Dash on over to Myrtle Beach the weekend of Feb. 17 – 19, 2011, to be part of the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon. Not up for running 26.2 miles but still up for getting the heart pumping? Then register to participate in either the Dasani Half Marathon, RBC Bank 5K or the one-mile Ripley’s Family Fun Run. Or, pedal for fitness by entering the Conway Area Bike Ride.

Race weekend includes the Spirit Airlines Runner’s Expo on Thursday and Friday at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center where race registrants can check in for their respective race and meet with race sponsors and vendors. In addition to the healthy activities, let loose and celebrate during House of Blues Post Race (Saturday) and Ripley’s Post Race (Friday) Parties.

If interested in participating in any of the races, be sure to register as soon as possible because most are limited in participation and registration will close without notice. Visit the Myrtle Beach Marathon website for registration and event details.

Where to stay during the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon? Check out the selection of affordable Resort Rentals International for affordable Myrtle Beach accommodations.

Image Source: Myrtle Beach Area Conventions & Visitors Bureau

The Myrtle Beach area continues to be a popular family vacation destination and attracts 14 million visitors annually. New developments are scheduled for 2011 giving you more reason for a vacation in Myrtle Beach sooner than later.

Big Wheel in the Sky. Myrtle Beach’s new attraction, the SkyWheel at Myrtle Beach Landing is schedule to open in May 2011. The wheel will stand at 196 feet and 18 stories high and span 2 ocean front lots along Ocean Boulevard, on the north side of Plyler Park. It will include 42 glass-enclosed, temperature-controlled gondolas accommodating six people. With the launch of SkyWheel, a full service restaurant, observation deck overlooking the ocean and a gift shop are also slated to open. An evening light show will also be added.

Get Your Hands on this Attraction. Wonderworks is slated to open the spring of 2011 in Myrtle Beach. This hands-on science attraction will be located at Broadway at the Beach and includes an upside-down looking building, volcano, lighthouse and an Egyptian pyramid. Visitors will be able to feel what it’s like to be in an earthquake and hurricane, fly either a NASA space shuttle or fighter jet or ride a virtual rollercoaster.

Everyone will be all Aflutter About This. The new Butterfly House at Brookgreen Gardens displays dozens of butterflies native to the Southeast. The exhibit opened was open through Oct. 2010 and will reopen in spring 2011.

Argh! Will Dolly Wear an Eye Patch? In June 2011 Dolly Parton opens a new and exciting show, Pirates Voyage. The new show features music by Parton and Mark Brymer and includes acts with live animals and acrobatics.

It’s Not Margarittaville but Close. Opening in May 2011 is Jimmy Buffet’s Landshark Bar and Grill and Landshark Surfshack Retail Shop at the new oceanfront boardwalk next to SkyWheel Myrtle Beach. Expect fab beach food, refreshing beverages and fun beach tunes and Landshark Bar and Grill. Over at the LandShark Surfshack find LandShark Lager themed merchandise and Sky Wheel souvenirs.

Additional new restaurants to checkout during a Myrtle Beach vacation include Nacho Hippo Cantina Maximo with a menu including tacos and barbeque; Mykonos led by celebrity chef Andreann Geise serving up Greek and Mediterranean cuisine; and Mama Rue’s Blues Garden Restaurant & Lounge led by native Jamaican Chef Eric Sutherland who is bringing his homeland flavor to Pawley’s Island.

When planning a Myrtle Beach vacation, check out the official tourism website to learn what else is new and check out Resort Rentals International for a selection of affordable Myrtle Beach accommodations.

Image Source: SkyWheel Myrtle Beach Image Courtesy of Myrtle Beach Area Conventions & Visitors Bureau

Bring an empty tummy and a palate for adventure to indulge in Chamber Restaurant Week presented by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce between Saturday, Jan. 15 and Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011. At last count, more than 50 restaurants offering value-priced menus are participating in this third annual event.

Hilton Head Chamber Restaurant Week is an ideal time to try a new restaurant for dinner or indulge in a favorite. Best of all, these prix-fixe menus mean savings on the travel budget during a vacation in Hilton Head.

Here’s a sampling of Hilton Head Island restaurants participating in this delicious restaurant week:

For $25 per person, guests of The Jazz Club (ranked by TripAdvisor as a top five restaurant in Hilton Head) can enjoy a feast of a Fried Green Tomato Salad with spinach, arugula, radicchio, applewood smoked bacon, gorgonzola cheese and creamy herb vinaigrette; Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops & White Shrimp with taso ham, sweet onion & baby spinach cream, sweet corn and Tillamook cheddar cheese grits and shoestring sweet potatoes; and what’s hailed as the best chocolate layer cake ever. (The Village at Wexford, C-1, Hilton Head Island; Tel: (843) 842-8620)

Sea Grass Grille will prepare a divine dinner for $20.11 per person (get it, it’s the year 2011!) which can include Carolina Tomato Pie, Petite Filet Mignon with boursin butter and Fresh Fruit Cobbler. (807 William Hilton Parkway, Suite 1000, Hilton Head Island; Tel: (843)785-9990)

For some modern take on comfort food, head over to Truffles Grill for Creamy Tomato Dill Soup; Grilled Meatloaf with honey barbeque glaze, Vidalia onion and roasted red pepper chutney; Fresh Veggies; Garlic Mashed Potatoes; and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. Mmm. Mmm! All this for $21 per person. (Pope Ave., Hilton Head Island; Tel: (843) 785-3663)

Prices are based on per person and taxes and gratuity are extra. Advance reservations are encouraged. Menus for Hilton Head Chamber Restaurant Week are being added daily so be sure to check out the website (www.ChamberRestaurantWeek.com) for what’s new.

Now that nourishment for your January Hilton Head vacation is determined, save more on your travel budget by checking out affordable accommodations options offered by Resort Rentals International.