Approaching the old town of Nessebar, one descends from a hill overlooking the peninsula and the narrow winding bridge that connects it to the mainland. The bridge itself, with its historic windmill, is one of the most photographed attractions in Bulgaria. Driving (or walking) over the bridge, one approaches the remains of an old Roman fortress walls surrounding and protecting the city. For decades, there has always been a back-piper playing traditional Bulgarian music at the very entrance of Nessebar, contributing to the authentic atmosphere.

Once inside the walls of the old town, one is confronted with tourism staples such as numerous cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops, nested in streets with old renovated houses, some hundreds of years old. One can wander on a busy street with tons of vendors and then make a turn into one of the side street and end up all by themselves, walking along cobble stone streets and passing by old ladies sitting and talking in front of their houses. Getting from the heart of the town to its outskirts opens a spectacular view on the Black sea and the nearby resorts – Sunny Beach and St. Vlas. As could be expected, the municipal government of Nessebar has built a promenade all around the peninsula. It takes about 45 minutes to walk all around the town. Above the promenade are numerous restaurants with open verandas overlooking the sea. The menus are full of Bulgarian and international dishes.

As most other holiday destinations in Bulgaria, Nessebar experienced spectacular growth in the last several years. Thankfully, however, the architecture was preserved and all new buildings were designed in the old traditional style. There is also the space limit since Nessebar is essentially an island that was packed to begin with. Therefore, most tourists stay in the new town of Nessebar or in the resorts nearby and flock to the old town in the afternoon and evening.

 Once can find numerous hotels and apartments for rent in Nessebar at: Nessebar holidays (or Несебър почивка if you want to practice your Cyrillic).

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The theme park is expected to draw in nearly 30,000 visitors a day. Once the park is finished, nearly 3000 new jobs will have been created. When guest arrive at the park, they can definitely expect more than just rides. The park is sure to please people of all ages and of all backgrounds.

The Hard Rock Theme Park will be built on approximately 140 acres. The theme park is the first of its kind, a park designed after the heart of rock and roll. Hard Rock Theme Park will house over 40 different attractions, a live music amphitheater, a sound system that is state of the art, as well as a children’s area, cafes, restaurants and even some retail stores. The park will also house some extremely unique roller coasters. With such attractions, it is easy to see why Myrtle Beach is a very sought after vacation destination.

Visitors to the Myrtle Beach area are quickly realizing that they can purchase homes or condos cheaper than they can in places such as Florida or New York. Therefore, the housing market is really booming in the area. With the completion of the theme park, the market will only rise higher.

New homes and condos are rapidly going up around the Hard Rock Theme Park. Investors know that if they can get in on the deal before the theme park is completed, they will get a great return on their investment. Visitors will love the easy access and location of such homes and condos, in relation to the new theme park.

Time shares are also booming in the Myrtle Beach area. Owners are looking to purchase the time shares in their pre-construction phase. They realize that once the theme park is complete, the price of the time shares will sky rocket.

Many people choose to buy a home or condo as their vacation home. In order to help cover the cost of the home, the owners will rent or lease out their homes for various weeks of the year. This is a great way for them to enjoy their vacation home when they want, yet make some extra money off of it when they are not using it.

The Hard Rock Theme Park will soon be a favorite attraction in American’s favorite vacation destination. The completion of the theme park is sure to boost the housing market even higher than it currently is. Therefore, purchasing the homes prior to the completion of the park will ensure a great return on your investment.

Beach Music? Many define it by its geography and the kinds of songs it includes while describing ‘friendship’ and ‘good times’ as the glue which binds it.

If you’re like me you’ve thrilled to square dancing in bright costumes, two-stepping in country bars, bumping and hustling in discos, and line dancing in modern clubs. They’re all filled with friendship and good times; making those insufficient illustrations of what makes Beach Music what it is.

1. Beach Music in the East and the West are similar, but not the same.
Both coastal communities celebrate individuality and self-expression. At the center of West Coast beach culture is the surfer community encouraging private quests marked by athletic achievement while the East Coast dance culture inspires a new form of social success.

2. East Coast Beach Music nurtures new ideals of social equality, romance, and improvisational self-expression.
Fifteen years before Rock and Roll, white teenagers in the Southeast embraced Black music as their own. At the same time they developed a new dance to express themselves. From that mixture the Shag evolved.

3.  Many found the secret rites of Shag and Beach Music at the Beach.
Like the “soul surfers” of the West Coast, the “soul dancers” set new standards for the ‘good life.’ At the beach, personal and hometown histories stayed home while they assumed nicknames and developed new personalities.

4. Rhythm and Blues and Jazz were foundations for the Shag.
In addition to early black music, soul dancers often flipped over national pop hits to see if the ‘B’ side had the right beat and mood for carefree shuffles in coastal and inland pavilions.

5. Society sometimes misread them as mere ‘rebels.’
Like their West coast alter-egos they weren’t rebelling as much as forming new communities and social hierarchies of greater equality with rights of self-expression.

6. Balmy days and nights, sensual Shag moves, and their own ‘coat of arms’ embraced giddy summer romances.
The Shaggers’ dress code included Bass Weejuns, no socks, cashmere sweaters, and madras shirts. Like knights of old, girl-partners were revered.  When they danced, *she* was the most gorgeous woman in the world.

7. East Coast soul dancers enshrined the Art of Play as equal to Hard Work.
As such they considered social life equivalent to work life. While they worked summer jobs to support themselves, they worked just as hard at “not working” on the dance floor.

8. It looked like a sexual revolution.
It really wasn’t focused on sex. Self-confidence and cool were guiding principles and the ’safe date’ was integral to Beach Music. They put dancing before drinking–unlike some who need a ‘boost’ to drop their inhibitions.

9. Classic Beach songs include national hits and treasures unknown outside the Southeast.
Fifties Beach songs celebrated the good times in several ways. Although “Drinkin’ Wine Spo Dee O Dee” mentioned wine, it more loudly proclaimed the ‘good times’! Fifties hits included “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” “Sixty Minute Man,” and “Sh-Boom.” The 60s added hundreds more like “Under the Boardwalk,” “My Girl,” “What Does it Take To Win Your Love,” and “Brown Eyed Girl.”

10. The ‘Shag’ had other names including the ‘Bop’ ‘Freestylin” and ‘Fas’ Dancin’.
The music wasn’t named for 25 years! In the beginning most teenagers found it at the Beach. Eventually there were 500+ inland dance clubs, Pavilions, restaurants, swimming pools, and fishing lakes with dance floors.

Beach Music and Shag history show a culture celebrating individual uniqueness in the rituals of music and romance experienced by those who were dancing to their own destinies.  The Beach Music community was like a ‘beta’ version of MySpace, a ‘flat’ world where everyone was equal, each member was in charge of their own self-expression and the accumulation of friends with whom they had common interests.  The internet has simply made the field of dance partners much much larger.

To learn more about this fascinating chapter of American life that is still being written, follow this link http://www.beachshag.com/BMG%20SITC.htm

“Fessa” John Hook is a 39 year broadcaster captains the Endless Summer Network of Beach and Shag music on the net.

His three books on Beach music and Shag  are: “Shaggin’ in the Carolinas,” and the “Beach Music Guide 1945-2006, Vols 1 & 2″ and another, “Dancing On the Edge – How Music Freed the South,” coming in the fall of 2009.

“‘Shagging In the Carolinas,’ according to Hook, a Beach Music and Shag enthusiast, is a love letter that took 26 years to write.” –Sun Times newspaper

“Hook writes about how Shagging defied social conventions as carefree white teenagers were inspired by the possibilities inherent in improvisational black dance and music.” –Lexington Dispatch

“Hook knows what he’s talking about when it comes to Beach Music. As a broadcaster in the late 1980s, he was responsible for the first full-time Beach Music radio station in history….he chronicles the evolution of the dance….before the Lindy Hop, before the Jitterbug, came the Shag, a dance born and bred in the Carolinas.” –Our State magazine

Hard Rock Park is divided into six unique themes, or rock environs, including Rock N’ Roll Heaven, Cool Country and British Invasion. Each environ celebrates the culture, legends, and lifestyle of rock n’ roll that fall under that theme. Theme celebrations include rides, shows and displays of memorabilia that fully capture the essence of each area of rock n’ roll culture. There are also restaurants, cafés, retail stores, and children’s play areas. Of course, it is Hard Rock Park, so there will be live music in an outdoor amphitheater that is fully equipped with a sound system designed especially for the amphitheater.

One of the rides that will be featured in Hard Rock Park is Led Zeppelin – The Ride, which is fittingly located in Rock N’ Roll Heaven. A looping steel roller coaster built partially over water, The Ride is taller than the Statue of Liberty, from base to torch, and is made of enough steel to wrap Wembley Stadium. Riders will climb 150 feet into the sky before plunging into a course that includes six full inversions, the largest of which is a 120-foot loop. The entire ride will be choreographed to Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” which is pumped into speakers in each individual car.

Memorabilia displays will help bring the history of rock n’ roll to life. Madonna’s jacket from the cover of “Music” is but one of the many items included in the park. The first item received by Hard Rock Park was the authentic Magical Mystery bus from the Beatles’ movie. Riders of Led Zeppelin – The Ride enter a silver airship and walking past murals, props and music videos to reach the roller coaster. Each area of the park has its own specific memorabilia to help bring the theme to life.

For those who would like to bask in the glorious evolution of rock n’ roll, but have no idea where to stay, the Oceania family of resorts may be an ideal choice. The Oceania family consists of five resort properties scattered along Myrtle Beach, including the wildly popular Sandcastle Resort. Not only will you find an incredible place to stay, with convenient access to all of the local attractions, but the resorts are currently considering offering Hard Rock Park tickets as part of their vacation packages.

For anyone considering a vacation that includes a theme park, Hard Rock Park is the perfect opportunity to break away from the usual and experience something totally different. In fact, the park is a perfect vacation spot for families, fans of rock n’ roll, and the Myrtle Beach regulars who are looking for something new.