Classic Carolina Getaway

Come to this coastal village to spend the holidays.

Beaufort's laid-back style is delightfully contagious--especially this time of year. Spanish moss hangs like silvery St. Nicholas beards from muscular, dark-armed live oaks. Bright red clusters of nandina and holly berries droop against deep green foliage. Nature shows off the season pretty splendidly, and the people of Beaufort use it to great advantage.

Room at The Rhett House Inn

Nestled among the live oaks on Craven Street sits the beautiful Doric-- columned Rhett House Inn, its graceful steps curling up to the wide, two-story porch. Among the best parts about rooming here are the sweet desserts owner Marianne Harrison leaves in the kitchen every evening. That, and sitting out on the veranda, hearing the bells ring from St. Helena's Episcopal Church, and watching the world walk by. There's a price for this panache: Rooms start at $149 weekdays; call 1-888-480-9530. The Best Western Sea Island Inn, across the street, has less pricey rooms for $109; call 1-800-528-1234.

Stroll the Neighborhood

Once you've settled in, start out at the Visitor Information Center on Carteret Street. Check out seasonal happenings, such as the Christmas parade downtown at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 8. Another great place to begin is the John Mark Verdier House, a three-story home sitting on Bay Street. You'll find helpful volunteers and a gift shop run by the Historic Beaufort Foundation. Tours of the upstairs ($5) tell the story of early Beaufort's rise to becoming a cotton and indigo capital.

Several blocks up Carteret Street sits the Beaufort Museum at the Arsenal, a stucco structure guarded by iron cannons. Recently renovated, the fortress, built in 1798, contains changing exhibits on Lowcountry life. Sunset, Shops, and Seafood

We've saved the best for last: downtown shops, dinner, and Waterfront Park. Bay Street presents a mix of boutiques next to mom-and-pop shops. Favorites include Fordham Hardware, which sells at least one of everything ever made, and Lipsitz Department Store, which has the air of being frozen in the fifties. Two excellent restaurants are The Beaufort Inn (try the fresh seafood selection; $16-$30) and Bistro 205 (we liked the lump crab cake appetizers; $9). The Beaufort Inn has romantic rooms too. Rates are $145-$245; call (843) 521-9000. Stroll out to Waterfront Park, and admire the view of the Intracoastal Waterway, including the Islander charter tour boat, strung with simple lights. Against the backdrop of the golden glow of marsh grass in the fading light of day, it's one of the prettiest holiday decorations we've ever seen. MARK G. STITH

For more information: Contact the Greater Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-638-3525 or www. beaufortsc.org.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Dec 2002
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