Oysters don't really have an off-season, and neither do the people who love to eat them. Even though it's winter, you can still celebrate the mighty mollusk at a couple of festivals in the Southeast this January. Beyond the half-shell, you can also find plenty else to do at these historic coastal destinations.
Apalachicola, Fla.
If you could magically follow a drop of water in the Chattahoochee River flowing through Atlanta on its long journey to the sea, you would pass by Apalachicola just before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. Established in 1831, Apalachicola became a hub for exporting cotton from the plantations upriver and timber from the surrounding forests. As the town grew so did its seafood industry. The bountiful oyster beds in Apalachicola Bay and St. George Sound helped to ensure this industry's success. When Apalachicola ceased to be major shipping port the town fell into a decline until the 1990s, when tourism to the area began increasing as more people discovered a slice of the Florida coast that wasn't overrun with development. Today Apalachicola has become a refuge for many artists and entrepreneurs seeking a low-key, unpretentious environment to live and work in, and they have blended in well with the more salty natives who still work the oyster tongs and haul in the shrimp nets each day.
Apalachicola Oyster Cook-Off, Jan. 15
This is the first year for this event, so don't expect the crowds of thousands that show up for the decades-old Florida Seafood Festival held in Battery Park each November. The cook-off will take place at the smaller Riverfront Park, a scenic waterfront promenade where shrimp boats dock next to the historic downtown district. Contestants will have two hours to prepare and serve their oyster-based recipes for the competition, but there will be plenty of seafood served up all afternoon, accompanied by live music and entertainment for the kids. The cook-off is a fundraiser for the Apalachicola Fire Department. If you have an oyster recipe you'd like to enter into the contest submit the name of your dish and an entry fee by January 5. Visit www.oystercookoff.com for more info on entering and/or attending the cook-off.
Dixie Theater
Located a block away from Riverfront Park where the cook-off takes place, the Dixie Theater first opened in 1913, when Apalachicola was a Southern boom port. The boom ended but the theater held on until 1967, when it was closed and shuttered by the city. As Apalachicola began to experience a rebirth in the 1990s, so did the Dixie. Reopened in 1998 after a painstaking restoration project, it is now a nonprofit theater arts organization that brings plays and concerts to town year-round. During the weekend of the oyster cook-off "Patsy," a tribute to the life and music of Patsy Cline by Margo Anderson with the Country Gold Band, will be the featured presentation. Performances are scheduled at 8 p.m on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Around Town
Apalachicola is small enough to tour on foot or by bike. Park the car downtown (no parking meters here) and pick up a walking tour map from the Visitor Center on Commerce St. that will lead you to some notable historic sites. The Combs House Inn provides complimentary street cruising bikes to its guests. The Water Street Hotel offers guided tours of the seafood processing plants on the waterfront and golf cart tours of town where you can see the varied period architecture of many homes and buildings. If you decide to hoof it on your own you'll find a lively business district where shopkeepers and restaurateurs are eager to talk about their town and seem proud of keeping the big developers at bay while preserving its eccentric old-Florida character.
Stay
The Coomb's House Inn. Like seemingly every business in Apalachicola, this bed and breakfast is located in a historic structure. Built in 1905, the house has been restored and run by the same owner since opening in 1994. Rates start at $119. 80 Sixth St., Apalachicola. 850-653-9199; www.coombshouseinn.com.
Eat
Tamara's Cafe. Gourmet fresh seafood dishes are the specialty at this restaurant with a casual atmosphere in an attractive red-brick historic building downtown. Dinner entrees start at $16. 71 Market St., Apalachicola. 850-653-4111; www.tamarascafe.com.
Tourist info
Apalachicola Visitor Center. 122 Commerce St., Apalachicola. 850-653-9419; www.anaturalescape.com; www.apalachicolabay.org.
Charleston, S.C.
Downtown Charleston is situated on a peninsula that sticks out like a tongue at the mouth of two rivers that empty into Charleston Harbor. The only skyscrapers are church spires. It seems almost every building and dwelling has a plaque out front denoting its historical and/or architectural significance. Still, Charleston has somehow managed to enter the modern age as a hip destination while also remaining tastefully -- some would say defiantly -- traditional.
Lowcountry Oyster Festival, Jan. 30
The soaring, eight-lane Arthur Ravenel Bridge will lead you across the Cooper River from Charleston to Mount Pleasant, where the Lowcountry Oyster Festival takes place. Mount Pleasant is a charming historic seafood village that, thanks to the bridge, is now a commuter suburb of Charleston. This is the 28th year of the festival, which is hosted by the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association, with proceeds benefiting many local charities. Beginning at 10:30 am, the festival takes place on the grounds of Boone Hall Plantation on the outskirts of Mount Pleasant and will feature oyster shucking and eating contests, a live music stage, a kids area with pony rides and bounce houses as well as a food court spotlighting regional cuisine and beer. For tickets visit www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com.
Roadside basket stands
US 17 running north of town is dotted with the roadside stands of "basket ladies" selling handmade sweetgrass baskets. This is an art form that is part of the Gullah/Geechee tradition. In 2006 the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor was established by Congress and became part of the National Park Service to help preserve this culture of the Lowcountry area, including these basket weavers who struggle to ply their trade in the modern world. You might also find them at the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Pavilion in Memorial Waterfront Park at the foot of the Ravenel Bridge.
Historic Old Village/Shem Creek
Marinas and dock-side restaurants line the banks of Shem Creek, the main artery of the Mount Pleasant seafood industry. Here you can dine on fresh seafood while watching the trawlers glide in with the day's catch. The marshy setting provides for a picture-perfect maritime moment. A stone's throw away is the Old Village. On the National Register of Historic Places, the Old Village contains many antebellum homes and churches. This a place to park the car for an afternoon and take a leisurely stroll while browsing the boutiques.
Boone Hall Plantation
The long driveway leading to Boone Hall Plantation, where the oyster festival takes place, is reason enough to visit. Called the Avenue of Oaks, it is the quintessential Lowcountry plantation scene, with old oak trees lined up like sentries leading to the main house and a canopy of overarching limbs draped with Spanish moss leading the way. The plantation offers tours of the mansion, historic slave dwellings, gardens and fields that still bear crops. www.boonehallplantation.com
Stay
Old Village Post House. Historic, renovated building with six rooms in the heart of the Old Village. Rates begin at $99. 101 Pitt St., Mount Pleasant. 843-388-8935; www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com/ovph/
Eat
Old Village Post House. Even if you can't stay at the Post House you can still eat and drink there. Gourmet Lowcountry seafood and pasta dishes are served in the inn's restaurant, which also has a tavern that is a favorite with locals and tourists. Dinner entrees $17-$26. Same contact info as above.
Tourist info
Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau's Mount Pleasant Visitor Center. 99 Harry M. Hallman, Jr. Blvd. 800-774-0006; www.charlestoncvb.com.
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