December 17, 2011

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

One thing that Tim and I have discovered on this trip is that RVers love to celebrate the holidays in grand style.  Our first encounter with this phenomenon was on Halloween weekend, when everyone’s decorations were unfortunately destroyed by the freak snowstorm.   We’re encountering the phenomenon again.  Of course, almost everyone here has decorated for Christmas.

Although it does not surprise me that people who fulltime in their RVs put up Christmas decorations, I’m amazed that weekend campers go to such trouble.  Some of the decorations are pretty, and others are tacky, but that’s true of the way houses are decorated as well.  Tim and I have our own Christmas tree, a “minimalist” one-foot tall tree that my friend Ana gave to me many, many years ago.

Luminarias Are Pretty

Where's My Dart Gun?

Our Christmas Tree
If the decorations in the campground aren’t enough, there is a Holiday Festival of Lights display at James Island County Park where we are camping.  This is an extremely popular attraction in Charleston, and is one of the top ten light festivals in the country.  We’ve been told that cars often wait in line for up to two hours just to enter the park.  

Tim and I wanted to see what the light display was all about, so we opted to board a shuttle operated by the campground and let someone else do the driving.  The displays are really imaginative, and we had a great time.

Santa's Village

Poinsettas and Candles

Creatures From the Sea

Can't Forget the Flamingos

A Wise Owl
Earlier in the day we had gone into Charleston and attended a Holiday Pops Celebration performed by the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.  There’s nothing like beautiful Christmas music to put you in the spirit of the season.

We also wandered around the last farmers market of the year in Marion Square and sampled benne seed wafers, a local favorite.  Benne, the Bantu word for sesame, was brought from East Africa and planted throughout the South.  The wafers are a sweet, crunchy delicacy, and I love them.

Santa's Sleigh and Reindeer at the Farmers Market

Lots of Tempting Things to Purchase

Benne Wafers and Other Charleston Favorites
Our food adventure didn’t end there.  We had lunch at Magnolias, one of my favorite restaurants here.  Magnolias introduced innovative Southern cuisine to Charleston in 1990 and sparked a culinary renaissance.  I had the shellfish and grits, and Tim tried the shrimp and sausage.  The food there never disappoints. 

We never made it to the Battery today to explore the historic buildings because I was able to snag an appointment to get my hair cut.  We’ll definitely get there tomorrow.

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