The Pavillion (sort of)

One of our favorite things to do at Myrtle Beach is to visit the Pavilion. If you have seen the movie Shag, then you have lived the fun of Myrtle Beach for an hour and a half. It has been a landmark in Myrtle Beach since the 1940s. Rides, arcades, shagging and beach music....fun for everyone.

The Pavilion closed it's amusement park in 2006 and moved several of the rides to Broadway at the Beach. Every year we visit Pavilion Nostalgia Park. This was Henry's first year to ride the rides, and the first year that we weren't afraid that Wilson would jump out in the middle of a ride.

The boats are a favorite first ride. There is a pic of Auntie Em, Cousin Will and myself in the boats when we were tots.








Nana's favorite ride is the carousel. This Herschell-Spillman carousel was constructed and handpainted in 1912. It joined the rides at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion in 1950. Along with traditional horses and sleighs, the ride also provides frogs, lions, ostriches, zebras, giraffes and roosters to sit on.







The carousel is a classic ride. It makes me dizzy. The kids love it, but the favorite ride of the youngest generation is the Caterpillar. Two years ago Anna Jane asked to ride it and she had to do a lot of convincing for us to allow it. It goes around in a circle very fast and then around backwards. She spent the entire ride squealing with joy, arms straight up in the air. This is the first year that Wilson has asked to ride it. I was worried that he would (a)get scared and cry or (b)lose his dinner all over Dave and Anna Jane.

Here they are before the trauma excitement begins:



Here they are during the ride:



Notice that Anna Jane is having a blast and that Wilson is missing? He did not jump off the ride halfway through. And he is not on the floor, losing his dinner. He is so light that the gravitational pull slid him behind Anna Jane each time they rode the beloved Caterpillar.

And here is the very proud Wilson, describing the highlights of this rite of passage with Nana:



It's not often that you can find something that appeals to all of your children, not to mention three generations of a family.



I know that before too long the kids will outgrow these rides, but we are taking advantage of the magic of the Pavilion while we still can!