Myrtle Beach Day 3: Freestyle Music Park and Hibiscus Spa

My third day in Myrtle Beach began with a visit to Freestyle Music Park (843-236-7625). It's a brand new, music-themed amusement park that offers a wide range of coasters and thrill rides, plus kid-friendly rides, a handful of attractions, and several entertaining shows presented throughout the day and evening.

As one of Myrtle Beach's newest attractions, Freestyle Music Park is offering excellent deals on admission tickets and dining options, making this attraction particularly affordable to families on a budget.

During its first full summer season (going on now through September 2009), Freestyle Music Park, offers at least one full day and night's worth of fun and entertainment - all packed into a 50-acre amusement park. In time for Summer 2010, the park will undergo additional expansion, and will offer an even broader selection of rides, shows and attractions.

Freestyle Music Park offers something for everyone. There are several hardcore thrill rides and coasters suitable for teens and adults, but also plenty of rides and shows that younger kids will enjoy. In fact, for kids, there's a whole section of the park, called "Kids In America," which includes over a dozens rides and attractions, plus the up-beat "Flip 5 Live!" music, singing and dancing show.

Teens and adults will find more thrill-oriented rides and attractions within the park's other areas, which include "VIP Plaza," "Country USA," "Across The Pond" and "Myrtle's Beach." During the peak summer months, the park is open daily, from 11:00am until 10:00pm. A flat fee admission ticket offers unlimited rides and admission to the shows and attractions. Food is extra, but very affordable.

Apple iPhone users should be sure to download the free, interactive Freestyle Music Park application from the App Store. This application offers an interactive map of the park, plus information about each ride, show and attraction, show schedules, and other tools for planning and experiencing the best possible day/evening at the park.

If you'll be visiting Myrtle Beach for a week or more and want to spend several days at the park, consider buying annual passes, priced at $64.95 (adults) and $39.95 (kids) each. However, for one day admission, two people can enter the park before 4pm for just $19.99. After 4pm, the single day ticket price is $19.99 per person. This special promo rate is only valid during the 2009 summer season. Visit the park's website for details, to purchase admission tickets online, or to learn about other special promotions and events happening at the park - www.freestylemusicpark.com.

Every evening after dark, be sure to catch the "Kiss the Sky" fireworks show. It's a 7.5-minute pyrotechnic presentation that's very impressive. During the day and evening, guys (ages 6 to 18) will enjoy the "Adrenaline Rush" show. It features a live showcase of extreme sports. Kids will love the up-beat "Flip 5 Live!" show. Adults will appreciate the "CSI: Live" show (based on the TV series), as well as "Ice Cold Country" ice skating/music show.

When visiting any outdoor attraction or theme park, be sure to bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Wear comfortable shoes (there's plenty of walking involved), and drink plenty of water, especially on hot and sunny days when the Myrtle Beach heat is intense.

Considering 2009 marks Freestyle Music Park's debut season, the park is very impressive and offers an excellent value. It's well worth visiting if you're in the Myrtle Beach area.

Check out these photos from my visit to the park...

All photos (c)2009 by Jason R. Rich. All rights reserved.

Need to Relax?

Visit Hibiscus Spa at the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

After really enjoying my visit to Freestyle Music Park, I returned to my hotel (The Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes), and experienced an absolutely incredible 80-minute signature Hibiscus massage, followed by a "Gentleman's Facial." Talk about getting pampered! The spa visit was amazing! I am so relaxed, I can barely type right now.

The Hibiscus Spa (843-449-8880), which is located within the resort, is a full-service and lavish day spa. It offers a vast menu of massages, facials, body treatments, nail treatments, waxing and other treatments, along with the amenities and extras you'd expect from an upscale spa (including comfortable and clean locker rooms, steam rooms, saunas, etc.).

In addition to specialized treatments for adult men and women, The Hibiscus Spa also offers specialized massages, facials, body treatments and make-up lessons for teens, plus lavish spa packages for adults. The service here is top-notch and extremely professional, which makes it that much easier to indulge, let go, relax and allow yourself to be pampered.

What I liked best and appreciated the most about my treatment at this spa was that the therapists paid careful attention to my specific needs. While most massage therapists will go through their pre-choreographed 60, 90 or 120 minute massage routine, and they won't deviate from it, my massage therapist at The Hibiscus Spa discovered exactly where I held my stress (my lower back and between my shoulders), and then spent time focusing in on those specific areas in order to relieve the tension that those specific areas held using a variety of different massage techniques. Without being told, he found my most stress filled areas and catered to them, which demonstrates her skill and training as a massage therapist, plus her dedication to each client,

Whether you're staying at the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes or not, if you're looking for an awesome spa experience that's well worth the fees charged, I highly recommend visiting The Hibiscus Spa. It's conveniently located at 8400 Costa Verde Drive in Myrtle Beach.

The Carolina Opry: More from Myrtle Beach

It's been a very busy and fun-filled few days. I've been running around trying to see and experience as much as possible during my trip to Myrtle Beach.

Despite my best efforts, there's no way I'm going to be able to see everything. There's just so much to do here in terms of attractions, shows, spas, shopping and dining opportunities. Plus, there's golf, beaches and all sorts of other land and water-based activities which are suitable for people of all ages.

Today, I had the pleasure of experiencing an incredible spa treatment at the new Cinzia Spa at North Beach Plantation in North Myrtle Beach. This is much more than a traditional day spa. It also serves as a destination spa (for people who want to spend several days or a full week here). The spa offers traditional and extremely exotic treatments that you won't find elsewhere. In addition, the spa has teamed up with top doctors and specialists to offer an array of medical treatments, in addition to the regular spa offerings (massages, facials, body wraps, manicures, etc.).

At the spa, I enjoyed the signature "Fijian Ritual," which offers two full hours of relaxation and pampering. The Cinzia Spa is new (having opened in March 2009), but the 17,000-square-foot facility has already developed an incredible reputation for helping its guests achieve health, fitness and overall well-being.

As for local entertainment, since I arrived here in Myrtle Beach, I've been seeing all sorts of ads and billboards for the many shows offered here. Variety shows, Las Vegas-style shows, comedy, magic and interactive dinner shows are among the many offerings which will appeal to people of all ages.

Tonight, I attended The Carolina Opry (800-843-6779), one of the most famous and popular shows here in Myrtle Beach. Having seen so many "variety shows" all over the country, I've become cynical and really didn't have high expectations for tonight's show. I figured it would include bad lip-syncing musical acts, unfunny comedians, and not-too-impressive dancing. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong! In a word, this show was amazing!

The Carolina Opry was one of the most entertaining, fast-paced, upbeat, impressive and fun shows I've seen in a long time. The entire cast of singers, dancers, entertainers, musicians and comedians are extremely talented and entertaining. This show is suitable for the entire family and features different genres of music from the past and present, plus funny comedy skits and energetic and perfectly synchronized dance performances by All That! (from NBC-TV's America's Got Talent).

Unlike many shows in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Orlando and other tourist areas, this one features all live music and vocal performances. There's no lip-syncing whatsoever. Thus, it's easy to see just how talented the cast members are.

I really enjoyed the performance and strongly recommend it to anyone and everyone who visits the Myrtle Beach area.

In October 2009, The Carolina Opry presented its 6,560th performance. While the show has been around for more than 23 years, it's constantly updated to keep it timely. So, even if you've seen the show in years past, it's well worth seeing again, because the musical numbers and acts change annually.

In addition to the talented cast, the 2,200-seat theatre is impressive onto itself, offering a state-of-the-art sound and light system, impressive sets, and comfortable seating - all of which contribute to the overall quality of the show itself.

During the summer and holiday seasons, you'll want to book tickets in advance, since performances sell out. Even with tickets, you'll want to arrive at least 20 minutes early for the pre-show.

During the Christmas season, The Carolina Opry features a special holiday show that's also been extremely popular for more than 23 years in the Myrtle Beach area.

If you're looking for a fun, uplifting and highly entertaining way to spend an evening in Myrtle Beach, reserve tickets for The Carolina Opry! You won't be disappointed. Adult ticket prices range from $34.95 to $49.95. To order tickets online, click here.

Exploring Myrtle Beach: A Wonderful Family-Oriented Vacation Destination (and a Great Place to Play Golf)

I'm spending a few days exploring Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This is my first time visiting this extremely popular, family-friendly vacation destination. From what I've experienced so far, Myrtle Beach offers a ton of fun, unique and exciting activities, culture and shopping for people of all ages. Plus, there are hotels, resorts and timeshare properties that are available at all price points.

Myrtle Beach is best known as a golfing and beach vacation destination, which it certainly is. But, there's so much more to see and do here.

I'm staying at Marriott's Myrtle Beach Resort & Spa At Grande Dunes (843-449-8880), which is a lovely, high-rise hotel/resort, located right on the ocean. The rooms are spacious and extremely comfortable, plus the property has plenty of amenities, including beachfront access, several pools, tennis courts, a day spa, and multiple restaurants. The resort hotel is located adjacent to a luxurious Marriott Vacation Club timeshare property.

During my first day in Myrtle Beach, I visited Broadway at the Beach - a unique dining, shopping and attraction area that offers at least one or two full days worth of things to see and do. For example, you can spend several hours visiting Ripley's Aquarium (an 87,000-square-foot indoor aquarium). It offers many impressive exhibits. The aquarium's phone number is (843) 448-2331.

The Broadway at the Beach area also features an IMAX Theatre which shows a selection of 3D IMAX movies. You'll also find a traditional movie theatre here, a handful of restaurants (including a Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood), Dragons Lair Mini Golf, and many one-of-a-king shops.

For kids, teens and adults alike, one of the coolest and most impressive attractions at Broadway at the Beach is MagiQuest (843-916-1800). This is a massive, fully-interactive experience which is a cross between a video game and a role-playing adventure filled with quests, challenges and puzzles to solve.

Every MagiQuest participant is given a magic wand (which really works). Casting the wand allows players to interact with their surroundings. Kids will like the "Harry Potter"-like experience, while teens and adults will be challenged and entertained by the more advanced quests.

Each visit to MagiQuest can be a 60, 90 or 120 minute experience. All of your progress is automatically tracked (via your magic wand), so your collected gold, experience points and progress is saved after each visit. Anyone who enjoys RPG video games or the "Harry Potter" books/movies will really enjoy MagiQuest. It's a very impressive and fun attraction that's well worth the price of admission. Each visit and each quest will be totally different, especially if you spend a little extra money and time to fully customize your wand.

MagiQuest is definitely one of the more fun, unique and addicting family-friendly attractions I've experienced in a long time. There really is no other attraction anywhere that offers a similar interactive and immersive experience. (Several MagiQuest locations are now open around the world, however, the location in Myrtle Beach was the first.)

If you're more interested in experiencing traditional museums, galleries and theatre, for example, Myrtle Beach offers all of this and much more, plus just about everything here is very affordable (including the flights to get here). For example, Spirit Airlines offers direct flights from several popular East Coast cities that are convenient and affordable. Plus, driving to Myrtle Beach is easy from many cities.

June, July and August are the most popular months to visit Myrtle Beach (since it is a beach-oriented area), however, the weather is very pleasant here throughout the year.

Check out photos from my visit to Myrtle Beach below. For more information about this awesome destination (which is ideal for families, as well as golfers, spa goers and shoppers, for example), visit the official Myrtle Beach Conventions and Visitors Bureau's website at www.visitmyrtlebeach.com.