Welcome!

On behalf of the entire staff of Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts, we want to take this opportunity to thank our first wave of guests for their visits in November and December as Towers on the Grove gets underway. With each passing day, we have more details in place, thus making this wonderful ocean-front condominium a sought-after location for festivities as well as vacations. To all guests, now and future, we want to announce that we are here, we are completely ready to serve you, and we have fabulous amenities to offer!

A special "thank you" to everyone who made our opening a remarkable success. We hope that your Thanksgiving was a joy and that your holidays that follow are memorable!

If you are still considering where to spend Christmas or New Year's, our brand new luxurious condominium by the ocean has much to offer its visitors. To be sure, we look forward to seeing return guests in 2009! The management and staff are busily fine-tuning all the many details of operation at Towers—from replacing all the clothes hangers with a new more reliable ones, to the addition of adding an ATM machine on the property, to and offering our guests a New Year's Eve package (see details in the next article). We want our guests to feel welcome in as many ways as we can handle, and we invite you to come see how we are settling into our place by the sea.

While the year has seen many twists and turns in the economy, Towers on the Grove stands tall above the crowd and sees a positive future in 2009. May the New Year be good to you! Very happy holidays to everyone!

Your friends at Towers on the Grove!

New Year's Package at Towers

Towers is especially pleased to work with its sister property Prince Resort to offer a very special party option for New Year's Eve, a $65/person grand dinner and celebration of the arrival of 2009, plus the price of accommodations!

We invite guests to come and stay with us at Towers on the Grove. Enjoy our fabulous amenities, superb ocean-front location, and marvelous tranquility right in North Myrtle Beach. Then, on New Year's Eve, you are also invited to attend the New Year's Eve celebration being held at Prince Resort, complete with party favors, appetizers, and open cash bar with a fabulous ocean-front dinner provided by 3500 Ocean Grill, live music, and at midnight a champagne toast. Prince is located only a few blocks away at the Cherry Grove Pier. The dinner alone is worth the visit to our shores as our chef has outdone himself this time with exquisite arrays of appetizers, fresh salads and veggies, mouth-watering loins of beef and other meats, scrumptious side dishes, and some of the most delectable desserts (dare we hint at Apple Wellington, Stuffed Pears, and oh, surprises might happen on this magical night)!

Watch the ball-drop at New York's Times Square as you dance the night away, gaze at the open ocean only a few feet away, and send well-wishes to family and friends through the champagne toasts. Who deserves a seaside New Year's Eve get-away more than YOU!

Come to the Beach in Winter? SURE!

How about planning a winter get-away at the beach in winter! So, you say, the beach just isn't Number One on a list of places to visit in January or February?

Why not! After all, why spend all your energy on fighting winter's blasts with its icy roads and frosty fingers? Why spend all your money on costly far-off locations? The answer to where to go for a winter get-away is North Myrtle Beach!

Towers on the Grove provides the ocean front location so important to winter visitors, plus it is located next to a fabulous park and has a perpetual summer-time theme in its color scheme, both inside and out. Additionally, Towers is especially well suited to winter visits because our winter weather can include warm, balmy 70's just as easily as it can the typical sweater temperatures. Beside the various amenities at the resort, our area has many playgrounds for people of all interests - everything from Brookgreen gardens to Broadway at the Beach.

So, go ahead; put on those shorts. Bring your surfboard and dive in! Pull off those shoes and wriggle your toes in sand as you search for shells and hidden treasures. Even in winter this place is paradise!

Towers on the Grove Spotlights Employee Yonaton Martinez

One of our most reliable employees is Yonaton Martinez who has worked for eight months with the company's Housekeeping Department. Currently, his efforts are concentrated primarily at Towers on the Grove, but he also serves two of the company's other sister properties in North Myrtle Beach. He has been selected for this featured article this month because of his valuable customer service skills which have made him an effective and valued member of the team.

A young man with abundant energy and enthusiasm for people, Yonaton's innate sense of detail ensures that customers can depend on him for their well being during their stay at our resort. Loyal and trustworthy, his supervisors can rely on his taking the extra steps to make sure that the guests' rooms are just right before the check-in time arrives.

We want to congratulate Yonaton for demonstrating his understanding of the bigger picture of customer service.

Recipe for Stroke-of-Midnight Pumpkin Bread

This delicious recipe serves 8 people. Preparation time is about an hour.

Note: this recipe deliberately omits eggs, milk, and butter for those on vegetarian diets and still produces very tasty results.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/3 cups, sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup regular, unflavored applesauce
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 and 2/3 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup water
• Dash of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon of cloves (or to taste)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour-dust a bread pan.
  
  
• Beat the sugar, shortening and applesauce until light and fluffy or well mixed. Stir in the pumpkin.
  
  
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
  
  
• Add the batter and water, alternatively.
  
  
• Spoon the mixture into the greased and floured bread pan.
  
  
• Bake until done - timing depends on your oven's heat setting (about 45 minutes to 1 hour, possibly longer). Test with a toothpick.

Fun Facts

Celebrations, myths, and legends of New Year's Eve and Day vary around the world. Here are just a few to enjoy reading:

• New Year's Day is called "First Night." Boston's celebration may be the oldest and largest of this event, but more than 100 cities in the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand have First Night celebrations, according to the First Night International Web site. Boston is expecting about 1 million people to attend their party this year.
• Hair Washing - Legend dictates that one must not wash hair on New Year's Day because doing so washes out good luck for the entire New Year.
• Wear Red on New Year's Day. This bright, happy color ensures a bright, sunny future and fortune for the New Year. Appearance and attitude set the tone for the entire New Year.
• Wearing Shoes with Holes - To wear a shoe with a hole in it on New Year's indicates that financial troubles will stay around all year long.
• New Year's Day Sightings - The first person and the first words experienced on New Year's Day should be positive ones to ensure a full year of positive things.
• More New Year's Day Sightings - It is a lucky sign to see or hear songbirds or red-colored birds or swallows.
• Prayer Requests - Some say that praying at midnight by writing down prayer requests, dedicating the New Year to God, and asking His blessings, then placing the written requests in a fire will release the problems and ensures the blessings.
• Poking a Fire - To poke a neighbor's fire on New Year's is to cause trouble.
• Find a Lump of Coal - Tradition suggests that finding a lump of coal or giving someone else a lump of coal is considered lucky.
• What to Eat and Not Eat on New Year's- An Irish custom, especially in the Mourne Mountains, states that no flesh meat should be eaten on New Years Day to safeguard the family from infections in the in coming year.
• Giving Straw Tokens- Another Irish custom, this one for young people, is to bring "wisps" (small bundles of straw) very early on New Year's Day and hand them to the others in the house, saying, "A penny a wisp and a happy New Year." This brings good luck to the receiver of the wisps.
• Tokens - Children and other unmarried relatives must be given crisp one-dollar bills enclosed in red envelopes to send them luck and good fortune.

Local Events Calendar

1/3-4. Men's Open Basketball at SportsZoneCenter. All games played on Sunday nights. Contact 843-249-4FUN for more information.

1/7. Cardio Tennis at McLean Park Tennis Courts in North Myrtle Beach. From 6 pm to 7 pm, taught by certified tennis professional. Pre-registration at J. Bryan Floyd Community Center or call 843-280-5584 for details.

1/9. Concert at the First Presbyterian Church with Joshua Bell, Violinist, and Jeremy Denk, Pianist. Sponsored by FPC Concerts, this event occurs at 1300 N Kings Highway and lasts from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Mr. Bell is considered the greatest American violinist of our day. More information at 843.448.4496.

1/09-11. 25th Annual Grand Strand Boat Show. Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Dreamers and buyers alike will enjoy seeing the many items, from boating to fishing, including seminars and free give-aways. Admission $7. More information at 843.357.3098.

1/15. Jazzercise. Held at J. Bryan Floyd Community Center From 6 pm to 7 pm. More information from Debbie Transou at 843-249-5828. Classes are for all ages (18+) and fitness levels. Contact instructor or visit website at www.Jazzercise.com.

1/17. Alabama Theatre presents Eddie Miles: A Salute to Elvis. Performance begins at 7 pm. For more information 843.272.1111.

1/17-18. Winyah Bay Heritage Festival. This festival of South Carolina Lowcountry hunting and fishing lifestyle, land conservation, and historical preservation will be staged in Georgetown County at varying sites. For more information see http://www.winyahbayfestival.org.

1/22. A Tribute to Johnny Cash at Brunswick Community College. Location is Williamson Auditorium, 50 College Road NW, Bolivia, NC 28422. Tickets at 910.755.7416 or 800.754.1050, Ext. 416. More details through www.bccowa.com.

1/23-24. 34th Annual Square and Round Dance Convention. This smoke-free event features dance groups, callers, fashion show, line dancing, parade of clubs, singing calls, and so much more. For more information call 843.315.7100.

1/24. Winter Run (5K and 15K) in North Myrtle Beach. Starting at 9 am at Main Street between Ocean and Hillside, this run is the 26th year of the oldest such event in the area. Start and Finish lines at Main Street. The NMB City Recreation Department is sponsoring it. Call 843.280.5555 for more information.

1/24-25. SCGA Tournament of Champions. Golf tournament at Tradition Club on Pawleys Island. Application deadline January 7th. For more information For more information, contact The Tradition Club at 877-599-0888.

1/25. Long Bay Symphony Orchestra presents "Pictures at an Exhibition." Music inspired by visual imagery (Handel, DeBussy). Myrtle Beach High School's Music and Arts Center, 4pm to 6 pm. For more information call 843.448.8379.

1/29-31. The Carolina Opry. The regular show resumes after the holidays. Performances at 8 pm. For more information, call 800.843.6779.

1/30. Parents' Night Out at The Kid Center - Hourly Drop-Off Child Care. Each Friday from 6pm-Midnight, The Kid Center hosts Parents Night Out for children ages 1-12. Children enjoy a Pizza Party, games, and the latest "G" movie release. Parents enjoy a break! Reservations recommended, but not required.

1/31. 6th Annual Surfside Rotary Road Race. Held 10 am to 1 pm at the Surfside Pier. For more information 843.492.6505 or www.surfsiderotary.org.

We love hearing from our guests. Here are just a few of the emails we have received:

My husband and I stayed at the Towers during the week of 11/11/08-11/15/08. Words cannot express how wonderful things were. Even the weather was beautiful 70 plus degrees. The oceanview was breathtaking even from the 18th floor. We walked the beach, we toured your facilities. Everything was so very well planned and put together. The condos seem to be equipped w/everything you could think of at home. The washer/dryer was a welcomed feature. We even got a chance to see one of the 3 bedroom condos. Ours was a two-bedroom (upgrade!) The decorum was warm and inviting. It just made you feel at home. The tv's were crystal clear. The only thing was that the bedroom screens seemed to cut off portion of whatever you were looking at. (ex. I was looking at the nbc shopping network, and they kept saying to call in, but I could not find a number. So I went into the livingroom and the screen there had the full screen view so I was able to get a number.) My only regret was that the jacuzzi was not ready yet. One of the friendly staff accommodated us by inviting us to your sister condo The Avista. Our vacation at Towers on the Grove was everything and more than I could ask for. Thanks for making our stay a memorable one. I can't stop talking about it. P.S. Could you add a few more pictures to your brochures, and if you do can you send us one. It would be appreciated. Thanks!
Email from L Robinson Davis, November 30, 2008

This was a brand new condo/hotel that had just opened. We walked in to see if the place was open and were wonderfully surprised to find it was. The front desk clerk was very friendly and greeted us with a smile. They quickly found a room for us and I was shocked at the great rate. They were having grand opening, so we got a special rate. The decor was so nice and the hallways had all these photographs from the 50s and 60s. Our room was beautiful and smelled very clean. The pools were not open, but the front desk let us know this in advance and offered the pools of two other properties which they owned, close by. I thought that was a nice touch. We had a wonderful time, and plan on coming back in February. This is the sort of place Cherry Grove needed. Upscale, but not pretentious. The view of the ocean is like a post card. Thank you to everyone who made our stay a most memorable one. We will not forget the great service and great price.

From email to TripAdvisor.com from "RipleySC" in Myrtle Beach, SC, November 14, 2008

I was going to book a room at the same place we stayed the first time we visited Myrtle Beach until I came across information regarding this BRAND NEW Resort! We were literally the first persons to occupy the room at Towers on the Grove on the northern part of Myrtle Beach. Despite the fact that we arrived the second day the hotel opened, everything was completed and functional!! If I tell you how much lower the price was for this brand new resort compared to some others, you won't believe me! We were floored at the amenities - state-of-the-art appliances INCLUDING a washer-dryer, two LARGE flat-panel televisions, a separate living room area, bedroom and a private balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We loved this place so much that we didn't want to leave!!! We forfeited our return trip plane tickets and decided to rent a car to drive back to New York so we could stay longer and we have Jasmine to thank for allowing us to extend our stay at Towers on the Grove !!! This place is fantastic and we're already trying to figure out when we will return! I also want to thank Assistant General Manager Martin and Steven who also manned the front desk for all of their help. If you want a quality stay on a quiet part of the Grand Strand, this is the place to go! Liked the quiet part of North Myrtle Beach, absolutely new amenities, oceanfront balcony, great front desk staff.
Email to TripAdvisor.com from "Draylem608" from New York City, NY. November 11, 2008.