Happy Happy Joy Joy

I've been having some technical difficulties here lately, and I haven't posted in a while. I need to catch up on some things. Not only did the nation have a birthday, but we had a family one too - though we still haven't celebrated it. Happy Birthday to my Auntie - we will get together soon! We have been feeling pretty celebratory (and relieved) that my husband passed his Big Test - he is now CCNA certified - so he can apply for better jobs. Congratulations honey.
We have been considering a beach vacation and have been doing a lot of comparing on NC beaches to Myrtle Beach which is just over the line in SC. I really don't want to take our money to SC, in light of Sanford, but when you compare what the regions have to offer for a 12 year old, it is pretty overwhelming. I have been wondering why no one is trying to compete at all- I mean the only putt putt at Atlantic Beach just closed last year. As far as I know there aren't any hotels with water park features in NC, they are all the rage in Myrtle. I suppose one thing is that you just get the glomming effect - development breeds development. Still I think it is weird that no one is trying to draw away any of the people who go there with a little boost in development here.
Not that I don't like our undeveloped, natural beaches, I'm talking small in comparison to Myrtle.
Just Something More for kids, maybe a little more classy night life. Anyone?
These thoughts are the result of an exhaustive search of the Myrtle Beach hotels to determine where would be best to stay. We have a lot of criteria: affordability, beachfront, water park, good reviews, and strangely difficult to find: internet. And in our price range you have to check for amenities like fridge, microwave, even coffeemaker. I think it would be very easy to end up disappointed, we had to really examine places to feel like we knew what we were getting - and of course, we haven't gotten there yet! We were left wondering how people did this before the internet. However it was, it was probably faster!