Sometimes, without even trying, you might find yourself at this time of year in a little bit of a holiday hell. Too many people, too much noise, too much food, too much television. We all know that things can get tense in close quarters anytime, but at the holidays the people you can love almost seem to love you to death amidst the twinkling lights, scent of pine and mounds of sugar in every kind of dessert.
So we thought you might appreciate some of the Charleston City Paper staff’s favorite area excursions, err escapes, so you can have different kinds of fun. Or, these places might be options for you to suggest to get folks out of the house so you can sing, “Let there be peace on earth.”
So bundle up. Take some snacks. And head out to enjoy the great outdoors and more.
Spend the day feeding, petting exotic animals
Tucked away north of Charleston is a small but intimate zoo and honey bee farm in Colleton County, a short drive that is more than worth taking.
At Bee City Zoo, the smell of sweet honey and flower gardens wafts well past the front gate, inviting guests closer to the orchestra of the zoo’s birds and monkeys — and the occasional tiger’s roar.
Step inside and grab welcome cups of different treats to feed the variety of animals throughout the zoo. (The monkeys get Cheerios, and the giraffes love carrots.) For a little bit extra, guests can pay to get up close and personal in the kangaroo enclosure and stroll with the birds in the walk-through aviary.
While people often think of zoo trips as summer activities, the holidays are the perfect time to visit this one-of-a-kind zoo, which is aglow with dazzling holiday lights throughout December. Also, don’t miss visits from Santa or The Grinch (and sometimes both!). Just check the attraction’s calendar online to plan your trip accordingly.
Almost every exhibit is interactive, from the llamas up front to the zebras near the back. Just don’t try to feed the tigers. But if the fences surrounding the animals are too much of a barrier for you, just wait for the safari ride, during which guests pike onto large trailers driven into expansive enclosures containing dozens of deer and other grazing animals that get up close and personal in search of treats and attention.
On your way out, don’t forget to check out the gift shop, where you can grab a jar of honey made by Bee City’s namesake pollinators. It’s a perfect holiday treat for you and your family.
General admission is $19, or $24 with the safari. Military and seniors get $2 off the price of admission. Bee City is open all year long. Check beecityzoo.com for days of operation, hours and the safari schedule so you can plan your day. —Skyler Baldwin
Head to Murrells Inlet for twinkling nights of art
The annual Nights of a Thousand Candles at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet brightens the Lowcountry with hand-lit candles and millions of sparkling lights. It’s the big yearly fundraiser for Brookgreen Gardens, a nonprofit cultural center founded in 1931 that offers a stunning and unique melding of sculpture, nature and history.
Visit until Jan. 5 to see the national historic landmark in a whole new light as its large-scale outdoor sculptures, gardens and 250-year old live oak trees are illuminated in a display that many viewers call “magical.”
You’ll find seasonal beverages and bites, live holiday music and model train vignettes. Plus, each night of the ongoing event kicks off with a Christmas tree lighting at 6:45 p.m. The almost-80-foot-tall China Fir that anchors Brookgreen’s Arboretum is so bright, “I bet they could see it from space when we light it up,” joked staffer Lauren Joseph.
“We’ve got food, music and a real kind of family-oriented, fun atmosphere,” she shared. “People just enjoy taking it all in with their families.”
The holiday tradition, now in its 25th year, supports Brookgreen’s’ programming, Joseph said, with its funds contributing to garden renovations, day-to-day upkeep, and the creation of new educational programs, like the center’s brand new “Green University” horticulture courses.
Admission for Nights of a Thousand Candles costs $35 for adults or $17 for kids under 12. Learn more and find tickets at brookgreen.org. —Chloe Hogan
Botany Bay, Edisto areas thrive with Lowcountry beauty
It may seem counterintuitive to leave Charleston in pursuit of coastal beauty,
but Edisto Island more than merits a visit. The drive is an easy 45-mile trip down two-lane roads bordered by woodlands and marsh wetlands.
With the bustle of Charleston in the rear view, things get quieter, calmer. The landscape is less developed, the vibe more low-key. Serenity is a huge part of the appeal, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. On the contrary, the place is teeming with places to eat, see, experience and explore in Edisto Beach.
But the real draw here is what isn’t developed. Case in point: Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Refuge, 4,600 acres of preserved wildscapes at the heart of this pristine paradise just outside of the beach town. This coastal wildlife sanctuary offers a blend of natural beauty, historical charm and ecological diversity. Amid historic plantations that ooze stories of the island’s past, visitors witness the undisturbed beauty of the Lowcountry suspended in time — unspoiled shoreline, swaying marsh grasses, panoramic views of the Atlantic.
The wild beaches are filled with an abundance of seashells and fossils to puzzle over and view — no collecting allowed, though, to maintain the undisturbed quality of the refuge. There’s also a maze of coastal trails winding through maritime forests and secluded beach coves protected by dedicated conservation efforts.
How to get there: Drive south on U.S. Highway 17 before heading east on S.C. Highway 174. About 8.5 miles after the McKinley Washington Bridge, turn left onto Botany Bay Road and after about two miles, turn left into Botany Bay Plantation. Open all week except Tuesdays and during scheduled hunts. —Jessica Mischner
McLeod Plantation brings together past, present
McLeod Plantation Historic Site on James Island offers a powerful experience for visitors interested in history and what things were like years ago.
The site is just a few minutes from downtown, but entering the grounds feels like you are stepping back into the world of slave cabins, a grand house, fields and live oak trees dripping with vegetation and Spanish moss.
With an antebellum history that stretches back to 1741, this 37-acre former plantation today serves as a Gullah/Geechee heritage site that invites exploration of the past while fostering an understanding of the struggles and triumphs that shaped Charleston. The grounds feature rich exhibits that span the time of enslavement, the Civil War and the emergence of African American culture in the Lowcountry.
Guests can see the grand McLeod family home as well as the white houses built for enslaved people on the property. You can learn about the cultivation of Sea Island cotton and the role of the free Black Massachusetts 55th Volunteer Infantry in emancipating enslaved individuals. Explore the Gullah culture, the influence of the Freedmen’s Bureau, and the importance of spirituality and worship for people who lived on the site, now operated by Charleston County Parks and Recreation.
The plantation’s grounds include a riverside pavilion, a majestic oak allée and the McLeod Oak, thought to be more than 600 years old. McLeod Plantation is not merely a place of memorial, but an evolving site where the lessons of the past live on. With deep cultural and historical significance, McLeod Plantation is a must-visit destination in Charleston that connects the past with the present in visible, tangible ways.
Want to go? Open each Tuesday through Sunday, McLeod Plantation offers guided and self-guided tours. Group tours start at 9:30 a.m. and continue every half-hour until 2:30 p.m. Visitors are asked to arrive 15 minutes before the tour start time. —Madison Clark
West Ashley Greenway offers tranquility in the middle of town
Just a few blocks away from bustling Savannah Highway, the tranquil West Ashley Greenway sets a slower pace to view scenic Lowcountry vistas.
The greenway parallels the highway for about eight miles, beginning near the South Windermere Shopping Center on Folly Road and ending at the Stono River County Park on Johns Island.
From the greenway, walkers, runners and bikers can glimpse into backyard gardens and play spaces. Then at the edge of Charleston without warning comes a surprising behind-the-scenes view of Clemson University’s Coastal Research and Education Center that fronts the highway.
When the asphalt path turns to hard-packed soil, the greenway cuts through marshland and spans tidal creeks that flow into the Stono River. The waterways attract anglers who are willing to talk with the curious about the catch of the day.
Don’t resist the temptation to snap a cell phone picture of wildlife, especially an egret probing for a meal.
Stop and read the signs. Follow the greenway etiquette so it remains safe for bikers and walkers.
The greenway is not the Tour de France, but when conditions are right, it can be a level straightaway for a good cardio challenge. —Herb Frazier
Find French masterworks on view in Columbia
Now until Jan. 5, you can take a two-hour drive to the Columbia Museum of Art and see stunning artworks by masters of the French Modernist movement, including Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and more.
The special exhibition, which is called French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850 — 1950, is on tour in Soda City from the Brooklyn Museum.
(Pro tip: visit on the first Thursday of the month, next up, Jan. 2, for extended hours, guided tours and free admission.) —Chloe Hogan
Withdraw to Caw Caw for a joyful day of awe
There’s one thing that makes Caw Caw Interpretive Center a fantastic place to walk around in December.
Well, two: No bugs and snoozing alligators.
In the spring as migratory birds swoop into the county park near Ravenel, your eyes will bulge from seeing so much wildlife. In the sticky months of summer, you’ve got to show up early to enjoy the park without ending up a sweaty mess or bumping into a mama alligator protecting her babies. (This happened to us once and it is not an experience you want to have.)
By fall as this site of former plantations starts to sleep, you get a great appreciation for changes in habitat. Walking on paths cutting through old rice fields brings a sashay of rustling reeds.
But the coolness of winter is where Caw Caw really seems to shine. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful. And it’s mostly crisp and still, interrupted periodically by a soaring eagle or an osprey.
Caw Caw is a fantastic place for introspection and reflection. Its six miles of trails in and out of marshy areas make it great for hiking in quintessential Lowcountry fields carved out of cypress swamps generations ago by enslaved Africans. At ground level on Caw Caw’s elevated paths, you almost feel trapped in time.
And if you’re looking to learn a little history, Caw Caw has that, too. This low-impact wildlife preserve offers a small museum plus outside interpretive exhibits packed with information. The area is also part of the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program.
Want to go? Caw Caw Interpretive Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays. It is not open on Mondays, Memorial Day or Labor Day. Pets and bikes not permitted. Cost of admission: $2 per person. Location: 5200 Savannah Highway, Ravenel. —Andy Brack
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