So now that I've mentioned Mt. Atlanticus twice, I should give the story behind the reference: my weekend in Myrtle Beach at the NAQT high school national championships.

We'll start with the tournament, which saw 62 teams from around the country vie for the title. The event was held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, which is fairly new. The Radisson Plaza that's attached to it is something like five months old. Both are well appointed, though the hotel restaurant and coffee bar are on the expensive side (the bar has a very agreeable happy hour, though).

Newness aside, it is a terrific venue. Having the hotel connected to the tournament site is very helpful, as it removes the whole transportation issue. It is a short shuttle ride from the airport, and is a doable walk to a number of attractions: both of the main streets that run the length of the city, the tourist mecca of Broadway on the Beach, Coastal Federal Field (home of the single A Myrtle Beach Pelicans), and, of course, the beach.

The only real problem is that some of the game rooms weren't optimal. A couple were really not suitable, others merely unusual. To my mind, though, this doesn't necessarily justify returning to a college campus. I would echo Joe's thinking on this point. For those who said a move away from a collegiate site would spell doom, you are profoundly wrong. The convention center costs more, but what you get in return in terms of logistical help is worth it. I think back to the snafus that plagued the HSNCT that I volunteered for at Georgia Tech. They would be incredibly unlikely when working with event professionals.

I would also echo the sentiment that if NAQT wants to keep going back to Myrtle Beach, I would be more than happy to keep being brought in to volunteer.

And it seems that the teams liked the event, even with the slowness of rounds 7 through 10 due to power matching. I think the high school teams are more able to handle the delays, as they're more usual in high school events (thinking of my debate years, where we spent a lot of time waiting for power matched rounds to be scheduled). There was some confusion on just how the matching was being done, and for the future it would probably help to be as clear as possible on this. It does open things up for kibbitzing, but at the same time it removes the mystery. If you can justify your system, you can at least agree to disagree. Not that the coaches will like it.

Speaking of which, one of the major changes from high school to college is the disappearance of the coach, and I have to think we're better for it. Too many of the coaches have a stage parenty vibe, often sacrificing logic in an attempt to jail house lawyer a win out of a loss. I will say that many of the coaches were just fine, but the ones that weren't tend to stand out.

OK, the rest of the weekend. Went to see the Pelicans play the Frederick Keys on Friday night, an experience that JQ describes to the point where I can't really add anything else. Well, we did have a very late dinner at a place called Grandma's Kitchen. I literally think the tables we ate at were taken from some grandmother's kitchen.

Saturday during the day we did get to see the Thunderbirds do some of their flying acrobatics, as they were in town for an air show. I think I now understand the appeal of air shows, as it was an awesome sight. Seeing them on TV does not compare to seeing them live, even if it is just walking back from lunch.

Saturday night was NIFL, of course, and I think I've spoken to that enough. Though I will say that the bankruptcy thing I mentioned appears to have actually been a gag that one of the attendees worked up based on our group's participation in the game.

After finishing up Sunday we went for lunch at an Italian place which apparently had tourist pricing in effect. Food wasn't bad, just overpriced. We then returned to the hotel to make plans. Someone had a coupon book, and we quickly hit upon our destination for the night: Mt. Atlanticus Minotaur Goff. How can you resist a name like that?

But first, a trip to the beach. We spent a little time walking, a few people had a quick dip. We then walked down to Mt. Atlanticus, past what appeared to be every single college senior in South Carolina. It was like Spring Break, but slightly more restrained. There weren't any balcony jumpers, at least.

We passed a lot of tourist crap, but also some old-style arcades that reminded me of Salem Willows back in the day. We didn't go back, but it was an interesting juxtaposition against the clubs, t-shirt stores, and henna tattooists.

Mt. Atlanticus itself was an interesting mix of the cheesy, crappy, and average. It was a great idea but perhaps lacking on the execution. They used some of the same Swiss Family mini-golf architecture as everyone else, with the thatched roofs and hut-style construction. There were fake beasts (dragons, sea serpents, etc.) around, but they didn't really sell the theme.

The actual goff was OK. Joe said pretty much all that need be said about that. I did appreciate the non-traditional ball colors, as members of our octet were able to play pink, black, and flesh-tone balls. I went with lavender myself, based on the review that sold us on the place.

I wound up using my NIFL hat money to get a T shirt, which is fairly non-descript but does feature the goofy name prominently.

Then it was Indian food and the walk home. Myrtle Beach and Indian food don't seem like they would go together, but it was pretty good. A little slow, but we came in just around closing, so they were probably already wound down when we showed up.

Not much else after that. Went to bed, got up, went back to the airport, and then home. I actually moved my flight up significantly (left at 10:30 am, originally scheduled for 7:40 pm) and surprised Sarah at work. I thought she'd appreciate it more; she was a bit miffed as I'd put myself in the air without her knowledge, thus preventing her from tracking my progress and making sure that I got home OK. I won't be doing that on my next trip, a jaunt to LA this weekend for some training with the CBI folks.