Myrtle Beach, S.C., appears to be the lazy river capital of the world. An impressive number of hotels and resorts in the family-friendly seaside city have lazy rivers, in which you float on an inner tube along a curvy, narrow pool with a gentle current.
The recently renovated 530-room Compass Cove Oceanfront Resort (800-331-0934, www.compasscove.com; from $61) practically has its own water park with not one but three lazy rivers (one of which is indoors) and six swimming pools. Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort (888-766-4633, www.litchfieldbeach.com; from $69) has a lazy river, too, plus three golf courses and 17 tennis courts. The lazy river at the 255-room Embassy Suites (800-362-2779, www.embassysuites.com; from $160) is 150 feet longer than the ones at those two other properties.
Elsewhere in the South, the Fairfield Daytona Ocean Walk Resort (800-649-3566, www.oceanwalk.com; from $179) in Daytona Beach, Fla., has a 250-foot lazy river, a giant water slide and five pools; the property has one-, two- and three-bedroom condos. Should you find yourself on a pilgrimage to Dollywood, the 163-room Music Road Hotel (800-429-7700, www.musicroadhotel.com; from $59) in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., has a lazy river and a 24-hour pool. The lazy river at the Grand Casino (800-946-7777, www.caesars.com/grandcasino; from $79), a 1,000-room gambler's retreat in Gulfport, Miss., encircles an outdoor pool with waterfalls and a grotto.
Is there a way to get tickets to a Madrid bullfight in advance?
Ann Smid
Silver Spring
Madrid's bullfighting season at the arena Las Ventas begins this month and runs through October. One ticketing agent recommended by the Tourist Office of Spain is Localidades Galicia (011-34-91-531-9131, www.eol.es/lgalicia).
Prices are determined by location in the bullring, namely whether you prefer sun (sol) or shade (sombra). General admission seats start around $15; the best seats usually don't exceed $75, unless there's a major festival, or the Michael Jordan of bullfighting is the top matador of the day.
Most bullfights do not sell out. If you arrive early, you can buy from the box office, which would save you surcharges that agencies tacks on. Avoid buying from the street touts near the bullring on the day of the event; these Spanish scalpers are known for charging more than the face value by claiming the bullfight is sold out.
More info: Tourist Office of Spain, 212-265-8822, www.okspain.org.
Send queries by e-mail (travelqa @washpost.com), fax (202-912-3609) or U.S. mail (Travel Q&A, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071).
