Two of the three most memorable Christmas holidays I’ve had as an adult I spent on my own at home here in San Francisco. The city becomes quiet during the holidays – from about December 20th until after New Year’s – allowing a serenity that you can’t find any other time of year. The other of my three most memorable was spent in London, another large city that exists as a calmer version of itself at Christmas carrying over to Boxing Day.

This year was more typically harried involving several planes and an automobile. I flew to Atlanta, picked up a car to drive first to Wilmington, North Carolina, and then Charlottesville, Virginia. I really didn’t want to leave Wilmington, which is where I grew up, and found myself longing for a less peripatetic December.

My stay in Wilmington was short (only two days) but served as a nice respite from the enjoyable but generally hectic holiday visits to friends and family. I spent most of my time walking through shops and galleries downtown near my accommodations: Front Street Inn. The inn – where I’ve stayed several times before – is showing its age and is in need of some freshening up but is still a nice and comfortable place to stay during the holidays.

I also had the chance to check out Wilmington’s art museum. The Cameron Art Museum opened less than a decade ago and serves as the main fine art museum in Wilmington. The current CAM exhibits all have a regional focus that will give the visitor a glimpse into Southern culture, both past and contemporary. Please support local museums! They don’t have the resources to have extensive permanent collections and blockbuster exhibits, but they fill an important need as keepers of the local culture.

As for next year, I hope to have fewer destinations and a more relaxed holiday. That sounds like a promising New Year’s resolution.