Self Insured = Rest Assured

We want you to have the best possible vacation here at the campground. Accidents may happen anywhere and self-insurance is the best way to protect you, your family, and your property. Here are some tips to help you self insure on vacation!

First things first: familiarize yourself with the campground rules. Communicate to your children how important it is to follow the park rules and general road rules; that the rules are in place to insure guest safety. In the summer, traffic is heavy and all motorists should use caution and patience when traveling around the campground. 

Bikes, Scooters and Skateboards

The buzz of bicycles, scooters and skateboards is constant in the summer. We allow electric scooters and they must be single seat with a handle bar at least 36 inches high. Skateboarding is restricted in some areas so be sure to look for posted signs.  Any equipment being used at night must have lights. The campground is low lit, conducive with a camping atmosphere, and motorists without lights may not be seen by others. Also, cyclists and scooter operators should follow the rules of the road. Buzzing through a stop sign at an intersection is very dangerous.   

Golf carts

Oh what fun it is to cruise around the park in a golf cart! It’s becoming a “must-do” for beach camping. It’s not always the case, accidents happen of course, but too often we see folks “fooling around” on carts and sometimes injuries result because of it. From all the things we’ve witnessed as crew, the biggest tips we can give you: sit on your bottom, hold on, follow the rules of the road and the rules for cart rental, and most importantly PAY ATTENTION! A lot of the roads in the park are one-way so follow the posted signs and carry a park map on your travels. It’s also imperative to report any reckless driving you witness because we can’t see everyone all the time, so jot down the cart number and call us at (843) 238-5155.

The crew often commiserates about teens driving carts. We often stop teens to check licenses and usually, they are of age. This just makes us feel old of course lol! If an underage driver is stopped, or other violation of the rules occurs, we confiscate the cart and there is a fee to get privileges back. If another violation occurs, cart privileges are lost. Our plea is to parents. Please understand it is your children we are trying to protect. Please keep your children from driving carts if they’re not of age and/or are not licensed. On any given summer day, there may be 6,000+ people in our park; this is not a desolate area, this is not a country road, and this is not the place to teach your child how to drive.

Vehicle and Unit Parking

The park was here long before motor homes reached the 40 feet mark. Maneuvering units and vehicles around the campground at our busiest times may need extra care. One tip we often relay – if you’re not sure you can make it DON’T TRY! Once you’re parked those trees and/or shelters will be your dear friend. If you need assistance, please ask. We may not be able to park the unit for you, but we may help spot you, or find a more accommodating site. It’s also important to have a cell phone number on file with the office and keep your vehicle parking passes visible. This helps get vehicles moved that are restricting the road and pathways. 

Valuables on your Site

A lot of campers bring along their four-legged family members. In the summer, temperatures may reach hazardous heights. Please keep the comfort of your pet and other guests in mind. An unhappy dog may make the campers around unhappy too! There are other animals, taunting squirrels and bunnies, and other people that may affect your dog’s typical docile behavior so familiarize yourself with our pet policy. Here’s a link to an article at campingroadtrip.com with tips to prepare your pet for camping http://www.campingroadtrip.com/tips-and-articles/tips-on-camping-with-dogs.

Coolers, Bicycles, and Alcohol – What do they have in common? They are hot commodities that are usually easily accessible at your site. Sometimes they tempt both young and old for the taking. Thieves are not partial to these items; anything you find valuable so may they. The best way to insure that you will not be a victim of theft – PROTECT YOUR STUFF! Lock your valuables - especially your car and camper. Secure your items on your site or put them in a secure location. We take measures against theft and anyone caught, will be turned over to the police. Just like in your home neighborhood, if you self insure your valuables by taking some precautions, you are less likely to be a victim.

Campground Hosts First Annual Car Cruise-In

Mid March is always a great time to be in Myrtle Beach! The area is full of fun events like Can Am Days, tons of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and our favorite March event: the Run to the Sun Car Show! The show runs from Thursday through Saturday and usually has a showing of about 3,000 cars. In 2010, one of our guests in town for the show suggested to a crew member that PirateLand host a car show....hmmm….now THAT is a good idea!

Along with several car enthusiasts on our crew, we have mates that are passionate about education and helping the community.  We knew hosting an event that integrated these elements would excite everyone on board. So we teamed up with Hot Rod Promotions, the Myrtle Beach Corvette Club and several local businesses to host our First Annual Campground Cruise-In with proceeds to benefit the Automotive Program at the Academy for Technology and Academics in Horry County!

The event was free and Hog Heaven came out with the BBQ Trailer. We had over 70 cars, hundreds of spectators, and over 20 donated raffle prizes. We had a great time, dancing to the music, looking at all the cars, catching up with old friends, and meeting new ones!  We raised almost $600.00 to donate to the Academy. We’re so excited that they will be able to buy some equipment for a car build project they’ve been working on. 

The feedback was great! Pirateland plans to make this Cruise-In an Annual tradition!  We want to send out a big “Thank You” to everyone that helped us out; crew members Kathy Woodson, Ed Walenczyk, Tim Pelletier, Bob and Ginger Baron, everyone in the Myrtle Beach Corvette Club, and ALL the car owners!  Stay tuned for more details on 2013’s Cruise-In!


  

Crew Member Feature: Don Blackmon

If you’ve stayed with us before you may have met Park Patrolman, Don Blackmon. Hopefully it was when you were on your way through the front gate and not because you were running late at check-out time (oops!). Don has worked at PirateLand for about seven years, and he also spends a lot of free time here because he is an annual site resident.  

  

Don Blackmon started camping in Myrtle Beach in the 1960’s. Hailing from Lancaster, SC he remembers camping at PirateLand before we took reservations; seeing campers along the access road of Kings Highway “waiting in line, double file.” One thing hasn’t changed- during the 4th of July, camping at the beach was the place to be! He has stayed at all the Myrtle Beach campgrounds, and liked PirateLand because of the shelters. Once retired, he leased a permanent site at Springmaid for a while, then the Myrtle Beach KOA. 

Don (center) with Stan (right) and Melba (left)

After a spending few years in a campground in the Maggie Valley area of the mountains, the beach was calling him back. Don’s daughter, knowing he wanted to return, picked out his place at PirateLand. They put the deposit down for him, called him up, and told him to sell his place at the mountains. Don hadn’t even seen the place here yet.  His daughter, Rhonda, knew he would like it and she sure was right!

“I don’t mean to brag, but I got the best view over there because I’m looking down that big lake,” Don said. “I like to sit on the deck and listened to music.”

In addition to being a “fool for music,” Don also enjoys the company of his neighbors. He especially enjoys our Sunday Morning Church Service with resident and friend, Stan Kliemann and Pastor Darryl Brummett. He’s thought about selling his place here, but says the grand kids won’t let him! He has three, all girls, he calls “my heart” and they love the beach!     

One of Don’s hobbies is participating in civil war reenactments. About five times a year, Don joins his son, and their company members to reenactment events in Cheraw, Aiken, Florence, Columbia, and North Charleston, South Carolina. Just like our current Army, the South Carolina Palmetto Battalion members have titles and ranks including First and Second Corporals, Sergeants, Lieutenants and Generals. Members come from various professions; lawyers, business men, doctors, retired veterans, teachers, farmers, even a local congressman.  

They share strong patriotic spirit and interest in history, developing the “realness” of the reenactments.  Event sizes vary, ranging from several hundred to several thousand. Don also goes to a national event in Chickamauga, Georgia, with an attendance ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 people.  

 

“You wouldn’t believe it, when we go to a national event, it actually looks like the real thing,” Don said. “It’s nothing to have 400 to 500 Calvary, now I’m talking horses.”

The men furnish everything themselves; canons (some with barrels dating back to the Civil War), muskets, handmade costumes, and basic supplies. The company “roughs it” with sheet like tents for shelter, and yes, they sleep on the ground. 

“We do it as authentic as we possibly can, drink out of tin cups, cook over the open fire, and somewhere, somebody down the line will have a jar of moonshine,” Don laughs. “[Sitting around the campfire] is a lot of fun; we have a great bunch of guys in our company.”

Don’s son, Donny Ray, First Sergeant over the C-Company, recently found out that one of their ancestors, a great, great, grandfather served with General Lee when he surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox.  He’s excited about the memorial service they’ve planned for him over Memorial Day Weekend to replace his headstone. Don speaks very proudly of Donny Ray, who just got his Masters Degree in History.  

Don has his home in Lancaster, where his wife is close to the children, but stays here as much as possible. He considers his co-workers and neighbors his friends. His motto - “treat others like you want to be treated.” 

Don, thank you for all you do! It sure is a pleasure having you on board!