Our plan has been to stay here in Charleston for the month of December, leaving Harvest Moon tied securely while we fly back to Denver to visit kids and take care of some health maintenance items. But the continued failure of America to contain the coronavirus has made traveling too dangerous, and we made the hard decision this week to cancel our travel.
I’m pretty bummed that I don’t get to see my kids and grandkids. The truth is that folks all across the nation are in the same boat I’m in — stuck away from family because of America’s failure to deal effectively with this pandemic. But I won’t get all preachy and political in this post, and will instead focus on our time so far here in Charleston.
We’ve been here before, seven years ago when our relationship was pretty brand new. We flew here right after Christmas, and I’m thinking we might have spent New Years Eve here, but I’m not positive. I have some favorite pictures from our time in Charleston back then, and I was able to capture a couple “now” shots from the same place to put beside the “then” shots.
We’re really loving the city of Charleston. We’re able to walk several miles a day, rarely covering the same territory twice, though we are developing a few favorite spots. The homes here are outrageously beautiful, and not just a few of them. The city is packed with neighborhood after neighborhood of beautiful old homes dating back to the 15th century in some cases. Based on real estate prices, I have to believe this city if packed full of old money from the South. Just a guess.
We’re docked at the Charleston Maritime Center, which is a fantastic place to stay. Not a fancy marina, but a decent place located in the perfect spot for us. And the folks here are top notch. It’s a city owned marina, so everyone must wear a mask, which we like.
I pitched myself a nice segue into one of the other things we’re loving about Charleston, and that’s the ethic of safety among folks here. Far more than anyplace we’ve been since leaving Colorado a couple months ago, folks in Charleston are respectful and responsible with wearing masks. Sure there are a very few who don’t, but nearly everyone allows space on the streets and sidewalks to pass safely, and nearly everyone will mask-up when they’re going to pass close to you.
There is a Harris Teeter grocery very close to us, which we love. It’s about the only place we’ll go in, though we have gone in a couple other places if they seem very safe.
And Christmas, oh my gosh. We’ve decorated Harvest Moon up for Christmas, and are enjoying the season every day. We’re watching as the city decorates up, and we’re thinking that maybe on Christmas Eve we’ll take a walk around town and enjoy the lights.
