SC has 2 of best places to spend Thanksgiving & neither are Greenville, Southern Living says
It’s hard to say how many best-of lists Charleston has been on, but here comes another.
Southern Living’s eight best places to spend Thanksgiving.
Add that to happiest city, most beautiful places, livability, retirement and best overall. House Beautiful, Southern Living, Travel + Leisure, New York Times Travel, you name it, Charleston’s been there.
This year’s Southern Living’s Thanksgiving list also includes Bluffton, which has been featured in Travel + Leisure in an article on how to plan a perfect trip to the fast-growing Beaufort County town on the May River west of Hilton Head.
“Thanksgiving might be a holiday synonymous with home-cooked meals, but it’s also a popular time for travel, as many people get that Thursday and Friday off from work,” Travel writer Lydia Mansel said in Southern Living,
She said many visit family or friends, but it’s also a good time to try a new location or resort.
She quotes Casey Keller, founder of Wandering Everywhere, as saying. “Everyone knows that Charleston is one of the South’s most beloved destinations, but it’s even better at Thanksgiving.”
Keller suggests starting Thanksgiving morning with the Turkey Day Run and Gobble Wobble through downtown ending with a celebration in Marion Square.
“I sometimes feel like more people are watching than running, but either way, it’s a wonderful way to start the day,” Keller said.
Keller recommends brunch or dinner at Halls Chophouse or 82 Queen.
“You can spend the rest of your day walking the nearby beaches or wandering by the historic homes, all decorated in their autumnal finest and festive decor,” she said.
Not to miss are the lights at James Island County Park or sunset from Pitt Street Bridge, Keller said.
Mansel quotes McLean Robbins, founder of Lily Pond Luxury, as recommending Montage Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, a resort with suites, rooms, cottages and village homes that has restaurants, a plethora of activities and spa services beside the May River.
It’s been a popular wedding venue, including for Justin and Hailey Bieber, and is the place Michelin star chef John Shields of Chicago loves to visit in the summer. He and his wife Karen also got married there.
The resort was given 5 stars by Forbes.
Robbins said Palmetto Bluff is “Lowcountry Thanksgiving done right.”
Resort guests can enjoy nightly s’mores pits and oyster roasts and can “sneak away for a day trip to Savannah or chic downtown Bluffton.”
The other cities on the list were Blackberry Farm, Tennessee; Williamsburg, Virginia; Naples, Florida; Asheville, North Carolina; Sea Island, Georgia and Pinehurst, North Carolina.