Favorite Places

I have a num­ber of favorite places on this lit­tle planet. The Grand Canyon is near the top of the list — as is the Pacific Ocean. The Atlantic is nice, but there is some­thing about those mas­sive swells in the Pacific that just make you stop and sense the amaz­ing power of water and wind. I know it is all the same ocean, but the West Coast gets the cooler waters — giv­ing it a bit dif­fer­ent aroma and feel.

I never tire of Charleston. If I had the money, I would fly all of my fam­ily and friends in from all over just to see that won­der­ful city. (San Diego is nice, but it is not exactly com­mut­ing dis­tance.) Folly Beach (the most used beach area near Charleston) is one of my favorite places too…as is Edisto Beach. For the last seven years, I have made a monthly pil­grim­age to Charleston to teach at Spring­field Col­lege. It is a per­fect sit­u­a­tion. I do the lec­ture part all day one Sat­ur­day per month. I make a few dol­lars, get to know a whole dif­fer­ent cir­cle of peo­ple, and get a chance to expe­ri­ence one more lit­tle bit of that won­der­ful place.

In the win­ter months, I can afford to stay at the Folly Beach Hol­i­day Inn (about a third the nor­mal sea­sonal rate). It is pretty empty but still main­tains a full staff and has a won­der­ful view of the ocean. It is an old hotel that has been ren­o­vated. Break­fast by the sea is hard to beat.

On Thurs­day night of this week I am attend­ing a fac­ulty Christ­mas party at the Fran­cis Mar­ion Hotel — but I am not stay­ing there. No, I am dri­ving back to Folly Beach. (If you are read­ing this, you are invited. You have to pay for your own room and get your own trans­porta­tion, but it is would be the best Christ­mas gift you could give your­self.) For as much as I like a down­town area, it is impos­si­ble to match the sound of the ocean…and watch­ing the sun­rise over it.

I like stay­ing on the top floor (and they allow pets, but so far I have not taken “Killer” — I don’t want to stam­pede the sharks). I spent Thanks­giv­ing there and may spend Christ­mas Day there too (and have done that in pre­vi­ous years). Hol­i­day by the sea! Give your­self a break from the Christ­mas rush and do what I do. Hide out where you can be coun­seled by waves and wind.