Christmas Cheer and Charleston Charm

WHEN: December 4, 2010
WHERE: Charleston, SC

Saturday night, Stace and I (and our tripod) headed downtown for some festive fun.  We put on our coats and scarves for the first time and headed out for some new food, a historic stroll through the streets of ole', and the general Christmas ambiance.

We both love Christmas and the Christmas season and walking through historic downtown Charleston simply encourages your imagination to run wild, picturing what Christmas was like 200 years ago on the same streets we were walking.  As I mentioned recently, Disney's A Christmas Carol is my new favorite Christmas movie and walking through Charleston almost feels like I'm stepping into the movie and living in history myself (minus the cars, electricity, and stoplights).  Many of these historic homes still have the original large, granite carriage steps on the street curb out front, that residents/guests would step on to from the the horse carriage.  Meanwhile, the bells from the St. Michael's Church steeple - high above the streets below - were ringing the entire time Stace and I were there.  Those are just a couple in the plethora of remaining artifacts that make Charleston's history so rich and a joy to experience during Christmas and throughout the year.  Scroll down and enjoy the historic scenery as we did.

My year-round Christmas present :)

St. Philip's Episcopal Church
This church, founded in 1680, is one of the still-standing church steeples in Charleston used as a "bulls-eye" by British ship cannons in Charleston Harbor during the Revolutionary War).  You can listen to the bells, here.

Stace said she saw someone standing inside that window as we set up the camera.  This picture was a little "forced" (aka - Stace doesn't like it :)

Wall covered in ivy (or some other viney, green plant)

Real lanterns (with gas flames) adorn many of the buildings downtown year-round.  They're especially festive during the Christmas season.  Feel's very "1830's-ish".

One "Euro-esque" picture (with "cold" lighting, in front of an aged, brick wall covered in moss)...check.

In front of the famous Nathaniel Russell house, built in 1808.

 

Ropemakers Lane (can you just imagine all the tradesman shops - chimney sweeps, blacksmiths, carpenters - bustling in the early 1800's here).  Not to romanticize the tough lifestyles of centuries past but it is interesting to imagine.

Beautiful estate gardens

St. Michael's Church , Charleston's oldest remaining church (built in 1752). (Yes, I added the snow :)

Charleston Harbor at Waterfront Park

We headed to Basil's and shared some pad thai then walked to Marion Square to see the Christmas lights.

How you decorate for Christmas in the Palmetto State.  No way would I want to be in charge of lighting that tree.

The Waterfront Park fountain.

The main reason we went downtown this night was for the annual parade of boats in Charleston Harbor.  We got there 45 minutes late and saw the tail end of it.  Still, the trip was all worth it.