I do know where the Hooters is...

Everyone to their own 'druthers ... I worked with a lady who had been to Oahu five years in a row ... to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and never left the resort while she was there, I swear! :-d

I've done my share of dance and cheerleading travel. Want atmosphere? Try sitting downwind of the porta-potties at the county fair in 100 degree weather. Take heart, your daughter will perform in 4 hours, right after the Hawaiian dancers swinging their poi balls. (Don't ask)

Or you can go to a fancy hotel in Vegas. The only bonus with Vegas is you don't have to sit in the heat listening to small girls with fixed Gloria Vanderbilt grimace-smiles belt out New York New York. The venues for these competitions all have a certain cheese ball glitz. Face it, missypie, you are in for one memorable weekend.

My advice is to practice saying "no". As in "No, I do not think it would be fun to eat an overpriced dinner with my hands while medieval knights on horse back perform choreographed jousting to a deafening sound track." or "No, I don't want to have my face painted, wear matching t-shirts and have a sleepover with the other mothers." And " No, I don't think the queen bee mean girl(and her mother) will ever change". "No. I don't think the 6 year olds look cute in their Pussy Cat Doll outfits." "No. I don't think my daughter will look back and say this was the best time of her life."

Myrtle Beach, Schmertle Beach, Turtle Beach. It doesn't matter. You will probably spend most of the weekend eating tepid corndogs at the Convention Center and never see the beach at all. Have fun.

Ah, but a tepid corn dog would be a step up from last year's concession stand food!

Myrtle Beach is nice. We went there this past summer 07. We loved it. Lots of things to do. Its a nice east coast getaway. The only bad thing I can say was everything is spreaded out. If you decide to go here without your own car rent a car. Taxis service is great but very expensive if you use it alot. There bus system is horrible. But other than that it is a lot of fun there. We loved it.

OH, there is NO doubt about it.You must have a car in MB.

Hope I don't reopen old wounds, but the trip is coming up soon and I'm actually getting excited. We're staying in Paradise Towers at the Breakers....close to the convention center and lots of families are staying there. Looks like some decent restaurants are nearby.

We have an early morning flight to Charleston. We are eating lunch at Magnolias and will walk around the town a bit (assuming the humidity doesn't wilt us too fast on July 1st at noon!!!). Then we'll drive to MB, stopping at Walmart before the Breakers. We'll have the next morning and early afternoon off, dance in the evening and most of the next day, then have 4th of July off (and the 5th, too if we don't do well at the competition.) I've made note of things to do and see. We are excited about the trip. The only thing that concerns me is long waits at the popular, close-by restaurants. We'll buy food for breakfast in the room. Wish us luck!!!

Good luck missypie!

Hope you have as good a time as possible given your schedule. And with any luck, you may catch a break on how crowded it is. Although there will definitely be a lot of people here, I can tell you that it is not nearly as crowded as this time last summer. I think gas prices, the economy, etc. are taking a toll.

And here's a little gift. If you venture out by car for either lunch or dinner, the best Italian restaurant in MB (and we're trying to keep it secret - oops) is a five minute drive from you. Ciao is a neat little neighborhood restaurant at about 52nd Avenue North on Kings Hwy (Business 17). From the Breakers just take a right onto Kings Hwy, and you'll see Ciao in a little shopping center on the left (beside Pet Panache). I can't remember if I mentioned Ciao in your other post.

Muchas gracias!!!

missypie, I'm in the area right now(well north of where you will be staying), and let me tell you it has been hot hot hot!!!!!!!

I have heard others(and now beachdweller says the same) talking and saying that the crowds are lower than usual. Seems like big crowds to me...but,, we usually come in the spring, fall and winter and skip the summer. Lots of people on the beach and driving stupid on the roads! I did go to Barefoot Landing for a bit today and it did not seem very crowded.

Have fun.

Hope those girls hair hold up in this heat!

The Gay Dolphin :)

The 4th of July week will be busy. Try to dine as early or as late as possible to avoid waits. Also, it's easier to get into the nicer, more upscale restaurants. Forget places like Margaritaville unless you enjoy waiting 2-3 hours to eat.

I followed your thread when you first posted it. You know the girls will have a wonderful time, particularly if their parents are not complaining about MB. It is a fun place for families; just don't expect a quiet, 5* resort in the Carribean. I do understand the issues involved with traveling with your child's dance company/team. We're going with our sons' soccer team to England this summer. While it sounds like a great opportunity, there are aspects I'm dreading.

Good luck to the girls. I know quite a few families going to MB that week for a baseball tournament. So, if the girls are looking for boys.... :)