We kind of knew that Porter Airlines would be eyeing new routes, but we expected that they’d be looking somewhere in the northern part of the US or elsewhere in Canada. Well we were wrong and the airline is looking to head south in search of warmer weather and Waffle House. Their shortlist for new routes now includes Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, among other destinations in the US.

Apparently there hasn’t been an official decision or announcement, but according to the head honcho at Porter, Robert Deluce, his company is in “serious discussions” with some places in the US. Besides the tourist traps of Myrtle Beach, the little airline that could also has its eyes on Washington, DC and Philadelphia. It looks like they want to expand before Air Canada Jazz restarts service on their home turf. ]]> kjb 2009-11-03T09:40:04-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/26/132855/853

This week we were treated to the riveting story of South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, who used state funds to meet his lady-love journalist in Buenos Aires. Sanford told his staff he was on a much more modest jaunt to the Appalachian Trail, which indicates that maybe he had a shred of shame about the whole business, but in the end, he said, "Well, it's not like I have any presidential ambitions, right?" Last year's luv guv Eliot Spitzer opted for the more budget-friendly train tickets and D.C. hotel accommodations, but those were different times.

Sanford's not the only one who feels the world has turned around enough to allow for gleeful spoiling at taxpayer expense: The Detroit Free Press reported that the trustees of the city pension fund spent $380,000 on travel last year, and then tried to cover it up when the paper sued for records. With 21 trustees, that's an average of $18,095 per person, although one trustee, Ronald Gracia, spent $105,000 of it alone, including an $18,600 trip to Hong Kong. ]]> egw 2009-06-26T15:36:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/23/10481/5331

We knew Myrtle Beach would be hot this season but we never anticipated this. A dangerous coastal wildfire ripped through North Myrtle Beach early Thursday, destroying dozens of homes and forcing thousands to evacuate from this beach community.

The blaze jumped the busy six-lane Coastal Bays Parkway on Wednesday, stopping not far from the Intracoastal Waterway. Firefighters were expecting the waterway to act as a natural firebreak, protecting the larger city of Myrtle Beach.

A gray-white smoke had engulfed restaurant row between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach on Wednesday evening. It looked like a winter fog, with car headlights and neon signs peeking through the haze.

Fortunately no one has been injured yet although the fires are predicted to get worse as the day goes on.

Also in danger are the area's numerous golf courses which are a heavy draw for tourists. And in a freaky "Final Destination" sort of twist, a group of six golfing buddies who were aboard the US Airways Flight 1549 plane when it crash-landed into the Hudson River in January were headed to Myrtle Beach this week for their annual trip. ]]> juliana 2009-04-23T11:19:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/13/63650/3622

Just when we thought we’d figured out some cool things to do in Myrtle Beach, we get one more item to add to the list. The saga that has been the life of the Hard Rock Park continues, as the park as we knew it is no more. Thanks to a team of marketing geniuses, the park will return with a new name: Freestyle Music Park. Although the name hardly rolls off the tongue, the newish park is looking to get things rockin’ again by Memorial Day. ]]> kjb 2009-04-13T15:21:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/9/6577/37181

We've never totally understood exactly what makes Myrtle Beach so appealing. We’ve visited relatives there before, but never thought of making it our vacation destination as it always seemed a little cheesy, with a hint of spring break debauchery. And while we love the beach, we don’t need to spend time at the NASCAR Sports Grille—did they really need the extra “e” on the end considering the clientele? (Update: The Grille has closed.)

With so many other great (and classier) beach locations south of the Mason-Dixon line, like Hilton Head Island or the Outer Banks, is there something that Myrtle Beach has to offer that we’re missing? Apparently it's very popular. So we decided to take a look. After all, in this economy not everyone can afford to traipse around St. Barts. Here are five cool, not cheesy, things to do in Myrtle Beach.]]> kjb 2009-04-09T12:56:43-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/4/74735/61489

Allegiant Air is keeping us busy with all their new route announcements. With their low cost model to vacation hotspots, it’s almost like they didn’t get the memo that the economic sky is falling. That’s fine with us, since we are more than ready to get out of here and take a quick break to somewhere warm. We don’t want to bore your with numbers, but they also just announced that their traffic was up almost ten percent when compared to February 2008.

Myrtle Beach is the airline’s newest destination, but to start, they’ll only be taking passengers from Tri-State Airport in West Virginia. The promotional rates will start at $39 each way, and they are offering service twice a week starting on April 30.]]> kjb 2009-03-04T09:56:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/26/63638/2156

Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach just won’t die, and that’s a good thing, since we’re still kind of bummed out that we missed it last summer. We last reported that the place was filing for bankruptcy, but it’s coming back—slowly but surely. The park recently went up for auction and was snatched up for a cool $25 million. The creditors wanted a little more for the park—like $10 million more—but they were happy to settle for a slightly lower price tag than getting no cash at all.]]> kjb 2009-02-27T11:11:12-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/