Ocean Lakes

Many people that camp love their pets! (And so do many people that don't camp! LOL) So, here's a few tips about what NOT to feed your furry family member... 1. Anything with onions – Did you know that onions are toxic to dogs and cats (including garlic, leeks and chives). 2. Raw or garbage ready food   - Avoid potential messy accidents (from either end of your pet). Don't feed them the gizzard or anything you won't eat, especially if it is raw, or something that may have gone bad. You have enough to deal with over the holidays! 3. The Drumstick – or any thing that may contain bones. Bad boy. (Or girl.) 4. Dessert – It has little to do with the waistline and more to do with that digestive track! We all know not to feed them chocolate, but the fats in many desserts can give your little friend an upset stomach...or worse. Finally, avoid the "treat-sneaking" guests. Even after you ask them to not give the dog table scraps, temptation may win out. So, keep your ...

It’s time to get into the spirit of the season! If you are like many, every day life keeps you busy and sometimes it is difficult to get “merry.” Myrtle Beach can assist with that problem. It is a great place to spend some time “away.” Listen to the ocean waves, feel the salt air, and just...breathe. Once you have experienced an oceanfront “re-boot,” you’ll be more prepared to enter the holiday state of mind! Holiday Entertainment Myrtle Beach can help get you in the mood for Christmas and the coming holiday celebrations! Our shows and attractions will have you humming all the classic holiday tunes. With so many great shows to choose from you may need to stay several nights. The Carolina Opry Christmas Special is a Myrtle Beach holiday tradition for many locals and visitors alike. It is packed full of live Christmas classics and humor and runs through January 5, 2013 . You just might have a blue Christmas without Legends in Concert ! Now through December 31st, you can bask in Le...

Version 2:  We apologize to those who only saw the title of this blog when originally posted on Nov. 2nd. After research we believe it was a conflict with Internet Explorer 9 - we hope you can see the post now! It’s true! Many campers love auto racing…and in the Carolinas NASCAR rules the track. Ocean Lakes Family Campground has several great tracks in its “back yard” and we wanted guests to know about some upcoming race events. The Myrtle Beach Speedway   This historic track has a new owner and has gone through renovations. The 2012 events have proven successful catering to families with young children and race fans alike the with “Wheels of Destruction” and “Monster Trucks” to the upcoming Myrtle Beach 400 . Located 13 miles from Ocean Lakes, this half-mile semi-oval track is poised for success and has a seating capacity for more than 12,000 fans. The Myrtle Beach Speedway is sure to fill that capacity in two weeks with the 20th Annual Myrtle Beach 400 -the end of sea...

It’s true! Many campers love auto racing…and in the Carolinas NASCAR rules the track. Ocean Lakes Family Campground has several great tracks in its “back yard” and we wanted guests to know about some upcoming race events. The Myrtle BeachSpeedway   This historic track has a new owner and has gone through renovations. The 2012 events have proven successful catering to families with young children and race fans alike the with “Wheels of Destruction” and “Monster Trucks” to the upcoming Myrtle Beach 400 . Located 13 miles from Ocean Lakes, this half-mile semi-oval track is poised for success and has a seating capacity for more than 12,000 fans. The Myrtle Beach Speedway is sure to fill that capacity in two weeks with the 20thAnnual Myrtle Beach 400-the end of season showdown . This event features five exciting days of activities beginning on Wednesday, November 14th through Sunday, November 18th. Keeping families in mind, kids 12 and under are FREE! The C...

Did you know that pumpkins are not a vegetable - they are a fruit! They are in the same family as gourds, squash, cucumbers, gherkins, and melons. There seems to be a couple opinions on the origin of Halloween . Some think it is based on the Celtic holiday known as Samhain (pronounced "sow wan"), which means "summer's end". Others believe it is based on old Christian holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day . Regardless, this magical night wouldn’t be the same with out the glowing jack-o-lanterns, today we know as carved pumpkins. But that wasn’t always the case. Jack-o-lanterns were originally carved from turnips or gourds probably more the size of a rutabaga . They were set on porches (guess some things never change) and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Early on they were lit with burning lumps of coal, later to be replaced by candles. One winner of the Pumpkin Carving Whe...

--> By Greg Bender, Manager of Ocean Lakes Golf Cars Rentals, Sales & Service Tow/Run Switch Battery maintenance is very critical when it comes to your golf car running efficiently. A lot of people have Electric Golf Cars that they use throughout the summer season and into the fall. Most people do not use their golf car in the winter months, they just leave it in their garage or in a storage facility for 3 - 4 months until spring; and then decide to charge it up and use it. By then the golf car will not take a charge because battery voltage has gotten too low. If you are storing your golf car for the winter make sure the water level is filled to the correct capacity and it is fully charged before storing it. Distilled water is recommended to use when watering batteries.  If your golf car has a Tow/Run switch under the seat make sure you place the switch in the “Tow” mode when not using for a period of time (longer than a week). This will help prevent the...

Fall is in air!  We are getting ready for two weekends of Halloween fun at Ocean Lakes. This week our team is focused on planning and décor. It’s fun to get online and brainstorm ideas for Halloween…nothing too scary, of course!  We thought we’d share some quick links to get you in the Halloween mood: 32 Easy Costumes for Kids If you have young one, chances are you have juice boxes around…how about a craft with snacks in mind ? How about a crafty disguise ? Great fun for a group photo! Paper Pumpkin anyone? Repurpose those plastic milk containers , then remember to recycle them!  Halloween is so much fun, full of family memories that last a lifetime. Ocean Lakes hopes to be part of your Halloween plans October 19 th -21 st and October 26 th – 28 th . See our Halloween events schedule here .

--> As summer vacation approaches, many families are struggling with the issue…What to do with those furry family members while on vacation. Although many of our guests are camping (which allow pets), we also have plenty of guests who stay in rental units that do not allow pets. Every year our Ocean Lakes Magazine features veterinarians and kennels nearby as a guide for our guests. These are just a few nearby places that we have gathered information for, but we would love to hear your suggestions or recommendations on which ones you have used! Or, if you use a different one, please feel free to let us know so we can add it to the list! Kennels A Dogs Way Inn 5225 Berkley Ct., Murrells Inlet  - 843-357-4545 Bubbles & Fluff Doggie Day Care 760A Business 17A (Joe Plaza), Surfside – 843-828-4357 Canine Command Center, Inc. 401 Tyner St., Socastee – 843- 293-1407 K9 Cabana 3949 Hwy 544, Surfside – 888-544-DOGS Tamroc Kennels 201 Bush ...

Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the United States Military. They gave the ultimate sacrifice. They are true heroes. A tribute to our soldiers . I am surprised at how many people (of all ages) hesitate at the holiday’s purpose. So, let it be known… The Facts According to Wikipedia Articles, Pictures, Video on the History Channel site   In honor of Memorial Day, post about your American hero in our comment section...  

--> Help Keep Your Family Safe This Memorial Day May signals the beginning of summer and outdoor living for many Americans. Memorial Day is often a time for friends and family to gather around, enjoy an outdoor bar-b-que and fire up the grill. Recently, WMBF News stopped by to speak with Ocean Lakes about our guests and fire safety, see the two minute WMBF news video .  Remember to grill safe! Here are some tips from the experts: National Fire Protection Association's --> Video on Grill Safety --> National Fire Protection Association – Grilling Tips

When you run a campground things can get crazy. Like any business, sometimes it’s easy to loose sight of what matters, so its good to keep that Mission Statement in view. At Ocean Lakes we are here so our guests have a great experience and, hopefully, some fun! Actually, campgrounds spend a lot of time planning fun. Every time I go to an industry convention or meeting, I enjoy listening to what my campground peers dream up. Our Recreation teammates are real pros at fun, but now and then the Marketing team can barely contain their imaginations... On Wednesday, May 9 th , Ocean Lakes Family Campground celebrates “Lost Sock Memorial Day." The event takes place inside Ocean Lakes, and virtually, online on the campground’s Pinterest.com account. Our laundromat, Sandy’s Soapy Suds , is the location of the “Lost Sock Memorial Wall.” The wall features a clothesline and clothes pins for guests to pin their remaining single sock looking for its “solemate.” Socks hang on t...

For those of you who don’t know, Sunday, April 22nd marks the 42 nd year of observing Earth Day. When you think about it, it’s really ironic that we had to set aside a day 42 years ago to celebrate the Earth we rely on for our survival.   So when we asked our very own Nature Center curator and retired minister, Leonard Raker about his thoughts on a special day set aside for the Earth…well…we just had to share it with you… “Earth Day? Did you really ever think about it? Maybe that could be the problem with this old world! We live in it daily. We see all that’s around us. We walk on it, we look at it, we play on it and we even walk by the mess that others leave. It is kind of funny that we have to have a day to appreciate all that God gave us to live in, when it really needs to be appreciated every day. Thank God for every day! God when I see your wonders…I really love you. Thanks!” So, Leonard inspired us to come up with some easy things we could all do to that would help...

By Leonard Raker Could an ugly old Catfish have an Easter message for us? The answer is “yes” if it happens to be the Sail Cat. Ugly as it may be, the story is ever so beautiful. Like all of our thoughts, reality gets lost as we overlook the truth of the God of Easter. As you begin to clean the fish in preparation for dinner, you begin to find signs of a heavenly message. That message fully appears when you finish the enjoyment of your dinner. There is something so very different to that backbone. There before you is the story of the Crucifixion, plain as the nose on your face. Looking upon the top of that bone, plain as day, you notice the stripes that Jesus received. As you partially turn the bone, there lies a puncture; the spear in the side while on the cross. Completing the turn you see the shape of the Cross on which Jesus died, and if you want to get a “wow” moment, just shake the bone and you will hear the rattle of the dice thrown for His Robe. Yes, y...

Is summer ever close! This time of year is kind of exciting at Ocean Lakes Family Campground , especially from a teammate standpoint. It’s the time of year when everything starts taking shape for the new season and our team is busy getting the park ready for our guests who will soon arrive in mass for spring break and Easter. Behind the scenes there is an excited energy. For those of us on the “inside” Easter is basically the deadline for all things new at Ocean Lakes. Many of our first quarter guests (January-March) find this activity somewhat intriguing, maybe fascinating at times and always reassuring. It provides evidence that we “re-invest” in our campground on an annual basis and that striving toward better is our normal mode of operation. At times, it can be a little distracting and possibly disrupt the “flow” of things, but only briefly. An example would be the new curbs that were put in around Spring Lane leading to the Golf Car Building and parking area beside the M...