For almost a century, the heart of Myrtle Beach was defined by a place simply called “the Pavilion.” From the original structure built in 1908, the Pavilion was the center of the resort town’s growing tourism industry. It was a destination point for anyone coming to the Grand Strand. Here you could stroll the Boardwalk, play arcade games, make faces in fun mirrors, ride rides, dance the Carolina Shag, or sit on a bench and watch everyone else do all of the above. The Pavilion underwent several incarnations. The first ones were wooden and vulnerable, but the final was concrete and seemingly indestructible, standing for nearly 60 years. Hardly an architectural marvel, what the Pavilion lacked in grandeur, it made up for in pure old-fashioned fun. The beloved structure and its rides fell prey to economics and a wrecking ball in 2006.

Myrtle Beach Pavilion (Images of America)

Arts & Photography

McDonald, Janice

Hardee, Lesta Sue

Photography & Video

Arcadia Publishing

It seems unlikely that a place as far off the beaten track as Aiken, South Carolina, would become the preferred wintering location for the denizens of New York society. But from the late 1800s, the most recognized names in America―the Vanderbilts, the Whitneys, and even the Roosevelts―began coming to this charming Southern city to escape the cold, relax among the oaks, and play. And play they did, establishing Aiken as an international polo capital and a premier place to ride, hunt, and golf. Aiken has so much history beyond the folks known as the winter colonists. Legends of the area’s restorative powers date back to Native Americans. Aiken also boasts an amazing number of records, including the destination for the world’s longest railroad in 1833 and the second-oldest 18-hole golf course in the United States, the Palmetto Golf Club, built in 1892.

Aiken (Images of America)

Miles, Paul

Just the name The Varsity can set generations of mouths watering. What started in 1928 as one man’s efforts to bring affordable food to students, grew quickly into a fast food institution. The world’s largest drive-in since the 1950s, The Varsity’s menu has changed little since Frank Gordy opened its doors near downtown Atlanta. It has set records for its vast quantities of hot dogs, hamburgers, onion rings, and fried pies served daily. Gordy was a visionary in developing both the food he served and how he served it. It is impossible to imagine the countless numbers who have enjoyed a heavy dog walking (hotdog with extra chili to go) or an F.O. (frosted orange shake) over the decades. The Varsity is also where the term carhop was first used. Servers hopped on the running boards of cars in an effort to get the orders in quickly.

The Varsity (Images of America)

Arcdia Publishing

Even beyond Atlanta, this amazing, Moorish-style icon is known by most not by its legal name, the Fox Theatre, but as the “Fabulous Fox.” Constructed in the late 1920s as a temple for the Yaarab Shrine, the imposing yellow-brick building was designed to “out Baghdad Baghdad” in its elaborate Middle Eastern appearance. But the onion-domed exterior with its faux prayer towers is nothing compared to the elaborate interior. Movie mogul William Fox leased the auditorium from the Shriners in 1929, transforming it into a movie palace like no other. The theater became a place of spectacular premieres and world-class performances until changing times threatened its very existence in the 1970s. The campaign to “Save the Fox” proved more dramatic than some of the performances that graced Fox’s own stage. Today, the Fabulous Fox is one of Atlanta’s best-known and most cherished landmarks.

Fox Theatre (Images of America)

Known as one of the best vacation spots in the country, Myrtle Beach is a thriving hotspot that features more than just sand and sun: fresh seafood, alligator parks, jeep tours, a NASCAR SpeedPark, colorful nightlife, and an expanding music scene are just some of things travelers will find on South Carolina's coast.

Insiders' Guide to Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand (Insiders' Guide Series)

Travel

Duncan, Kimberly Allyson

Rentz, Lisa Tomer

Specialty Travel

Insiders Guides

Insiders' Guide to Atlanta is the essential source for in-depth travel and relocation information to the Georgia's largest city. Written by a local (and true insider), this guide offers a personal and practical perspective of Atlanta and its surrounding environs.

Insiders' Guide® to Atlanta (Insiders' Guide Series)

United States

Insider's Guide

Includes information on accommodations, restaurants, nightlife, outdoor activities, shopping, and real estate in Myrtle Beach and the surrounding area.

Insiders' Guide® to Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand (Insiders' Guide Series)

Rediscover the simple pleasures of a day trip with Day Trips from Atlanta. This guide is packed with hundreds of exciting things for locals and vacationers to do, see, and discover within a two-hour drive of the Atlanta metro area.

Day Trips® from Atlanta: Getaway Ideas For The Local Traveler (Day Trips Series)

Europe

Globe Pequot

The essential source of information about the sights and sites travelers and locals want to see and experience--if only they knew about them! From the best in local dining to quirky cultural tidbits to hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales, these guides take the reader down the road less traveled.

Georgia Off the Beaten Path®: Discover Your Fun (Off the Beaten Path Series)

Globe Pequot Press

The Historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia is the final home to more than 70,000 residents in elaborate mausoleums and humble headstones alike. Explore the celebrated public figures who are interred here and the burial grounds in this unique book. The first person buried at Oakland was laid to rest in May 1850, a month before the land was purchased by Atlanta to become its city cemetery. The fast-growing municipality eventually expanded the burial grounds to include 48 acres. Since then, what is now known as Historic Oakland Cemetery has become the final home to more than 70,000 residents. Among those are celebrated politicians, authors, and athletes and those whose impact has been felt but who are not as well recognized. A few of those residents include Gordon Burton Smith, who helped build the Panama Canal; Andre Steiner, who created the master plan for Stone Mountain; and Sally Connally Hardie, who helped run the National Trust of Scotland. They rest among gardened paths in elaborate mausoleums, exceptional funerary art, humble headstones, and sometimes unmarked graves.

Residents of Oakland Cemetery (Images of America)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by McDonald, Janice. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by McDonald, Janice