hrp2Hard Rock Park…the park that was in the designing/building phases for some six years; the park that cost an exorbitant $400 million to construct, and the park that lasted a grand total of one (count that 1) season in operation before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy has finally bit the big one. Hard Rock Myrtle Beach Holdings LLC has asked to change from Chapter 11 bankruptcy to Chapter 7. In other words they are liquidating their assets; in other, other words, they’re selling the park off piece by piece! How much for the magic mushroom themed Huss Airboat? I’ll take a bid on it!

Last month the owners of HRP attempted to auction off the park for at least $35 million, but were only low-balled (or no-balled…is that a word?) apparently as it never sold. With that, the owners had no choice but to sell out, much like how Metallica sold out with the album Load…ok, so HRP’s case is a bit different…

In any event, while rock definitely ain’t dead, Hard Rock Park is history.

Read up on the news:  Forbes: Hard Rock Park in SC seeks permission to liquidate

Busch Gardens: The Old Country 1991Main Article: Busch Gardens: The Old Country 1991

After two weeks of special Crapstravaganza updates, I’m going to pull out one of my favorite old brochures: a Busch Gardens: The Old Country brochure from 1991. The park is now known as Busch Gardens Europe and is home to five world class coasters. Back in 1991 it was home to just two; Loch Ness Monster and Big Bad Wolf. Unfortunately my first and only trip to Busch Gardens (can you beleive it?) just missed the infamous Drachen Fire by one year.

You're A Mean One, Mr Sitt“You really are a heel…”

According to the New York Post and many postings over at the Coney Island Message Board, it looks like developer Joe Sitt and Thor Equities were evicting tenants on their land just before Christmas…and they were doing it Sitt style. It seems that the boys at Thor have been going around and spreading holliday cheer by cutting off locks at tenants businesses and replacing them with their own. Well hell, that makes all those paperwight, fruit cake, socks, coal gifts look like new cars compared to Sitt’s gift!

Many new ‘for rent’ signs with Thor’s branding on them have also popped up around the area including ones on Ruby’s Bar and Grill, Grill House, and the Nathan’s hotdog stand that resides on the boardwalk (not The Nathan’s however, which is on Surf Ave.) Some posters at CI Message Board are bringing up the fact that replacing tenants locks and such is illegal to do without a court order. This comes as Thor reportedly offered leases to business owners that were some three times as much as they are now. I think one CI Message Board member summed it up nicely by simply posting the word “Madness.”

Joe Sitt is truly the Grinch.

Christmas Light Craptacular

Searing bright reindeer

Album Page: Chistmas Light Craptacular

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone! Guess what? I made you all a little present! It’s a photo set called Christmas Light Craptacular! Twenty houses unwittingly entered into this competition; a competition to see who has the most gaudy Christmas display in town! Some are good, some are bad, and some are awful! I rated each one on my own skewed scale, but you can also rate them yourself at the bottom of each image page; that way we can decide the true winner of the Craptacular!