In 1986, I was running errands in my neighborhood at that time, Nanuet, NY, and saw a huge tree being carted away on a flatbed truck. I didn't know until the annually televised tree lighting that the tree I saw was the one. I couldn't believe how awesome it felt when I realized how close I was to the tree that was going to make history! People come from all over the world to ice skate at Rockefeller Center and to see the lighting of the magnificent (and soon to be historic) tree. I don't know if there is another city in America that can rival the holiday displays and festivities of New York City.
New York City
I live in North Carolina now and just recently went to our city's tree lighting. Although Leland's wasn't as grand as the one in Manhattan, they did have guest singers singing Christmas carols and Santa Claus made an appearance. We were offered free coffee, hot chocolate and cookies which was really nice. No, it didn't come close to NYC but we did have a fun night!
Leland, NC
I haven't been to too many cities, though, at Christmastime and I'm sure that most towns across the United States have their tree lighting evenings, festivities and holiday displays. So since our Christmas tree and decorations were up and most of the presents were bought, I decided to plan a road trip or two to check out some holiday decor. I was on a quest to find and enjoy the best holiday displays in as many cities as I could get to in the two weeks before Christmas.
Week 1
The first stop of this adventure, would be the nearest city to us, Wilmington, NC. Me and Soko headed downtown to see the huge tree that I knew was there somewhere. I was hoping, and was pretty sure, that there would other things to see. And, yes, there was lots of festive decor all over the city to enjoy.
Wilmington, NC
Lots of the restaurants and shops downtown had holiday displays and this one even used the tree in front of their business to put Wilmington in a festive mood.
On our stroll down the Wilmington Riverwalk, was where we found the tree in front of the court house.
And the menorah...
And where we found the horse drawn carriage, lampposts and many other things shouting "It's Christmastime In The City!"
Our final stop here in downtown Wilmington was Front St. to see if the historic homes on this block were decorated for the holidays. There were and they were gorgeous.
We will definitely try to get downtown at another time to check out the other historic homes in the area but it was time to get ready for my next stop to find Christmastime in the city.
Charleston, SC
Early the next morning, me and my daughter, Lisa, hopped into the car and settled in for our four hour drive to meet some friends in Charleston, SC. I was very excited for this road trip as I had been to Charleston and it was such a charming old town and I was sure it would be even more delightful at Christmastime.
Charleston, on a gorgeous winter day with my best friends and favorite daughter. I can't think of a better way to enjoy the holiday displays of a beautiful city!
The first place we wanted to check out was the Charleston City Market...
which was right where the city put their tree.
Then a stroll around the town where we admired the creativity of this building...
and where we enjoyed the many other decked out buildings, and homes that filled their window flower boxes with festive plants and decor. We noticed that almost every building had a wreath hanging on it, either on a door or window, one prettier than the next.
A visit to Charleston wouldn't be complete without a walk down Rainbow Row.
Me and Lisa had a great time in Charleston, especially because we got to spend the day with good friends. The city was as we imagined and more. Now it was time to head back home but not before stopping for something to eat at one of Lisa's favorite places, Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Myrtle Beach, SC
Not only did we enjoy dinner here, but we were treated to some really beautiful and festive decorations! Christmas lights are really special at night and this stop had one of the prettiest displays I had seen so far.
And, just when we thought this day could not get any better, we saw the tree, spectacular and glowing with hundreds of colorful lights!
Click this link to read all about week 2 of our travels to find Christmas. It takes us six hours west to see what we can find in the mountains of North Carolina and into Tennessee. I also added our trip to Savannah, GA where we found the holiday spirit everywhere.
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Hi Cathy. Finally had a chance to look at your blog from Charleston. Great pictures from there and your other Christmas stops. Had a great day with you and Lisa and looking forward to seeing you again soon. Susan
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for our next adventure! Let's plan one soon!!
DeleteBeautiful trees! We have family in Wilmington and love to go shopping at the Cotton Exchange. Sadly when we were last there they weren't open since they were still recovering from the hurricane.
ReplyDeleteSome places are still closed but most businesses are opened now thank goodness. I hope your family made out OK.
DeleteLove all of those decorations and the tree at the end was outstanding! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteYes. I can't imagine how many lights that tree had on it.
DeleteEvery place is so beautifully decorated! I live in Garner, which is about 1 1/2 hours from you, and Wilmington is one of my favorite places to visit, but I have never been at Christmas. Now you have me planning a trip!! I am looking forward to seeing what you found in the mountains! Thank you so much for sharing at Celebrate It!
ReplyDeleteAw. It makes me so happy to hear that you are looking forward to seeing what we found in the mountains. Hope you enjoy the light show we found there. I hope you get to visit Wilmington. The historical homes, especially, were really amazingly decorated!
DeleteWow, everywhere is decorated so beautifully. I love the tree and the wreaths. Thank you for bringing all the jingle to the #dreamteam this week.
ReplyDeleteYes. I liked checking out the wide variety of wreaths. One was more beautiful than the other.
DeleteThere's a lot of very classy Christmas decorating going on here. The greenery swags are my favourite, too much glitziness can be a bit much sometimes.
ReplyDeleteYes sometimes less is more!
ReplyDeleteNice pictures
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteVery beautiful. Thanks for sharing. #alittlebitofeverything
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWhat a fun trip! Look beautiful and fun. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteYes it was both beautiful and fun. Merry Christmas to you and thank you so much for stopping by!
DeleteI finally got around to checking out your Christmastime In The City post, and I loved it! I especially loved the Charleston pics, Charleston is one of our favorite cities. Thanks for linking up with us BloggingGrandmothers End of the Year Link Party!
ReplyDeleteCharleston is a great city. Hope you went at Christmastime. It's really special then!
DeleteEnjoyed seeing your pics! This time of the year I really like looking at decorations, trees, and light displays. Thanks so much for linking up at #AThemedLinkup 6 for All Things Christmas. Shared. I invite you to also link up this post at my Unlimited Monthly Party 7 for more views and shares
ReplyDeleteThank you. I will do that!
DeleteHi Cathy and Merry Christmas! We are lucky to have family living in Charlestonand have celebrated numerous Thanksgivings and Easters there. In fact, Ive posted my own post of making merry there. I loved seeing it dressed up for Christmas. And the building with the reindeer wreaths was right up my decorating style, as I also shared my updated outdoor wreaths.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbee! You ARE lucky to have family in Charleston. I would definitely not mind having to go there for the holidays!! I will also definitely have to come over to your blog to see how you spend the holidays there! Hope you and your family have a Happy and Healthy New Year!
DeleteThanks for the Christmas wishes. I love seeing your pic. What a life you have. Life of. snowbird looks fun. Merry Christmas and a bright new year.
ReplyDeleteWe feel very fortunate to be able to live the good life in our senior years. It's nice to see you (I don't believe you are though), and other seniors enjoying life also!
DeleteA Happy and Healthy New Year to you and your family!
NYC does know how to celebrate! Fun to see some of these other sites too. The historic houses look great. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to go downtown every year to see the historic homes all dressed up for the holidays. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteRockefeller Center was the place to be for me every Christmas for the massive tree lighting. I love it. Christmas in NY is the BEST! One year I actually worked at NBC so my coworkers and I had a front row seat to all the festivities. Good times! Not so this year with COVID but we can still celebrate.
ReplyDeleteCharleston is on my list of places to visit. Looks amazing. Merry Christmas to you.
Wow! What a great memory you have of one of the best celebrations of the year. Lucky you!!
DeleteHope you get a chance to visit Charleston one day. It's such a charming city, especially at Christmastime.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
What a fun trip, Cathy! It was so cool seeing the Christmas decorations in so many different places. I look forward to part 2! Thank you for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks for traveling along with me and for hosting such a nice party. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year April!
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ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy coming to your party and reading about the latest happenings in your household and finding your latest recipes!
DeleteYour images look like post cards! So very pretty and the town was definitely the picture of a quant little Christmas town. Thank you for sharing this post. The #HomeMattersParty will be open again this week and I look forward to seeing what you are sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna! And thank you for letting me know you are back partying! Hope you had a wonderful time off!!
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