Charleston – David Kotz

Schutzenfest

A longstanding family tradition.

Our family gathers for Thanksgiving in a meadow on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, for a feast and family reunion. In recent decades it has been held every year, on even years – but last year we had to postpone it due to the pandemic. So it was with great excitement and relief when the family gathered again, this year, reconnecting after three years. Only 80 attended this year – whereas almost 120 appeared three years ago – but it was a beautiful day, with fine weather and fine food and fine family.

Lunch was a potluck event, with an incredible spread of salads, sides, meats, and desserts.

Family lines up for the Thanksgiving feast.

The meadow is surrounded by oaks adorned by Spanish moss, adjacent to a pond filled with brilliant green duckweed.

After lunch, a skeet-shooting contest.

Time for BBQ

No visit to Charleston is complete without BBQ.

I haven’t visited Charleston (or anywhere in the southeast) for two and half years, so it was essential, during this visit, to find some good barbecue. Charleston has, of course, many barbecue restaurants; thus we found ourselves checking out one of the newer favorites, Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ. We visited at lunchtime on a Saturday – and were lucky to find a table for two. It’s a simple counter-service joint: wait in a long line, order at the counter, get a number, and some time later your order will be delivered to the table.