December 18, 2024 • 13 mins
Discover how Myrtle Beach is paving the way for inclusive and accessible travel experiences. Darley Newman takes you through her hometown’s groundbreaking autism-friendly initiatives. She highlights sensory-friendly attractions, restaurants, and inclusive programs designed to make every visitor feel welcome, including interviewing Becky Large of the Autism Travel Club and Champion Autism Network about how the Grand Strand became known as a welcoming vacation destination. Join Darley as she dines with Chef Jamie Daskalis at Johnny D’s, explores the EdVenture Children’s Museum and Savannah’s Playground at Market Common, and mini golf at Red Dragon Cove Adventure Golf.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Accessibility and inclusivity in travel is a growing trend
(00:04):
and on my recent trip home for the holidays to
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and The Grand Strand,
I was excited to learn more about how the beach where I grew up
and that I love is working to welcome travelers and families of all abilities,
including people with disabilities.
Myrtle Beach has become known as an autism friendly destination.
We'll look at these attractions and share tips for travelers seeking to visit the beach
(00:27):
and learn about these welcoming spaces and places, from waffle houses to mini-golf courses in this podcast.
The holidays are a great time to open our eyes and our hearts to new adventures,
including new adventures that we can do with our families,
so in this podcast, we're highlighting what it means to be open and welcoming at the beach.
(00:49):
We'll look at Johnny D's, Market Common and the EdVenture Children's Museum,
Savannah's Playground and speak with Becky Large of the Autism Travel Club
and Champion Autism Network.
We'll eat well and recreate along the way on our adventures in Myrtle Beach.
It's the Travels with Darley podcast.
The City of Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach are certified autism-friendly destinations
(01:17):
through the Champion Autism Network (CAN).
Through this certification, many attractions and the Myrtle Beach International Airport
offer sensory-friendly experiences,
autism aware and specially trained staff, preferred entrances and also travel discounts.
We'll show you in this podcast where to dine, shop, play, and learn while at the beach,
(01:40):
especially if you're traveling and seeking autism friendly vacation destinations.
We're starting the day out right with breakfast at Johnny D's Waffles and Benedicts,
which has three locations in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Surfside Beach.
We're sitting down with acclaimed Chef Jamie Daskalis, to eat some waffles
(02:00):
and hear why her restaurant is part of the CAN network,
but first, I have to know, why are there sooo many breakfast places in beach areas?
Because when you're in the hustle, like when you are in your every day going to work and life,
like how many times you go out to breakfast? Hardly, 'cause you're going to work when
you're supposed to go to breakfast, protein bar, smoothie, if you're lucky, you know.
(02:22):
You all weren't here when I grew up, but I've talked to some of my friends who live here now,
and I said I was going to Johnny D's for breakfast and they said, "Be prepared to eat."
Tell me what you're known for.
So obviously the waffles, then the benedicts.
The crab cake benedict is the most popular.
The red velvet waffle has become very popular over the last 10 years.
(02:43):
It is a combination of waffle batter and cake batter.
So when you bite into it, you really get that cake texture and taste and then, in the back end,
like as you're swallowing the, you know, your final bite, you can taste that waffle.
And it just has a great texture. It's not too sweet.
And then we have a nice cream cheese icing that we make in-house and the same thing, it's not too sweet.
(03:05):
So you can eat the whole thing without feeling overly like, you know, like you're getting a toothache, you know.
Chef Jamie worked in restaurants starting at the age of 13 with her dad's family business
and went on to train at the Culinary Institute of America.
I've never had a red velvet waffle before.
Yeah, it's, it's very interesting, it's very different.
Are you getting hungry yet?
(03:26):
Bottom line, everything is good here.
Chef Jamie goes on and on and my mouth is watering for those red velvet waffles
and they're delicious.
Wow.
Mmm.
One of the reasons many families come to Johnny D's
besides the great food is the welcoming environment.
Most people know that I have a son who's 12, his name is James.
(03:48):
He was diagnosed with autism at three years old.
So when he was diagnosed, I didn't really know anything about autism.
I knew that existed and I knew that it was, you know, have challenges and it was a disability,
but I didn't understand anything about it.
So to help me learn about autism, to help him,
I got the idea to, and it was right before Autism Awareness Month,
(04:12):
feature every day a different child with autism,
just their likes, their dislikes, their strengths, their struggles,
something the parents wanted like the world to know about autism.
And we started sharing them year after year and it became pretty popular
and it just gave people like education about autism.
They learned so much.
It gave other parents that are in the autism community like hope.
(04:33):
So if I'm coming to the beach and I have, you know, my friend is with me,
her child is autistic, we're coming here to Johnny D's,
tell us the different ways that we could let your front of the restaurant staff know
that we'd like a special accommodation.
For us, you just either let the host know or you can show us the card when you come in.
The card that Chef Jamie is talking about is called the CAN Card,
(04:57):
the Champion Autism Network Card, which has further evolved into an app
and the Autism Travel Club, which takes us to our next location.
It's hard to leave the warm smell of red velvet and holiday pumpkin spice waffles at Johnny D's
but we drive to the offices of the Champion Autism Network,
which created this CAN Card, to meet with its founder Becky Large.
(05:22):
Becky Large relocated from the Philadelphia area to the Myrtle Beach area
with her son with autism
and once here, she saw a need in the area and started the Champion Autism Network
back in 2016.
It became apparent that there's all these wonderful organizations that support the person with autism,
but no one to really support the family unit.
And autism can be really isolating because of the reaction to people with autism
(05:47):
to sensory stimuli, you know, lights, sounds, smells, crowds, basically any time you leave the house.
So I wanted to curate environments where people with autism can come out with lower sensory input
and, you know, so they would be happier so that the entire family unit can come out and play.
Johnny D's is just one of many area attractions that has been trained by Becky's organization
(06:09):
and is part of the Autism Travel Club's network.
A lot of our businesses, restaurants specifically wanted to know how they would know
somebody with autism was on the premises.
So I just kind of came up with the CAN Card, right,
and it was an opportunity for our families to just really quietly, you know, graciously show
(06:31):
that they were an autism family without saying a word.
And staff would know that there was somebody with autism on the premises.
CAN grew and evolved into the Autism Travel Club.
Travelers can go online and learn about the Autism Travel Club
and also download the app to find out about participating businesses,
including those who offer accommodations and discounts to families with autism.
(06:53):
So we ask that our businesses provide a service or a discount to our families.
And so most, you know, like Johnny D's, their service is if there's a weight you get to the head of the line
and their discount, they offer 10% off.
And they expedite your orders, right,
you know, that's just, so it's through the training and through the kindness and generosity of our, you know,
(07:14):
some of our servant business leaders that we're really blessed to have this.
The community has been amazing.
It's been ingrained in the community since the initiative started in 2016,
so it's been eight years. You know, we've hosted thousands of families and thousands of people with autism
who come here and they're so, they feel so welcomed.
(07:38):
I'm checking out another destination that's welcoming to travelers of all abilities,
including families with autism.
Market Common has multiple places for families to eat, shop, play, and even live.
The Myrtle Beach Air Force Base closed down in 1993.
And many years later, Market Common was born.
Kristen Camp with Market Common shares more about the legacy that travelers can experience as they shop and dine here.
(08:04):
There are still like attributes to the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base here,
so a lot of the streets around, not only here at the Market Common Center,
but in the district are named after former veterans, U.S. Air Force Base members,
and there's also different historical plaques located throughout.
So you'll get to see some of those and it gives you kind of more in depth of maybe some of the still remains,
(08:30):
like buildings that are still standing from the Air Force Base and then also what used to stand there.
Market Common is alive during the holidays.
With classic decorations and the opportunity to shop and eat at big brand stores and restaurants,
like Pottery Barn, P.F. Changs, and Anthropology, as well as locally owned boutiques and restaurants.
It's really known for its charm and it's just away from the hustle and bustle of Myrtle Beach.
(08:55):
If you come with your family, there's playgrounds, we have a playground here, we have a children's museum.
People just love to walk the streets, go in and out of all the different shops, definitely find dining
because there's over 15 restaurants just right here.
It's very active, so we have a lot of people who will walk their dogs, we're super pet friendly.
(09:16):
I stop in Crepe Creation Café, a family-owned creperie for a taste of Europe,
Mmm, that's good.
before venturing over to EdVenture Children's Museum at Market Common.
Many families shopping here also enjoy playtime at the Children's Museum, which works to be inclusive and accommodating,
as well as inspiring for kids and families.
(09:38):
So all of our areas are engaging, educational, and inclusive.
We have 9,500 square feet of exhibits here, primarily geared for children eight and under.
All hands-on interactive.
In this area here, we call it the World of Work.
And then the second space is called our Maker Area, so back there there's a lot of free arts.
We have coloring sheets, but we use a lot of recycled materials to see what the kids can create.
(10:02):
What about for families who have children who might be autistic or have special needs?
So we just recently completed our sensory room.
So we have a specific room designed for kids if they are in here, and it's a little too loud,
or they are having some sensory issues.
We have like weighted stuffed animals, fidgets.
It's a very dim room.
(10:23):
We also do sensory nights, so we're closed to the public.
I try out the hurricane simulator and find it's pretty effective in messing up my hair
before I take a short walk from the Children's Museum to Savannah's Playground,
where if families want to play outside post-museum or shopping,
there's a world of interactive and sensory experiences to explore.
(10:44):
I walk onto the soft, rubber-footing at Savannah's playground, a multi-acre ADA-approved playground
with structures designed to give children of all abilities the opportunity to play and learn.
Many children and families are enjoying the slides, color splash panels, adaptive chairs on the swings,
and making music on this special playground, a fun and free attraction for families visiting the beach and Market Common.
(11:11):
One thing I know that stands out in my mind from my childhood in Myrtle Beach is playing mini-golf,
and I'm excited to not only play again, but also to check out a course which is making strides with accessibility.
Red Dragon Cove Adventure Golf is where pirates and dragons intertwine with an Asian themed course.
(11:33):
There's two 18-hole courses here.
Pirates Plank is 18-holes all-level.
Thomas Dickerson meets me to share how this course was specially designed to be accessible.
This chair here, Pirates Plank, up to a 36-inch wide wheelchair or motorized scooter, can go in the cracks that you see there between the brick
or at the start of each hole, those wheelchairs will slide right to it, or a walker, families with strollers,
(11:59):
the same thing they can get through, so that it makes it completely ADA compliant.
Definitely reverting back to my childhood, let's play some mini-golf.
We got a hole down here that looks like it's a straight shot and goes into a big bowl. People think, "Oh, this one's an easy one."
And you hit it not quite hard enough. It doesn't go up the hill and into the bowl.
(12:22):
If you hit it just even a little too hard, it shoots right across the top and out again, and then you're taking another shot.
The maddening fun of mini-golf.
My mini-golf skills could be better. It's been a while.
Oh, yeah! But of course, I have to test out the course. It's part of my job hosting Travels with Darley.
Reverting back to my childhood where I grew up, a place that's grown a lot since I was a child and in so many positive ways.
(12:52):
When families can travel together, it's a wonderful thing and a great gift during the holidays or anytime of year.
I'm Darley Newman and if you like to travel and learn new things, please subscribe to this podcast
and if you want to learn more about Myrtle Beach, skip back to my previous podcasts in this season and stay tuned for more.
(13:13):
I travel the world with locals and I love to share the adventure and hidden gems I discover near and far with you.
Happy holidays!
Accessibility and inclusivity in travel is a growing trend
(00:04):
and on my recent trip home for the holidays to
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and The Grand Strand,
I was excited to learn more about how the beach where I grew up
and that I love is working to welcome travelers and families of all abilities,
including people with disabilities.
Myrtle Beach has become known as an autism friendly destination.
We'll look at these attractions and share tips for travelers seeking to visit the beach
(00:27):
and learn about these welcoming spaces and places, from waffle houses to mini-golf courses in this podcast.
The holidays are a great time to open our eyes and our hearts to new adventures,
including new adventures that we can do with our families,
so in this podcast, we're highlighting what it means to be open and welcoming at the beach.
(00:49):
We'll look at Johnny D's, Market Common and the EdVenture Children's Museum,
Savannah's Playground and speak with Becky Large of the Autism Travel Club
and Champion Autism Network.
We'll eat well and recreate along the way on our adventures in Myrtle Beach.
It's the Travels with Darley podcast.
The City of Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach are certified autism-friendly destinations
(01:17):
through the Champion Autism Network (CAN).
Through this certification, many attractions and the Myrtle Beach International Airport
offer sensory-friendly experiences,
autism aware and specially trained staff, preferred entrances and also travel discounts.
We'll show you in this podcast where to dine, shop, play, and learn while at the beach,
(01:40):
especially if you're traveling and seeking autism friendly vacation destinations.
We're starting the day out right with breakfast at Johnny D's Waffles and Benedicts,
which has three locations in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Surfside Beach.
We're sitting down with acclaimed Chef Jamie Daskalis, to eat some waffles
(02:00):
and hear why her restaurant is part of the CAN network,
but first, I have to know, why are there sooo many breakfast places in beach areas?
Because when you're in the hustle, like when you are in your every day going to work and life,
like how many times you go out to breakfast? Hardly, 'cause you're going to work when
you're supposed to go to breakfast, protein bar, smoothie, if you're lucky, you know.
(02:22):
You all weren't here when I grew up, but I've talked to some of my friends who live here now,
and I said I was going to Johnny D's for breakfast and they said, "Be prepared to eat."
Tell me what you're known for.
So obviously the waffles, then the benedicts.
The crab cake benedict is the most popular.
The red velvet waffle has become very popular over the last 10 years.
(02:43):
It is a combination of waffle batter and cake batter.
So when you bite into it, you really get that cake texture and taste and then, in the back end,
like as you're swallowing the, you know, your final bite, you can taste that waffle.
And it just has a great texture. It's not too sweet.
And then we have a nice cream cheese icing that we make in-house and the same thing, it's not too sweet.
(03:05):
So you can eat the whole thing without feeling overly like, you know, like you're getting a toothache, you know.
Chef Jamie worked in restaurants starting at the age of 13 with her dad's family business
and went on to train at the Culinary Institute of America.
I've never had a red velvet waffle before.
Yeah, it's, it's very interesting, it's very different.
Are you getting hungry yet?
(03:26):
Bottom line, everything is good here.
Chef Jamie goes on and on and my mouth is watering for those red velvet waffles
and they're delicious.
Wow.
Mmm.
One of the reasons many families come to Johnny D's
besides the great food is the welcoming environment.
Most people know that I have a son who's 12, his name is James.
(03:48):
He was diagnosed with autism at three years old.
So when he was diagnosed, I didn't really know anything about autism.
I knew that existed and I knew that it was, you know, have challenges and it was a disability,
but I didn't understand anything about it.
So to help me learn about autism, to help him,
I got the idea to, and it was right before Autism Awareness Month,
(04:12):
feature every day a different child with autism,
just their likes, their dislikes, their strengths, their struggles,
something the parents wanted like the world to know about autism.
And we started sharing them year after year and it became pretty popular
and it just gave people like education about autism.
They learned so much.
It gave other parents that are in the autism community like hope.
(04:33):
So if I'm coming to the beach and I have, you know, my friend is with me,
her child is autistic, we're coming here to Johnny D's,
tell us the different ways that we could let your front of the restaurant staff know
that we'd like a special accommodation.
For us, you just either let the host know or you can show us the card when you come in.
The card that Chef Jamie is talking about is called the CAN Card,
(04:57):
the Champion Autism Network Card, which has further evolved into an app
and the Autism Travel Club, which takes us to our next location.
It's hard to leave the warm smell of red velvet and holiday pumpkin spice waffles at Johnny D's
but we drive to the offices of the Champion Autism Network,
which created this CAN Card, to meet with its founder Becky Large.
(05:22):
Becky Large relocated from the Philadelphia area to the Myrtle Beach area
with her son with autism
and once here, she saw a need in the area and started the Champion Autism Network
back in 2016.
It became apparent that there's all these wonderful organizations that support the person with autism,
but no one to really support the family unit.
And autism can be really isolating because of the reaction to people with autism
(05:47):
to sensory stimuli, you know, lights, sounds, smells, crowds, basically any time you leave the house.
So I wanted to curate environments where people with autism can come out with lower sensory input
and, you know, so they would be happier so that the entire family unit can come out and play.
Johnny D's is just one of many area attractions that has been trained by Becky's organization
(06:09):
and is part of the Autism Travel Club's network.
A lot of our businesses, restaurants specifically wanted to know how they would know
somebody with autism was on the premises.
So I just kind of came up with the CAN Card, right,
and it was an opportunity for our families to just really quietly, you know, graciously show
(06:31):
that they were an autism family without saying a word.
And staff would know that there was somebody with autism on the premises.
CAN grew and evolved into the Autism Travel Club.
Travelers can go online and learn about the Autism Travel Club
and also download the app to find out about participating businesses,
including those who offer accommodations and discounts to families with autism.
(06:53):
So we ask that our businesses provide a service or a discount to our families.
And so most, you know, like Johnny D's, their service is if there's a weight you get to the head of the line
and their discount, they offer 10% off.
And they expedite your orders, right,
you know, that's just, so it's through the training and through the kindness and generosity of our, you know,
(07:14):
some of our servant business leaders that we're really blessed to have this.
The community has been amazing.
It's been ingrained in the community since the initiative started in 2016,
so it's been eight years. You know, we've hosted thousands of families and thousands of people with autism
who come here and they're so, they feel so welcomed.
(07:38):
I'm checking out another destination that's welcoming to travelers of all abilities,
including families with autism.
Market Common has multiple places for families to eat, shop, play, and even live.
The Myrtle Beach Air Force Base closed down in 1993.
And many years later, Market Common was born.
Kristen Camp with Market Common shares more about the legacy that travelers can experience as they shop and dine here.
(08:04):
There are still like attributes to the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base here,
so a lot of the streets around, not only here at the Market Common Center,
but in the district are named after former veterans, U.S. Air Force Base members,
and there's also different historical plaques located throughout.
So you'll get to see some of those and it gives you kind of more in depth of maybe some of the still remains,
(08:30):
like buildings that are still standing from the Air Force Base and then also what used to stand there.
Market Common is alive during the holidays.
With classic decorations and the opportunity to shop and eat at big brand stores and restaurants,
like Pottery Barn, P.F. Changs, and Anthropology, as well as locally owned boutiques and restaurants.
It's really known for its charm and it's just away from the hustle and bustle of Myrtle Beach.
(08:55):
If you come with your family, there's playgrounds, we have a playground here, we have a children's museum.
People just love to walk the streets, go in and out of all the different shops, definitely find dining
because there's over 15 restaurants just right here.
It's very active, so we have a lot of people who will walk their dogs, we're super pet friendly.
(09:16):
I stop in Crepe Creation Café, a family-owned creperie for a taste of Europe,
Mmm, that's good.
before venturing over to EdVenture Children's Museum at Market Common.
Many families shopping here also enjoy playtime at the Children's Museum, which works to be inclusive and accommodating,
as well as inspiring for kids and families.
(09:38):
So all of our areas are engaging, educational, and inclusive.
We have 9,500 square feet of exhibits here, primarily geared for children eight and under.
All hands-on interactive.
In this area here, we call it the World of Work.
And then the second space is called our Maker Area, so back there there's a lot of free arts.
We have coloring sheets, but we use a lot of recycled materials to see what the kids can create.
(10:02):
What about for families who have children who might be autistic or have special needs?
So we just recently completed our sensory room.
So we have a specific room designed for kids if they are in here, and it's a little too loud,
or they are having some sensory issues.
We have like weighted stuffed animals, fidgets.
It's a very dim room.
(10:23):
We also do sensory nights, so we're closed to the public.
I try out the hurricane simulator and find it's pretty effective in messing up my hair
before I take a short walk from the Children's Museum to Savannah's Playground,
where if families want to play outside post-museum or shopping,
there's a world of interactive and sensory experiences to explore.
(10:44):
I walk onto the soft, rubber-footing at Savannah's playground, a multi-acre ADA-approved playground
with structures designed to give children of all abilities the opportunity to play and learn.
Many children and families are enjoying the slides, color splash panels, adaptive chairs on the swings,
and making music on this special playground, a fun and free attraction for families visiting the beach and Market Common.
(11:11):
One thing I know that stands out in my mind from my childhood in Myrtle Beach is playing mini-golf,
and I'm excited to not only play again, but also to check out a course which is making strides with accessibility.
Red Dragon Cove Adventure Golf is where pirates and dragons intertwine with an Asian themed course.
(11:33):
There's two 18-hole courses here.
Pirates Plank is 18-holes all-level.
Thomas Dickerson meets me to share how this course was specially designed to be accessible.
This chair here, Pirates Plank, up to a 36-inch wide wheelchair or motorized scooter, can go in the cracks that you see there between the brick
or at the start of each hole, those wheelchairs will slide right to it, or a walker, families with strollers,
(11:59):
the same thing they can get through, so that it makes it completely ADA compliant.
Definitely reverting back to my childhood, let's play some mini-golf.
We got a hole down here that looks like it's a straight shot and goes into a big bowl. People think, "Oh, this one's an easy one."
And you hit it not quite hard enough. It doesn't go up the hill and into the bowl.
(12:22):
If you hit it just even a little too hard, it shoots right across the top and out again, and then you're taking another shot.
The maddening fun of mini-golf.
My mini-golf skills could be better. It's been a while.
Oh, yeah! But of course, I have to test out the course. It's part of my job hosting Travels with Darley.
Reverting back to my childhood where I grew up, a place that's grown a lot since I was a child and in so many positive ways.
(12:52):
When families can travel together, it's a wonderful thing and a great gift during the holidays or anytime of year.
I'm Darley Newman and if you like to travel and learn new things, please subscribe to this podcast
and if you want to learn more about Myrtle Beach, skip back to my previous podcasts in this season and stay tuned for more.
(13:13):
I travel the world with locals and I love to share the adventure and hidden gems I discover near and far with you.
Happy holidays!
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