It’s New Year’s Eve and Sloane Vacations would like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe New Year 2012! If you’re in our Sunset Beach house on the beach this time of year you’ll have the seat to see all the local fireworks action. Watch the explosive fireworks up and down the coast.

You just might find when you stay in a Sunset Beach house on the beach that you’ll have family and friends you didn’t know you had showing up to celebrate with you!

There’s plenty more activities taking place in the Grand Strand area further south. If you head out early on New Year’s Eve day you can have some fun with the kids. The Children’s Museum of South Carolina is throwing a “Noon Year’s Eve” party on December 31st from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. A special admission price of $5 per person is available until noon that day. Kids can make noise makers, party hats and explore the museum. At noon there will be an exciting Balloon Drop! If the party scene isn’t for you and your family, then have fun exploring with your kids while welcoming in the New Year.

Ring in the New Year at Margaritaville! This Myrtle Beach hot spot will offer a New Year’s Eve party starting at 9 p.m. with live music from the Necessary Band. Complimentary party favors will be passed around along with a Margarita Toast at midnight. There will be a $10 cover charge for guests 12 and up. Children are welcome. Margaritaville, 1114 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach, 843-448-5455.

Ring in the New Year while you laugh til you cry at Comedy Cabana’s New Year’s Eve Extravaganza! Mitchell Walters, seen on Showtime, A&E, Comedy Central, NBC and more will perform alongside Cooter Douglas and Greg Lausch. Tickets for a 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. show are available and include party favors, a balloon drop, a gift certificate for a future show, reserved seating and an autographed photo of the comedian. The 10 p.m. show includes a champagne toast. Reservations are strongly recommended. Comedy Cabana, 9588 N. Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, 843-449-4242.
 

This is an awesome time to be renting an Ocean Isle Beach luxury beach house whether visiting family or relaxing during your own vacation. With the excitement of the holidays filling the air and the beautiful weather this time of year, Ocean Isle Beach is a lovely place to spend your holidays.

If you’ve waited until now to take your vacation, come stay at our Ocean Isle Beach luxury beach house where you can enjoy the holiday festivities taking place in the surrounding area.

When it comes time to celebrate the ending of an old year and the arrival of a new one, your Ocean Isle Beach luxury beach house offers a front row seat to the fireworks display taking place on the beachfront, or check out some of the following activities taking place in nearby Myrtle Beach.

Broadway at the Beach is known for its fabulous parties, so why would New Year’s Eve be any different? Join Celebrity Square for a night full of confetti cannons, champagne and club hopping. Party the night away with live DJs and bands and catch a special fireworks show at 8:00 p.m. $30 gets you into eight different clubs, plus a DJ will be on the square all night with the hottest songs of the year. There will also be a simultaneous broadcast with Times Square and Balloon Drops! Clubs are open to ages 21 and up.

Celebrate the New Year with LandShark Bar & Grill on the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk. The New Year’s Eve package starts at 9 p.m. and includes unlimited SkyWheel rides, party favors, island inspired music, appetizer buffet, passed desserts and more. Don’t miss the simultaneous broadcast with Times Square and a balloon drop at midnight. Margarita shooters will be available to adults at midnight and those under 21 will be offered a non-alcoholic beverage. Tickets are $39 per person or $75 per couple. Diamond Cab has teamed up with The Yahnis Company, Better Brands and Weekly Surge to offer free cab rides home for guests in need of a safe ride home.
 

All of us at Sloane Vacations would like to wish you and your family a blessed and very Merry Christmas this year. May the joy of the season be with you, your family, and your friends. Whether you spend it with others or on your own, remember that the holiday lasts for only a very short time each year so savor all of it.

If you need accommodations during the holidays contact us about our Ocean Isle Beach condo rental. We have many that are sure to fit your needs. You’ll be in comfortable surroundings with all the amenities you need to make your holiday complete. In our Ocean Isle Beach condo rental you’ll have everything to help you celebrate the holiday including a fully equipped kitchen suitable for making that holiday meal.

The Palace Theatre's Christmas on Ice is taking place now through December 31, 2011. From the Creators of the International smash hit show, Spirit of the Dance, comes this new and exciting show featuring championship ice skaters, the best high-kicking dancers this side of New York and all your favorite Christmas songs sung by the best of Broadway and London’s West End in this two-hour holiday extravaganza.

The South's Grandest Christmas Show at Alabama Theatre taking place now thru December 31, 2011. The South’s Grandest Christmas Show will instill the true meaning of Christmas in your family with its combination of traditional Christmas classics and contemporary holiday favorites.

With every vacation comes a large number of priceless memories and photographs. There’s an easy way to save all those digital pictures in an easy-to-view format that we’ll tell you about. If you’ve never made a digital album before you’re in for a treat. The holidays are a great time of year to capture digital photos and the album will be something you can share with family and friends.

This year, besides finding you an exceptional condo rental in Sunset Beach NC, we’ll tell you how to make your own digital photo album of your holiday vacation.

A digital holiday album is full of unique and highly personal holiday photos taken by you and your family. The result is a wonderful collection of pictures presented as a top quality album in a style that you choose. Digital images are the clearest, highest resolution pictures you can take and having them printed into an album is a beautiful way to keep the memories alive forever.

Never underestimate the variety and spontaneity of photographs taken by your family, especially kids. Imagine the joy of looking through photos contributed by your children, and getting to see the holiday through their eyes. Kids often capture moments that are missed by the grown ups, and using a collection of photographs from several different sources will make for a delightful holiday album.

Be sure to take pictures of your trip from leaving home to your arrival at your condo rental in Sunset Beach NC. Photograph your time on the beach and everywhere you go. Remember, you’re capturing memories! Bring your cameras everywhere you go and keep taking pictures right up to the time you leave your condo rental in Sunset Beach NC.

You’ll find design services online where you sign up to have an album made for you. You’ll create your album by uploading the best images of your vacation. It’s a simple process with outstanding results! Once you are done designing your album you then publish it making it ready for purchase by you, your family and your friends. Have fun!

Once you decide that you want to rent a beach house for your stay on your coastal North Carolina vacation instead of a hotel, what should you consider when choosing one? Here are some tips that will help you when you’re deciding among North Carolina beach house rentals.

1. Determine what your price range is.

It's important to know your budget and have a price range in mind when looking for a vacation rental.

2. Choose the right size rental.

With so many North Carolina beach house rentals to choose from, it's important to know what size you want. So figure out how much space you need before you start looking.

3. Decide on that perfect location.

All of our North Carolina beach house rentals are near the ocean. Do you want to be able to walk to restaurants? Would you rather have a golf course within walking distance? Is it important to be oceanfront?

4. Choose the amenities you most want.

North Carolina beach house rentals offer a variety of amenities that include furnishings, fully equipped kitchens, washer/dryer, private pools, barbecue grills, broadband Internet, outside showers, hot tubs and Jacuzzis.

5. Check out the pictures and read testimonials.

Be sure to look at pictures of the properties you are considering and read what other people have said about their past stays.
 

If you are the type of person who likes to spend time in peace, collecting seashells and feeling a light ocean breeze, then Sunset Beach, NC is the perfect place. It is quiet and calm, clean, wide but not too large, with pristine sand dunes providing refuge for native wildlife, such as wood storks and loggerhead sea turtles. From our Sunset Beach rentals you’ll be able to enjoy the sunset as well as the sunrise since the beach runs east to west. It is perfect for spending leisurely time and enjoying the company of friends at a Sunset Beach bar as day gives way to night.

This mid-island home, called Sandcastle, is a fully furnished pet friendly home. It sleeps eight with Q, D/S, 2S and a sleeper and has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. There were interior upgrades done in 2010. This home is conveniently located within walking distance to the pier and ships and has easy beach access. Amenities include new HDTV, 2CCTVs, dishwasher, microwave, washer/dryer, CH&A, ceiling fans throughout, screen porches and a roof deck. High speed Internet access, telephone, fireplace and outside shower rounds out this non-smoking home that shouldn’t be missed. There is a $100 non-refundable pet fee.

We have many other Sunset Beach rentals just like this home that we’d be happy to show you. At Sloane Realty we take pride in being the leader of real estate in the South Brunswick Islands for the past 50 years.
 

There are lots of places to stay when you come to Ocean Isle, NC, and you can be assured that Ocean Isle Beach NC rentals will provide privacy and a whole lot more space than a hotel room ever would. You won't be sharing walls with noisy party-types renting the next room or listening to a crying baby half the night.
 
When you stay in Ocean Isle Beach NC rentals you get large living and dining rooms, often times an outdoor pool, fenced yard and some are even pet-friendly! Things you just won't find in a hotel. You can request a non-smoking rental and know it is exactly what you're going to get. In fact, everything you expect to have will be exactly what you get — that's just how Sloane Realty Vacations does business. We put the perfect in "A Perfect Vacation".

The Marvelous Wonderettes
November 7, 2011, 7 - 8:45 p.m.
The Starlight Room in The 2001 Entertainment Complex, 920 Lake Arrowhead Rd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29572. Show starts 7:00 p.m. with dinner options prior to show. The Marvelous Wonderettes takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where we meet the Wonderettes. You’ll hear such classic 50’s and 60’s songs as: “Lollipop” – “Dream Lover” – “Stupid Cupid” – “Sandman” – “With this Ring” – “Lipstick on Your Collar” – “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” – “It’s My Party” – “It’s In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)” and so many more! This show is ideal for all ages!

 

Coastal North Carolina has long been known as one of the best family vacation destinations in the U.S. But what should you know when it is time to book your Ocean Isle Beach NC rental and you want the best deal?

When it's time to find an Ocean Isle Beach NC rental to book for your next North Carolina vacation, there are a few key questions that you should answer first to ensure you have the best vacation experience possible.

1) Where?

The first question to answer is where is the rental located? You will need to determine whether or not you want a rental that sits right on the oceanfront or enjoy the tranquility to a canal home offering direct access to the Intracoastal waterway but still walking distance to the ocean.

2) What?

With a wide range of activities available, what are you going to do once you get here? The Coastal Carolina's are primarily known for two things: golf and the beach. For those visiting to play golf, you may not require a rental that is located on the oceanfront. It many cases, you would look for a rental that is near the course you want to play the most. For those who want to soak up the sun, being right on the beach or as close as possible generally becomes the preference. And who could blame you!

Answering these questions before you book your Ocean Isle Beach NC rental for your next vacation will go a long way to ensuring you get the maximum enjoyment from your stay!
 

Halloween is here so be extra careful when you’re driving to and from your Ocean Isle beach house over the next few days. Some children and their parents still go door-to-door trick or treating and with costumes on, their field of vision isn’t always what it should be. It’s up to drivers to stay alert and watch for these trick or treaters whose focus is usually only on the next house – possibly your Ocean Isle beach house!

Here are some Halloween events taking place in the nearby area. All are just a short drive from your Ocean Isle beach house. Definitely worth checking out with or without the kids!

Horse Drawn Ghost Trolley
Oct. 21-22, 28-31, 6-9 p.m.
Take a ghost ride through downtown Wilmington, starting at Water and Market Streets. Listen to ghost stories tailored for young children, without the gore and violence. Free treats for children. Cost is $12 for adults, $5 for children under 12. For more information, visit www.HorseDrawnTours.com or call Springbrook Farms at 251-8889.

Trick or Treat at Independence Mall
Halloween, October 31st, 4-6 p.m.
Come to Independence Mall on Halloween in your costume and participate in the annual Trick or Treat event. Try to arrive early for your bag as supplies may run out.

Haunted Jail House
Oct. 29 and Oct. 31, 7-11 p.m.
The Burgaw Middle School PTO is hosting a Haunted Jail House in the Old Burgaw Jail in downtown Burgaw across from the courthouse. Tickets are $5 in advance and $8 at the door and can be purchased from any Burgaw Middle School student or at locations in Burgaw.

Trick or Treat in the Park
Oct. 31, 5-8 p.m.
The Kiwanis Club of Hampstead hosts the sixth annual event at Hampstead Kiwanis Park.
 

Families and nature lovers feel right at home on Sunset Beach. North Carolina’s southernmost beach comes by its name quite naturally. Its unique orientation treats visitors to sunrises and sunsets over water — what better beginning and ending to each day of a vacation spent in our Sunset Beach NC rentals?

Three miles of powdery-white sands along the gentle Atlantic provides the perfect setting for beach activities, from biking and beachcombing to quiet strolls. Walk, kayak or ride a bike to Bird Island — an undeveloped and uninhabited 1200-acre state preserve attached to Sunset Beach and close by the Sunset Beach NC rentals you'll be staying in. Before you leave, be sure to take a moment and write down your experiences and impressions of this coastal sanctuary in one of the notebooks tucked inside in the “Kindred Spirit” mailbox. If you have time you might want to take in the film festival at nearby Wilmington, NC.

17th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival
Thursday, 11/10/2011 - Sunday, 11/13/2011 

The festival will take place Wednesday through Saturday in Wilmington, North Carolina. Screening over 100 independent and international films including documentaries, features and shorts, the festival draws visitors from around the world for a creative exploration of the art form. Wilmington is one of the leading film production locations in the country and home to EUE Screen Gems Studios. Official headquarters will be The Ticketbox (TBA), a central location for tickets, passes, info and panel discussions. Screenings will be at Thalian Hall, Jengo's Playhouse, The Soapbox and other venues around town. Call 910.343.5995 for more information.