When we planned our trip, Thanksgiving in Charleston, SC was one of the must-do tentpoles we planted, along with Mount Rushmore for Fourth of July, New England in October and Florida in December.
Charleston is one of America’s great cities…size doesn’t matter.
It was one of the ten largest cities in the U.S. as late as the 1840s. Today, it’s population is “only” about 135,000, yet it remains one of the coolest, classiest and friendliest cities in the country…and beyond. In 2016, it was named the Best City In The World by Travel + Leisure. It’s full of great restaurants, classic architecture, nice people and lots of water (not all of it under control – there are these tides that work mischief all over the place, including the city streets…).
Be all that as it may, the main reason for spending so much time in Charleston is that our daughter, Coley Kaeser, had the good sense to move there a few years ago.
During our drive down from Myrtle Beach, we knew we weren’t just in the South, we were now in the Deep South, when we drove past some cotton fields!
And as we arrived at Coley’s house, we were reminded we were in the city where the Civil War started…
We arrived on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and had a big adjustment to make – we stayed at Coley’s house instead of on The Big T. It was nice for us, and pure joy for Sting and Roxy, who had a fenced backyard to romp in (not to mention a playmate, Coley’s dog Hunter). Roxy also spent much of the week obsessing over the squirrels in the trees in the backyard.
We had big plans for sightseeing in the historic downtown area of Charleston (more sightseeing than we’ve already done, actually, since we’ve been here before), but we ended up spending a lot of time being semi-slugs, because it was so nice to lounge around a real house.
Thanksgiving dinner was at Dap’s, the downtown restaurant where Coley works (her smile is one of Dap’s most important assets!). 
The owners closed the place and threw a big dinner for the staff and their families and friends. We felt sorta old, but had a blast. 
A few days later, Ginny and I got to play a special golf course, the Country Club of Charleston (site of the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open)…
and I also played a notoriously hard course, the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island (site of the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships). 
Both courses were challenging, and picturesque, and the fact that CCofC was way more fun to play than the Ocean Course was partly due to the 25 mph winds and 50-degree temperature at Kiawah the day I was there!
Charleston is a foodie paradise. We had a couple of epic meals, including at R Kitchen, which has a different menu every night (and you eat what’s put before you – the kitchen, not you, decides what gets served)…
…and Magnolia’s, a local classic. There are also wine bars, whiskey bars, brewpubs…every culinary vice imaginable.
We got to see both family and friends during our stay. We had a nice visit and dinner with Ginny’s brother, Mike Dysart, his wife Lauri and their daughter and son-in-law, Ann and George Schneidmuller (Ginny also got some bonus time with Mike and Lauri the following week). 
We also had a great evening with our old Weston pals, Scott Willard and Marilyn Reap, who recently moved to the area.
Charleston is so special, it was with some reluctance that I left on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, to go to Atlanta to attend the SEC Championship Game and hang out with my classmate and good bud, Woody Sanderson. Ginny stayed in Charleston through the weekend, and we planned to re-unite in Savannah the day after the game, for a couple of days in the city that’s described as a mini-Charleston, before we head to Florida.
Very sweet. Coley looks fantastic