in the 1967 flim by the same name - has found its way to the Grand Strand.

The rumbling roadster is the first piece of rock 'n' roll history to call the future Hard Rock Park home. The $400 million park, touted as the largest single tourism investment in South Carolina, is scheduled to open in spring 2008 and will employ 3,000 people.

The bright blue and sunflower-yellow bus with rainbow letters, which has been on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, Fla., since 1993, rolled in Thursday, dramatically dropping off Gov. Mark Sanford and his sons for the park's groundbreaking party at Fantasy Harbour.

The one-of-a-kind bus fit right in with the blaring music, confetti and sand sculpture of rock legends that set the rock 'n' roll tone of Thursday's event. Officials used Gibson guitars fashioned with shovel heads to ceremoniously turn dirt on the much anticipated park, the first one in the world bearing the popular Hard Rock name.

"I am here to say, 'Thank you' to the local dreamers," Sanford said after posing with a guitar for photographers. "At times they felt like they were on the Magical Mystery Tour bus and didn't know where it was stopping."

Park developers have traveled a bumpy road to get shovels in the ground, overcoming hurdles in raising enough money for the 140-acre park while trying to convince skeptic locals that this theme park plan wouldn't fail like the many others that came before it.

Despite delays, Hard Rock - which lent its name and memorabilia to the park, but no money - never considered pulling out or moving the project to another destination, said Oliver Munday, Hard Rock's vice president of franchise operations and development.

"It has been a long time coming, but good things take time," Munday said.

In addition to the Beatles' bus, Jimi Hendrix items also will have a presence at the park, though officials wouldn't say what they will be. The park will have 40 attractions in six zones, including a roller coaster, restaurants, stores and an amphitheater.

MB terminal plan survives vote

If all goes as planned, construction could begin in January and the terminal could open in early 2009, Lamb said.

Classic 4 Round Package: Play either Indian Wells or International club and round out the 4 rounds with Burning Ridge East, Crown Park and Black Bear for extra savings!!!

Classic 5 Round Package: Play Indian Wells, International Club, Crown Park, Black Bear and Burning Ridge East for extra savings!!!

***Rate includes room, breakfast, golf and cart, based on quad occupancy in a 2-Bedroom condo. Certain restrictions may apply.***

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.