Spending the weekend with my family, jumping from different holiday hometowns in the Old 96 District of South Carolina, was a great way to get me into the holiday spirit for Christmas. We pulled into Greenwood late Friday afternoon, where we checked into the Inn on the Square. My first impression of the inn was it seemed vintage. I could imagine all the rehearsal dinners and anniversaries celebrated there.
When we walked inside, it looked more modern with a giant dazzling Christmas tree in the center of the lobby. That evening, we had dinner at the inn’s restaurant, the Cambridge Chop House. We enjoyed a great dinner, but I especially loved the chocolate dessert. It was rich and memorable–just the way I like it.
As we walked through the lobby after dinner, I noticed the other small Christmas decor. There was a little statue of an elf on the front desk and little candy cane decorations scattered throughout. It was quite festive. The next morning, we drove to Abbeville. As we drove out of Greenwood, my brother and I commented on the giant ornaments and lights around the town. We looked forward to seeing them again that evening.
In Abbeville, we went to Main Street Coffee Company for breakfast. Since the Reindeer Run had just ended, the line was out the door, but we moved quickly. At the counter, I saw this giant slice of red velvet loaf. After tasting it, I can confirm my original suspicions that it was moist and delicious. I paired it with a cup of hot chocolate. The restaurant has Christian scriptures across the walls and little drawings of trees and stars on their coffee cups, which I loved.
After breakfast, we walked downtown to see the Christmas parade. It was drizzling, but it didn’t dampen the Christmas spirit of the town. It was a classic small-town parade: some floats, vintage cars and a school band. The parade participants were tossing out candy to the kids. Since my brother and I are teenagers, they didn’t throw much our way. We joked that we kept getting overlooked.
Once the parade ended, we looked in the shops around town and did some last-minute Christmas shopping. I got my best friend and myself paper flower bouquets at Deason’s Flowers.
Next, we drove over to McCormick to see their holiday offerings. We walked through the small Christmas market that featured several local vendors. Afterward, we ate lunch at a cute little Italian place, Little Italy Pizzeria. I ordered the chicken Alfredo, and it was very flavorful.
Then, we walked over to gristmill, which was decorated for Christmas from the top of the roof to under the floorboards with tinsel, Snoopy and Peanuts decorations, lights galore, quilts, and all kinds of different Christmas decor. It was all very pretty and magical. Every inch of that building was covered with holiday cheer.
McCormick also had a Christmas parade. The town’s entire theme was Peanuts Christmas. The procession comprised several Peanut-themed floats. Growing up, Peanuts has been a big part of the holidays, so seeing the floats brought back fun family memories. Plus, we got a little extra candy at the parade.
That evening, we drove back to Greenwood to Connie Maxwell Baptist Church. The road around the church had elegant houses decorated with lights, reindeer-wired statues and letter signs. At the church, there were several booths with a petting zoo, hot chocolate and a prayer booth. There also was a horse-drawn carriage ride. The carriage took us by all the lights and houses around the church. It was very beautiful.
When we left the next morning, I was satisfied with our holiday break. It was a cheerful getaway to get me into that holiday spirit I had felt lacking.
By Elizabeth Warren
