10 Great Places to Spend Christmas
Why Go: -Pecans roasting on the fire instead of chestnuts
-Eggnog laced with bourbon
-Choirs singing spirituals at Drayton Hall plantation.
Where to Stay: The 21-room Wentworth Mansion (149 Wentworth St.; 888/466-1886 or 843/853-1886; doubles from $385) dresses in subdued Victorian finery for the holidays with magnolia wreaths, old-world Santas, and two grand Christmas trees in the foyer. Every room has its own fireplace. On your pillow at turndown: chocolate truffles.
Holiday Dinner: At Peninsula Grill (112 N. Market St.; 843/723-0700; dinner for two $110), chef Robert Carter puts a radical spin on such low-country favorites as black-eyed pea, country ham and mushroom soup, and rack of New Zealand lamb with coconut-mint pesto.
Stocking Stuffer: Sweet grass is gathered from low-country marshes and then woven into baskets, bracelets, pins, barrettes, and earrings by traditional weavers at Vera Manigault's Family stand (843/884-5617; 843/860-2110) on Highway 17 North in Mount Pleasant.
—Shane Mitchell
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