MILLIE THE BIKER IN NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC

You can't imagine the reservations we had about Bike Week, but we actually had a great time. I'm sorry to have all those photos, but it was a hoot. We had a hard time taking it all in. There was so much, and believe it or not, we were not the youngest or the oldest here. We had been told from our "new best friends" at Willow Lake where about 50,000 bikers would be, so we went, and there they were! It was as good or better than any FMCA Rally we've ever attended. When you get a bike, so much more goes with it - boots, chaps, helmet, jacket, etc., etc.

RV has seen all this from a different standpoint than I have - from his career. But this was like kindergarten for me. To top it all off, Myrtle Beach has almost thrown the bikers out of town and told them they don't want them - i.e., noise abatement and required helmets, etc., so they have moved north to North Myrtle Beach.

While we enjoyed all that this part of South Carolina had to offer, we spent our final afternoon at a matinee at the Carolina Opry, next to Dixie Stampede - one of the top live shows in the State. The performers did an outstanding job of singing songs from the '60's, '70's and '80's, which in some cases sounded better than the original artist. There are 4 young men, All That, who tap danced, and they were absolutely spectacular. We couldn't believe it! It was almost like watching members of Riverdance. In case you might be wondering whether the show was for all ages, it was probably the most famiy-oriented show we've ever seen. While exiting, you left with such a sense of pride in the "good ol' USA". We certainly enjoyed that it was an earlier matinee so we wouldn't have to get back to Willow Lake after dark. If you have an opportunity to go, it is SO worth the time - veterans are always acknowledged at the end of the show, which was very meaningful.

WILLOW LAKE RV RESORT - LONGS, SC

By accident we found Willow Lake RV Resort off State Road 9 near North Myrtle Beach, SC. We had decided not to stay in the middle of the commotion of Myrtle Beach - little did we know it was Bike Week, and commotion would take on new meaning. Neither of us had ever been to Daytona Bike Week but we had a pretty good idea what it would mean. We'll talk more about that later. Willow Lake is one of the top rated RV resorts in the country - as in top 4. Rated as high as Fort Wilderness. On the way, you say things like, "how in the world do people find this place?" They find it, and I can't say enough about it but maybe some of our photos will give you an idea why people love this place. Some people just store their campers, etc. in a nearby storage facility and call them when they are on the way. This is the first place I've seen where you can actually have a hot tub on your lot.

It was our pleasure to meet our neighbors who came from as far away as New York, New Jersey, etc., and brought their custom bikes, custom trailers, etc. and have been coming here for years - and they love to bring their families to Myrtle Beach because there is so much to do during the week.

We experienced a service issue with our awning over our door and while we arranged for someone to repair it on site, we've decided to have it repaired when we go to Red Bay in August. We've been so fortunate to have been here 5 days and will leave tomorrow and spend the night at the Hilton Head Marina - on the way to Green Cove for several appointments.