9 reasons Beaufort County may have best fall around
I often hear it said by Northerners that they miss "seasons" -- as if we don't have those here in our own form. It might be hard to beat the visual beauty of autumn in Vermont or the feeling of jumping into a crunchy leaf pile, but I think we come close.
Here are, in my estimation, the best parts of living in the Lowcountry during the fall:
1. Our inside cardigans can now be our outside cardigans. This is my favorite thing about a Lowcountry fall, walking outside and already being appropriately dressed. Let's face it, the summer sun is brutal. But so, too, is our summer air conditioning. Office buildings, stores and even some homes are nothing short of refrigerated in July and August. I'm not complaining, but you shouldn't have to blow on your fingertips to prevent hypothermia when it's 95 degrees outside.
2. Football. I don't watch football, but lots of people down here do. A bonus is that they do it on Saturdays AND Sundays, which means it's nice and easy to get around town during game time.
3. Walking on the beach. Of course, we can walk on the beach whenever we want, but the fall is a particularly wonderful time to do so. It's still warm enough. There are fewer people milling about. And we can get a good workout without anyone asking if "you're OK" because you look like you might very well not be.
4. Smell of burning something or other. I have no idea what that earthy smell is, whether it's coming from fireplaces, fire pits or a pile of lawn refuse, but I look forward to it. Sometimes, when I'm driving, I put down my window just to experience it. It smells cozy and like someone somewhere is making a really great dinner for Santa.
5. Cinnamon brooms. What is a cinnamon broom? I do not know, but nothing says "It's fall" like a grocery store cinnamon broom. The second the store doors open, they're there, assaulting us with their cinnamon smell. I bought one once, and I'm not even sure why. Does it go on my door? Do I teach my dog to sweep with it? No matter. It just seemed right to have one.
6. Oysters. During the summer, I use my oyster knife to spread cheese and occasionally as a dangerous screwdriver. During the fall and winter, it fulfills its rightful destiny at oyster roasts ... and also to spread cheese and as a dangerous screwdriver.
7. Lower electric bills. Every year I look forward to the first day I can turn off the air and leave it off until April. Screened doors and windows also love the fall because they finally get to do what they were created to do because sometimes during the summer I wonder why they're there at all.
8. It's mostly not "also nice" up North. The fall is when the phone calls North can contain some actual meaningful comparison. No more of that "Oh. Yes, it's nice here too." Secretly we can win in a weather contest that doesn't even exist.
9. Festivals, 5Ks and river cleanups. If anyone ever tells you there's nothing to do on the weekends, they're not paying attention. There's too much to do in the fall. Too much. I can barely keep up.
Follow columnist and senior editor Liz Farrell at twitter.com/elizfarrell and facebook.com/elizfarrell.
This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 8:57 PM with the headline "9 reasons Beaufort County may have best fall around."