June 2009
Volume 2, Issue 6

Hot summer days and nights have arrived in North Myrtle Beach, to the immense delight of the summer vacationers who have also arrived to take advantage of great summer discounts. In fact, discounts are still available, and that's one of the best kept secrets of this unusual year. Although the challenges of 2009 might have stalled summer vacations for some, it has helped bring about surprising rate cuts on superb vacation deals. We hope that you have discovered similar ways to save your family's budget and at the same time save your family's summer vacation right here at Prince Resort! If not, give us a shout (by phone or internet).

The Cherry Grove Pier's popularity grows with each passing day and each passing fish below. The latest Twitter news from the pier personnel is that flounder, spot, whiting, and many other species of fish are biting. Spots started an early-summer run, pleasing spot-lovers everywhere. Of course, no one ever has a "bad day" at the pier; it's just that some days yield more fish than others.

Prince's summer activities team has arrived, too, providing guests with even more options of things to do beyond the utterly delightful pools, relaxing lazy river, soothing hot tub, and, of course, the beach. Colorful kites fly high during these balmy days at the shore, and the sun dips behind the occasional passing cloud, providing variations of light across the sand. Guests with young children demonstrate the power of a wave, educating the little ones about water, shells, and sand. Older beachgoers lie back on bright beach towels, ensuring that that they put on enough sunscreen.

If you are still uncertain about how to spend the summer or even whether to spend any money at all, give us a call to check on the unusual summer deals available. You might find that a trip to the beach is both affordable and well-seasoned with great potential to renew your craving for fun! After all, which offers more cooling potential - sitting in a sweltering back yard under a tiny lawn sprinkler or lying under a beach umbrella on the soft Atlantic shoreline, beverage in hand, with a steady flow of cool waves washing over you?

We hope to see you soon!

Your friends at Prince Resort!

On July 10th, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, the chef at 3500 Ocean Grill here at Prince Resort will donate 10% of all profits to the American Cancer Society. We want to encourage diners to save their appetites for dinner that evening for this worthy cause. Servers are joining in the action by donating all tips collected to this cause as well.

The 3500 Ocean Grill is conveniently located in North Myrtle Beach along Ocean Boulevard, only a few blocks from Main Street in the tranquil community of Cherry Grove. Open year round to the public, it is the ocean front full service restaurant in the area.

Please come and enjoy this extra -special meal on July 10th and support a great cause!

Have you noticed the new feature icons at the bottom of the Prince Resort web site? They are symbols for the social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, not just for the school kids any more. These tools can keep you informed, whether you need to know about fish running off The Cherry Grove Pier or about a special discount available for the particular week that you wanted to come here, and we try to keep the latest and greatest information running there.

If you would like to join in and have not already discovered these three facets of our website located at the bottom of the home page, we hope after reading this article that you will notice them and try them. We encourage you to link to us and "tweet" to us.

Look for these icons:

TWITTER Started in 2006 as a free social networking and micro-blogging service, Twitter enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Regularly, we "tweet" about the beach weather, links to the newsletters, and events that are going on here and around the Grand Strand.

When you see this icon, click on it to connect with the Prince Resort Twitter site.

FACEBOOK is another social networking website tool, launched in 2004. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. One of the more popular features of Facebook is photo applications where people can post albums with up to 200 photos.

STUMBLEUPON is an internet community that allows users to discover websites such as ours and rate them. If you enjoy our website at www.princeresortonline.com, then you could go to Stumbleupon and rate it. That way, others can try it, too. This technology is people-friendly and built for sharing information.

Information on the internet changes rapidly, and with the aid of these three internet tools, Prince Resort can share its news with anyone interested in relaxing at the beach at affordable rates!

During the summer months, Prince Resort provides a talented activities team, individually named Kelly and Sophie, who have designed a fun-packed schedule of activities such as shark-teeth hunts on Tuesday - Saturday. Eligibility for participants begins at age 5 and higher for such fun as a scavenger hunt, tie-dying shirts, pool games, and many indoor games designed for inclement weather.

Guests should be aware when booking that any activity may be changed, depending on the weather or unforeseen circumstances. Participants should also recognize that appropriate clothing should be worn. For example, in arts and crafts projects with paint, tempera paint can stain cloth.

While the activities team is unable to supervise children before and after their scheduled events, it encourages everyone to come to the events and participate for great fun and surprises.

As part of the continued fund raising for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts is holding its First Annual "Swing Fore the Cure" Golf Tournament at Myrtle Beach National's Kings North Golf Course on Saturday, August 1st. We are currently taking applicants on the official web site at www.MBSRAnnualGolfTournament.com (click on "Register").

Costs to enter range from $75 for an individual to $260 for a foursome, and the price entitles to the participant to beverages, lunch, and lots of fun. Hole sponsorships are priced at $100 each, and all proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society. An added feature is a "bonus package" of entry tickets for prizes (2 mulligans plus 5 raffle tickets) at $20/individual and $80/foursome.

This enjoyable event starts with a 9:00 am "shotgun" launch of the golfers. At midday, enjoy the awards luncheon where officials will present prizes from the tournament and also announce the winners of the Silent Auction event that is being held over the summer, so please join us on this most esteemed of Myrtle Beach golf courses, Kings North!

As part of the on-going efforts here at Prince for Relay for Life, we are participating in a company-wide silent auction later this summer. Many area businesses have contributed fabulous prizes, and all proceeds will go to Relay for Life through The American Cancer Society. Please refer frequently to the Prince web site for updated information about when this auction begins later this summer.

Here is the current list of well-known companies around the Grand Strand that have offered their support, and we hope that you will share your business with them when you are in the area:

T-Bonz
Family Kingdom
Ripley's Aquarium
Tanger Outlets
Tri-County Mechanical Inc.
Enchanted Sailing Charters
Wal-Mart
SeaBoard Signs
Target Media
Legends in Concert
Medieval Times
Justine's Photograph

Prize winners will be announced at the luncheon of the golf tournament on August 1st.

We've got fabulous plans for this special holiday, and we hope that you'll join us! Prince Resort is a great place to spend any July 4th holiday, but this year will be especially remarkable. The festivities begin with a traditional barbeque buffet with our chef's own delicious recipe of slow-cooked chicken and ribs; be sure to put in your reservation for the seating time of your choice.

Here's the line-up for the day:

Buffet at 3500 Ocean Grill - Our chef plans a delicious meal of boneless barbequed chicken breast, barbequed ribs, corn on the cob, baked beans, fresh cold slaw, potato salad, and cornbread! Then, for dessert enjoy our own homemade Patriotic Bread Pudding (delicious bread pudding topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream).

$15/adult and $10/child (ages 3-12). "To-Go" boxed meals are available to be delivered to your unit at Prince at price to include tip. What a way to spend the Fourth, oceanfront and comfortable without any of the hassle of planning your own party!

Seating times available from the following: 2:00 pm, 3:30 pm, 5:00 pm, 6:30 pm, and 8:00 pm. Reserve early for the best selection.
Boardwalk Beach Café - Check our menu for an array of tasty options to eat at surf-side right there at The Cherry Grove Pier. Service continues from opening until 2:00 am on this special day!
9th Floor Pool Deck - Great place to view fireworks, hang out at the pool, relax in the cool water! Beer barrels will be available from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Gold Star of Excellence Awarded to the Prince Resort Housekeeping Department

In recognition of its excellent service in Housekeeping, The Prince Resort's Housekeeping Department has recently been presented with a coveted 2009 Gold Star of Excellence Award by the Myrtle Beach Hospitality Association.

On May 31st, Paula Davis, acting General Manager at Prince, presented the award at a pizza lunch. Cheryl Blankenship, Director of Housekeeping, received the plaque, representing her team of hardworking and dedicated housekeepers.

Keep up the good work, everyone!

Long a veteran of the hospitality industry here along the Grand Strand, John Gavin now adds the position as new Prince Front Office Manager to his accomplishments. He brings a wealth of experience and skills to Prince Resort, for which we are most grateful.

His comprehensive experience in the hotel industry ranges from prestige organizations in Hilton Head, SC, to Sea Trail Plantation, NC. John's vast experience working with corporate hotels such as Sheraton, Courtyard, and Radisson will help to run our front desk.

John may be reached by e-mail at John.Gavin@DiscoverPrinceResort.com or at 417-1300 extension 7160.

Classic Carolina Sweet Tea

Sweet tea is the official state beverage of South Carolina, the only state in the union to have ever produced tea commercially (the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island). This delicious chilly potion grew out of necessity when, in the 1904 World's Fair, a tea vendor could not sell his hot tea product during a summer's heat wave. Of the three basic types of tea (black, green, and oolong), 90% of the U.S. tea drinkers consume black tea.

INGREDIENTS

5 cups of cold water
3 cups sugar
4 family-sized tea bags

DIRECTIONS:

Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the sugar and stir until all granules are dissolved. Add the tea bags and allow the mixture to steep or set for 20 minutes. Remove the tea bags. Pour the mixture into a clean gallon pitcher. Fill with the remaining area with ice and cold water and stir. Serve the tea iced and cold.

Classic Green Tea Ice Cream

In contrast, try this refreshing green tea iced cream recipe (adapted from Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking). Not particularly Southern but delicious! Serves 2 to 4.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons green tea powder ("matcha" - sold in Asian markets, tea shops, the international section of some food stores, or health food stores)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, mix the green tea powder with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
In a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks and remaining sugar.
Pour the milk into a small pan and gently heat, taking care not to let it boil (ideally the temperature of the milk should be 176 degrees F). Remove the milk from the heat. Mix a few spoonfuls of the warm milk with the green tea powder and sugar in a small bowl. When you have a smooth paste, add it to the remaining milk in the pan. Then gradually combine with the egg yolk mixture.
Return mixture to the stove and heat slowly over low heat (taking care not to let the mixture boil). Test by putting the back of a spoon into the mixture; when the liquid leaves a thick coat on the spoon's surface, it is thick enough. Remove from the heat, and strain it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to remove any lingering larger bits of tea. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
Lightly whip the cream. Add it to the cold green tea-milk mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a large container. Chill it for an hour or two in the refrigerator, then move it to the freezer. Watch the mixture in the freezer; as ice crystals begin to form, remove it. Mix it well with a wooden spoon, stirring vigorously to break up the crystals. Return the mixture to the freezer, again until you see crystals beginning to form. Repeat this process of freezing and stirring a few more times until the ice cream is frozen and yet smooth.
Serve (Decorate with a sprig of mint or other garnish of choice).

Guest Comments

Value is based on the importance of something. We think that your vacation is important, too, just as you do! Quite often a guest's comments can reinforce what is working well and help to make improvements. Here is a sampling of recent guest comments:

I have stayed at the Prince Resort twice now and both visits were great! At this point, I think everything has been excellent with the property and the friendly, helpful staff. The standard has been set! Thanks. No complaints! The Prince Resort has become my top choice at Myrtle Beach. The condos are very nice with the modern decor and also very clean. Rates are reasonable and the staff is great! I highly recommend the Prince Resort to friends and family and I cannot wait to visit again!
Email through Prince Resort online comments from Termeer family 06.05.09.

I brought my 82-year-old mother down possibly for the last trip she might make to the beach, and you made it one that she will remember. When we came back in from dinner on Friday night and she stood there at the window as I pulled back the curtains, she saw the night lights from high up, [and] she almost cried. See you soon, a couple more times this year.
Email received through the Prince Resort Online Comments, Allen Family, 05.06.09.

My family and I stayed with you the night of 5/19 on a return trip from Charleston, SC. You have a beautiful well run facility with a friendly staff and will be my number one choice to stay at for future visits.
Email to Prince Resort from the George Family, 05.26.09.

We have booked our 3rd year, 2007, 2008, 2009. It is just everything you could want from fishing to sunning to gourmet, to ice cream shop. Did I mention I am handicapped, and I ride my scooter from the car to the room to the end of the pier with no problem. Sure beats my walker! I love the place. We get a 3 BR, 3BA 3 TVs, and we really enjoy for a few days. Try it!
Email from newsletter response from the Griffin Family, 05.26.09.

We stayed at the resort at the Cherry Grove Pier in NMB a couple of years ago. We enjoyed the condo very much. There was ample space for my teen twin daughters, friend, and her son, and my husband, 1-year-old son, and myself. With 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, it was a perfect setting for our group�.lovely and economical. I think the newsletter is a great way to make guests feel like family. Good Job.
Email from newsletter response from the Walker Family, 05.26.09.

Will never stay at any other hotel in Myrtle Beach area again except for Prince Resort. Its either a regular hotel or its the Prince Resort!!! Wonderful place
Email received through the Prince Resort Online Comments, Baker Family, 05.27.09

We would like to thank you all for helping to make our wedding day so special. Your genuine courtesy did not go unnoticed. We will recommend your facility to anyone, and we definitely will be back for a visit.
Email to Prince Resort from the Jackson Family, 05.16.09.

Fun Facts

Pearls dissolve in vinegar. Please do not try this with your family heirlooms.

Velcro was inspired by the burrs (seeds) of burdock that kept sticking to the inventor, George de Mestral's clothes and his dog's fur. He established the patent in 1955, and it expired in 1978. While he held the patent, he sold around 60 million yards of the stuff. Much more sells now.

One gallon of water is equal to 3.785 liters of water. It takes 2,072 gallons of water to make four new tires.

The first United States water plant with filters was built in 1872 in Poughkeepsie, New York. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974 represents the first time that public drinking water supplies were protected on a federal (national) level in the United States. Amendments were made to the SDWA in 1986 and 1996.

Although most of us can live without food for more than a month, the average human can only live without water for approximately one week.

Beach balls were invented in California around 1938 and usually credited to Jonathan DeLonge.

To peel tomatoes and carrots easier, put them into boiling water for a few seconds. Then, remove them and use your hands to peel tomatoes and a kitchen rag to peel the carrots.

When roasting a chicken, spread lemon juice evenly over the entire bird before putting it into the oven. This technique will enhance its final color to a rich, golden brown.

To preserve lettuce in the refrigerator more effectively, either use your hands to tear the lettuce into parts or use a plastic knife instead of an ordinary metal knife as you cut it. Metal tends to speed up the browning of lettuce edges.

To preserve tea, store the bags and loose leaves in a dry place, out of the daylight, and in a hermetically-sealed container.

To prevent apple and banana slices from browning, brush the slices with lemon juice.

Experiencing an exhilarating vacation at the beach is that much more meaningful with people you know, people who will be able to share all of those beach tales with you back home. For your next family reunion, church retreat, or anniversary celebration, consider holding the gathering here at Prince. Everyone has a chance to participate in his favorite activities! Here are some of the groups who visited Prince recently:

Huggins Harris Rehearsal Dinner
Cheer Extreme
North Carolina Dump Truck Association
Gwinner Downing Wedding Reception
Bone Fish Grill
Ruffin Family Reunion
Borry Lukasiewicz Wedding & Reception

To look online reservations for your group, go to our web site and click on "check availability," then click on "group reservation."

Currently underway until 8/30. Jack Thompson: The Wonder Years: Myrtle Beach Photographs from the '50s and '60s. Burroughs-Chapin Art Museum, 3100 South Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach.

Currently underway until 10/31. Grand Strand Fishing Rodeo. For information, 800.356.3016.

Currently underway until 8/19/09. Fireworks over the ocean. Occurring every Wednesday night, 9:30 pm to 10 pm, Second Avenue Pier or Plyler Park downtown. Information at 843.997.6695.

Currently underway, the Sounds of Summer Concert at McLean Park. Occurring now until 9/18/09, every 3rd Friday of the month at 7 pm, this free concert is located in McLean Park, North Myrtle Beach. For information, 843.280.5570.

Currently underway until the end of August, Songs of Hannah Montana at Broadway at the Beach. Occurring every Monday until the end of August, this 8 pm performance is located at Heroes Harbor. Gabbie Rae will sing as "Hannah Montana" and also performing other pop Disney tunes. For more information http://broadwayatthebeach.com.

7/4. 26th Annual July 4th Boat Parade at High Tide. Watch decorated boats cruise down the creek for the Murrells Inlet Fourth of July parade. Fireworks at 10 pm off the Inlet waters. Information at 843.651.5675 or 843.357.2007.

7/14-19. Junior SOS in North Myrtle Beach. Participating SOS lounges are Boulevard Grill, Ducks, Fat Harold's, and the OD Arcade. For more information contact: www.juniorshaggers.com.

7/16 - 18. National Father and Son Team Golf Classic. The largest father and son golf tournament in the world. For more information, 866.497.2627 or visit www.fathersongolf.com.

7/23. Rise Against at the House of Blues with special guests Rancid and Billy Talent. Reservations and information at 843.272.3000.

7/24-25. Fabulous 50's Festival. Relive American Bandstand with Elvis, Buddy Holly, the Crew Cuts. For more information, 843.349.7122.

The full list of Grand Strand events is available at our web site at 2009 Calendar. For your convenience, here is a quick link to check accommodations availability.