It was our first holiday season living and traveling full time in our camper van, and the best way I can describe it is– that it was different. But don’t worry, we still had a great time!

One reason it was different is because living in a van is not conducive to the type of holiday decorating I like to do. I am one of those people who loves to go over the top–you know, BIG Christmas tree with all the special ornaments we’ve collected through the years, stockings hung by the fireplace, garlands wrapped around the staircase, festive wreath on the front door, twinkling lights everywhere, special fancy dinnerware, and all that jazz. I really missed that this year! But, I did paint a Christmas tree on one of our storage totes to give our van a little holiday cheer.

And, I want to say thank you to Dan’s parents who gave us an awesome little musical paper spinning tree, which we proudly displayed on our microwave.

Another reason it was different this year was because our kids (they are all adults now actually, but what else would I call them) weren’t with us. They rotate their holiday schedules to be with different parents and grandparents each year, and since we had them for Thanksgiving this year, we did not for Christmas. We are happy we got to speak to each of them on the phone and see some of them open their presents from us on Facetime! Except for the two boys who this year just wanted cash. Ha Ha- whatever makes them happy!

Another reason this holiday season was different was the absence of some of our beloved holiday traditions. The ones I missed the most were:

• Wrapping presents and putting bows and tags on everything. Everyone always says I use too much tape, but now I embrace it and make it a real challenge to open a gift. And believe me, I take gift-wrapping very seriously.
• Laying out the presents under the tree and filling the stockings while they “sleep”. Everyone also gets a box of their favorite cereal–what’s yours?
• Waking up on Christmas morning and seeing the childlike joy and excitement on everyone’s faces.
• Having Dan’s homemade cinnamon rolls. They’re indescribably delicious!
• Baking and decorating Christmas cookies and making Pizzelles.
• Dipping pretzels, marshmallows, and basically every treat we have on hand, in chocolate–and making muddy buddies and reindeer chow.
• Making holiday crafts, like ornaments, wreaths, decorations, and cards.
• Having our Christmas Eve smorgasbord–where everyone makes a special dish. I was really craving Dana’s spinach dip this year and Branden’s homemade salsa!
• Playing party games– like Balderdash, Telestrations, blindfolded karaoke, and the book exchange game my mother Peppi made up.
• Driving around the neighborhoods to see the Christmas lights– with hot cocoa in hand, of course.
• Gathering together in the living room in our pajamas to watch Christmas movies and eat treats.

Dan and I still managed to watch a couple of Christmas movies in the van, though, which was quite cozy and nice. Recognize this one?

This holiday season was different, for sure. But, we made the best of it. And, Dan and I really had a wonderful time being together–even though we were just a party of two. So now, I’d like to tell you more about what we actually did and where we traveled in our van. It was a “Happy Holiday Season”, indeed!

Charleston, South Carolina

We were both very excited to spend a week in Charleston, since neither of us had ever been there before. I reached out to my friend Stefannie because she’s vacationed there several times, and she gave me a wonderful list of tips and recommendations. Thank You, Stefannie! We spent our first couple of days doing our top “must-do’s”, but then we got some surprise information that changed the course of the rest of our week.

When we called Dan’s brother Ben to wish him a happy birthday, he asked us where we were. Upon telling him, “Charleston,” he replied, “You should go see your Uncle Dave–he lives in Charleston!

Turns out, Uncle Dave lived just a few miles from where we’d been camping in the van. He invited us to come stay in their home and be with them the rest of the week. It was wonderful getting to know Dan’s Uncle Dave, Aunt Lisa, and cousin David. They have a lovely, spacious home filled with fine art and exquisite furnishings, and a beautiful chocolate Labrador, who I instantly fell in love with.

We played a fun dominoes game called, “Mexican Train”, watched a Christmas movie (White Christmas–one of my favorites), and ate delicious food. Uncle Dave heard I liked shrimp cocktail, so he bought a huge party-sized tray for us to share. We also had steak, roast beef, and a variety of bakery breads and jams. Yummy!

I am looking forward to seeing them again, maybe next year when we’re out that way. I also have more Charleston things on my list to do!

Here are some photos of Charleston and surrounding areas.

This is Summerville–a suburb of Charleston. It was so cute for Christmas!

This is a real tree that is there year-round, which they had decked in ornaments and lights. It was incredibly beautiful! I wonder how tall it was when they planted it–and how long ago that was? I bet when it was a baby, it looked like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree, with the one red bulb hanging on it. And, look at it now!

This is South Carolina’s oldest pharmacy–Guerin’s–serving Summerville since 1871!

Guerin’s had such cute displays! And, we got treats–I got a scoop of mint chip ice cream and Dan got a root beer float.

This is what Santa and Rudolph looked like when I was a kid.

And, we had to get a Charleston Chew when in Charleston!

While we were in Summerville, we had to see the World’s Largest Sweet Tea! We walked up and down the street looking for it, and we finally found it tucked behind a building. Right when we spotted it, a loud GONG went off (must’ve been a clocktower nearby or something), and we both screamed. If anyone was watching us, I’m sure they had a good laugh. You’re welcome.

We had pizza for dinner at Benny Mezzetto’s. Super cute and great location. Decent pizza–and only $5.50/slice–but it’s no Lorenzo’s!

In Charleston, we took a haunted carriage ride. It was so much fun! Our driver told us about Charleston’s haunted history–with some of its legends and lore. Afterwards, we walked around to see some of the same sites we saw on carriage on foot.

Do you see the church tower with the lights on in the photo below? More than two hundred years ago, there was a wedding celebration happening in this church, and just before the ceremony, the bride-to-be (Harriet Mackie) disappeared. She was later found dead in this church tower–having been poisoned. The motive had to do with disputes over her considerable inheritance. Legend has it that she still haunts the church tower, and sometimes you can see her ghostly silhouette in the upper windows. Do you see anything?

There is a very old cemetery in the photo below. We were told that the grassy area below our feet contained mass graves of those who died of the yellow fever epidemic in the mid 1800’s (mostly children). In those days, because of the fear of contagion, they would hold a ten-foot-pole with a mirror on the end under the nose of the diseased to see if they were still breathing. If their breath fogged up the glass, they were declared alive. If not, they were declared dead. Those declared dead were piled in the mass graves and immediately covered with layers of seashells, soil, and earth.

One can only hope they were actually dead, and that their noses weren’t just stuffed up. Terrifying thought to be buried alive, isn’t it? Legend has it that the ghost of one mother still roams around the cemetery trying to find her missing children. Despite what my face says in the photo below, I can assure you, I showed the utmost respect for the deceased. And, I was also genuinely scared!

We were told that in the old days, they thought it would be better to build churches in a circular shape like this (below) because, “The devil hides in the corners.” I don’t know why, but I thought this was really funny. So, there’s no devil in this church, right?!

We were also told an intriguing, haunting story about Annabel Lee and Edgar Allen Poe that supposedly happened here, but it’s a long story, and I’d probably tell it wrong. If you want to read more about that, click here.

After leaving the cemetery (which it turned out we weren’t actually supposed to be in because it was after hours….but they left a side gate open, so….) We walked around King Street (a major downtown shopping district in Charleston). All the stores were already closed, but we saw some very impressive Holiday displays in the windows!

This next photo was my favorite window display. I love the vintage clothing and decor–and especially the plush pink carpet. Which outfit is your favorite?

Coach had a very nice tree!

Louis Vuitton had an eye-catching, bright, and bold holiday carousel in their window. Woah, an ostrich–how creative! <3

And, I stopped and watched this spinning dollhouse in a store’s window for a few day-dreamy minutes. I remember playing with little Alyssa in her dollhouse with all her Kelly dolls and their tiny furniture and accessories. Sometimes I get nostalgic for those days. Now, all of our kids are grown and have their own places to furnish and decorate!

After a wonderful walk around King Street, we decided to camp for the night in the Planet Fitness parking lot. We had never done this before, but we learned from an app we use called iOverlander that this was what people do. I always feel a little uneasy sleeping in new places (I am most comfortable at Cracker Barrel these days), but we had a good, uneventful, quiet sleep. This was SO nice, too, because (since we are PF members) we got to wake up and work out and have a hot shower before starting our day! And then, we had breakfast right in our van!

Side note (speaking of breakfast) we have struggled a little with regulating the temperature on our van fridge–and sometimes our eggs freeze. I’ve learned from this that you can actually fry frozen eggs (once you painstakingly peel the shell off piece by tiny little piece). You lose a lot of the white, but you still have a nice yolk to work with. Below is what frying a frozen egg looks like, in case you’re curious. And yes, it does take a few minutes longer.

After our workday (at Panera, of course), we drove over to Uncle Dave’s house and stayed in his guest room for a few days. It was so nice, and even had pictures of Charleston on the walls! The next morning, Dan’s cousin David drove us around Charleston to see some of the “touristy” sites.

It was a gorgeous drive, and a bright, sunshiny day!

We saw “Rainbow Row,” where every house is painted a different color.

David took us to one of his favorite lunch spots–Boxcar Betty’s. Maybe the best chicken sandwich I’ve ever had!

When we returned to David’s neighborhood, we saw something CRAZY! (To me it was crazy, anyway) It was a 9-foot alligator just chilling behind someone’s back yard. Do you see it below?

It sparked a conversation that has continued throughout our southeast journey–basically, alligators are everywhere around here! I honestly had no idea. But believe me, I am vigilant now! Anytime I am near a body of water, I am on the lookout for alligators. I took this one of the same alligator a little later. Yikes!

And, it’s important to be vigilant on dry land, too, if there is water nearby–because alligators can walk! David showed us a picture from a “ring” doorbell camera, where an alligator had walked up and was tapping his nose against the front door. Can you even imagine opening your door to see an alligator??!! Nope, I don’t think I could live there.

I also learned that alligators can run– and are pretty fast. So, if you’re ever being chased by one, don’t just run because they might catch you. Instead, run in a zig-zag pattern to confuse it, since it is slow turning side to side. I think I’d just choose to run on the treadmill at Planet Fitness if I lived here. Oh. My. Goodness.

Speaking of running, Dan has been running a lot, and we’ve been finding lots of parks and nature trails for him. While he runs, I like to walk and take nature and wildlife photographs. But, admittedly, I’m really hoping NOT to photograph any more alligators. I’d like to stay as far away as possible from those! I have started reading all the signs posted everywhere, and most of them confirm that there ARE, in fact, alligators. Oh boy.

We have found some beautiful trails, though!

We started seeing these mossy trees (as I call them) in Charleston, and we’ve continued to see them throughout the southeast coast. Google Lens says they’re called, “Spanish Moss,” and they’re known to grow in tropical or subtropical climates. I think they’re pretty, especially as the wind blows them, and they give great shade!

I’ve also been seeing this leaf everywhere, and for some reason, I really love it.

I also enjoy seeing all the tropical birds everywhere we go. We keep saying, “I guess this is where birds go when they fly south for the winter!”

Speaking of going south for the winter, it was soon time for us to say goodbye to Charleston and Dan’s family, and continue down the eastern seaboard.

St. Augustine, Florida

We decided our next stop would be America’s oldest city–St. Augustine, Florida. It was founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer, admiral, and conquistador Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, and has been continuously occupied ever since. We spent most of our time exploring the ruins of the old Spanish fort and city walls, and walking around the historic district. I love how forts and old stone walls really bring out the kid in Dan–he sure loves to climb around! He makes me smile.

This is Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.

You can’t tell from a distance, but all of these walls are made of millions (maybe billions) of tiny shells–Holy Mackerel! Look closely at the photo of one of the walls below. Can you see the seashells?

From the monument, it was a short, scenic walk along the shoreline to the historic district, where the restaurants, shops, and attractions are.

Nice view! And, I spy a lighthouse!

We went inside the Cathedral Basilica and sat for a while. It was beautiful and peaceful, and Dan pointed out the gorgeous ceiling.

Hugo Ohlms, a mural artist and scholar, designed most of the cathedral’s interior in 1965. The ceiling is painted red with black cross beams that feature the coats of arms of the diocesan bishops.

We saw some very unique shops in historic St. Augustine. This one, which we thought Nikole would absolutely adore, is an entire boutique for tiny dogs! Wouldn’t Teddy look cute in some of these?!

This one, with all the fun clocks, would certainly capture Alyssa’s attention. Especially the roller skate!

I think this next one would be a favorite for most anyone–a homemade candy/ ice cream shop!

The area itself was so charming and cute–a lovely place for a walk.

And, we even spotted the oldest wooden schoolhouse in the USA! We didn’t even know that was there!

As it started to get dark outside, we walked towards the shoreline to see if we could find any Christmas lights. And, BOY did we ever! We also saw Santa Claus!

There were lights everywhere–even on this carriage!

And this ship even got the memo–lights everywhere!

St. Augustine had their annual, “Nights of Lights” holiday display going, and we were lucky enough to stumble upon it by chance and get to experience it!

Okay, this is even more lights than I’ve ever put up!

Pretty cool that we got to experience the Hilton’s Holiday displays, even without staying at the Hilton. Sorry, Hilton. But, we’ve stayed with you plenty of other times!

This glorious tree at the park was like the icing on the cake. Just WOW!

And even a Menorah! Dan wanted to take my picture with the Menorah since I am Jewish. (I didn’t always know I was Jewish. If you are curious why, see my last post about finding my family.) One of these years, I want to learn how to observe a traditional Hanukkah. Maybe 2025!

We heard beautiful singing, and came upon these wonderful carolers.

One of them handed me a songbook so I could sing along. I didn’t need it–I know the words to , “Joy to the World!” But, I was touched that she noticed me, and offered such a kind gesture. And, it was fun singing along with them!

I even teared up a little. I remember going Christmas caroling with my church group many times back in the day (early 2,000’s). I was their choir director then, and I had the pleasure of teaching these melodies and harmonies to a delightful and enthusiastic group of singers and accompaniment. These are joyful and triumphant memories that will always be a part of me.

Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida

The next morning, we drove another two hours southward to Orlando, Florida, where we checked into a hotel for Christmas Eve and Day. We decided to get a hotel because it would be easier to talk to some of our family on the phone–since Panera and all our other good WIFI places would be closed for the holidays. And since most restaurants would also be closed, we stocked up at the grocery store so we could still eat well.

For Christmas Eve, Dan made delicious steak, potatoes, and asparagus! And, I treated myself to a shrimp cocktail ring! We also got a variety of cookies to eat while watching Elf!

On Christmas Day, we got Chinese food at Buffet City–delicious!

The hibachi grill was fresh and fantastic!

They had a nice selection of desserts, too! And, I thought it would be fun to place them in the shape of Mickey Mouse, since we’re in Orlando. And also, the green beans are like candy (amazing), so I had them for dessert. And, in case you’re wondering, no, I did not eat all of that.

And, while in the hotel with our own big bathroom, Dan and I did all of our regular, monthly pampering. I cut his hair and he cut and dyed mine. I also gave myself a manicure and pedicure–complete with a glittery accent nail on each hand. So, we’re good to go for another month or so, depending on how scruffy we get out there living the vanlife!

After Christmas, we decided to stick around the Orlando/Kissimmee area a little longer because the weather’s so nice and there’s so much to see and do. Another side note–we learned that we can park our van overnight in the Bass Pro Shops parking lot–which is right in the heart of everything–premium outlets, restaurants, attractions, amusement parks, a movie theatre, you name it. So, I am now a HUGE Bass Pro Shops fan! And, we made sure to buy some things there, as well, to return the favor–including a big vinyl sticker for our van to promote them throughout our travels.

We found plenty of Christmassy-things to do in the local area–even after Christmas. Lake Eola Park had an amazing lakeshore walk–decked out in holiday lights. We went for walks there several different times.

We found a wonderful beach nearby, too, where we spent one day playing in the water, sunning in the sand, reading a book together, and picnicking. Don’t worry, we watched out for alligators–just like the sign says!

In the bags, I had hummus, cucumber, cherub tomatoes, baby carrots, sweet mini peppers, pita crackers, cracked wheat bread, and store-bought spinach dip. (It was NOTHING like Dana’s, but worth a shot.) You can see from the expression on my face I was happy. And, my hair and nails look pretty good, right? 😉

For New Years Eve, we found a huge party in Old Town Kissimmee. There was live music, an arcade (I can’t believe Dan beat me at basketball AGAIN), an amusement park, and tons of shops and restaurants. I even bought a few new outfits from a cool vintage boutique! And, there were fireworks at midnight to bring in the New Year.

And a midnight kiss as well!

We didn’t have anything to drink (the line for the kid’s virgin piña colada smoothies was too long haha), but we had the candy we won at the arcade (HI-CHEWS and Sour Patch Straws)to tap together and say, “Cheers” to the New Year. And we had our first dance in 2025 to Auld Lang Syne by Mariah Carey.

I wish the Happiest of Holidays to all of my readers!

And Cheers to a wonderful 2025!

Please stay tuned to see where we go next!

XOXO,

Joanna

P.S. Dan decided to start the new year by running a marathon. And, he got first place in his age group! Way to set the bar high for goal-achievement this year, babe! I’m so proud of you!