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Magnolia. Three syllables conjure up snow-white blooms, antebellum homes, old churches, and home places where magnolias anchor a landscape rich with dogwoods and azaleas. And there’s that lane where 122 magnolias welcome dignitaries to the world’s grandest golf course.

To be Southern, y’all, is to walk among magnolias.

I’ll never forget the magnolia my mother and I planted at my boyhood home or the magnolia at my grandfather’s old home place. When I conjure up those magnolias in my mind’s eye, boyhood returns. Many years later, a drive to another magnolia would bring those boyhood memories back.

My journey began with a suggestion. “You need to see the magnolia down in Edgefield County. It might be a record tree.”

That was enough for me. I went.

A Drive Into History

Driving down Edgefield way, I felt a bit like William Bartram, that legendary explorer who documented a magnolia of “great perfection.” On a March afternoon, blue sky streaked white with fleecy clouds, I drove to the site of the old Curryton Academy. Topping a rise, I spied the crown of a magnolia rising from a copse. Younger trees huddled around the old tree as if seeking advice. “O great one, what’s your secret for living nigh 173 years?”

The Curryton Magnolia’s secret resides in man’s desire for knowledge and the protective acts of men 172 years later. Upon hearing the tree’s site would become a residential development, men took action to spare it. The tree merited preservation for good cause. One, it’s a magnolia that has doubled its normal lifespan. Two, it stands on a historic site, and three, it may be a state record tree.

The tree’s journey began August 10, 1853, when some 1,200 people gathered at Sweetwater Springs to choose a site for an academy. Joel Curry gifted 1,000 acres and $2,000 for an academy. Thus did “Curryton” name the magnolia and the academy.

It’s no stretch to say the old magnolia’s roots intertwine with men’s desire to educate others. Joel Curry, Robert Meriwether, George Boswell, Samuel Getzen, Dr. Hugh A. Shaw, A.P. Butler, and Andrew J. Hammond, among others, founded an academy, which consisted of two schools. One school stood where the magnolia stands. What’s unknown is whether it was the girls’ school or the boys’. The other school stood a short piece near the present-day site of Old McDonald’s Fish Camp.

My journey took me down the rise. Driving closer in didn’t help. Trees kept me from seeing a tree akin to Bartram’s “great perfection” of a magnolia. I needed a close view of the magnolia’s trunks and limbs. I parked and, camera in hand, made my way through the shrubs and trees huddled around it. Leaves crunched beneath my feet as I approached the massive trunk. I looked up. Immense limbs and the sockets of limbs long-perished fired up my imagination, evoking images of what could be an elephant and what seemed like an octopus in the grand tree’s limbs. I stood beneath the tree, grateful to know others could experience what I was feeling. I took photos, made some mental notes, and looked around.

A home stood nearby—one home, not many. For that I was grateful also. Trees like Angel Oak and Curryton Magnolia deserve their own space. It should feel sacred when you visit the site of aged trees, survivors of note.

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This week, as blooming magnolias scent the air with intoxicating citrusy sweetness, we introduce you to what many believe is South Carolina’s second-oldest magnolia tree. Then, join us for a view of the Morris Island Lighthouse in in Charleston Harbor and experience Lady Loutrel’s afternoon tea service in downtown Charleston. Our Palmetto State journey ends with a moonrise over Lake Wateree.

The Curryton Magnolia

A monumental tree and school of consequence

Story and photos by

Magnolia. Three syllables conjure up snow-white blooms, antebellum homes, old churches, and home places where magnolias anchor a landscape rich with dogwoods and azaleas. And there’s that lane where 122 magnolias welcome dignitaries to the world’s grandest golf course.

To be Southern, y’all, is to walk among magnolias.

I’ll never forget the magnolia my mother and I planted at my boyhood home, or the magnolia at my grandfather’s old home place. When I conjure up those magnolias in my mind’s eye, boyhood returns. Many years later a drive to another magnolia would bring those boyhood memories back.

My journey began with a suggestion. “You need to see the magnolia down in Edgefield County. It might be a record tree.”

That was enough for me. I went.

READ MORE

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Morris Island Lighthouse

1750 E. Ashley Avenue
Folly Beach, South Carolina

The 161-foot, cast-iron Morris Island Lighthouse, built in 1876, is the third to stand sentinel at the entrance of Charleston Harbor after wars and storms destroyed its predecessors. Severe erosion washed away the keeper’s quarters and island the lighthouse once stood on, making it accessible only by boat or kayak, with viewing opportunities from Folly Beach’s Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve. An organization called Save the Light is leading ongoing restoration efforts to maintain the lighthouse, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lady Loutrel’s Afternoon Tea

61 State Street, Charleston, South Carolina
theloutrel.com

This exclusive two-hour tea service, featured in our Spring There and Back Again journey, makes a delightful Mother’s Day gift for you or your mom this weekend. Savor heritage botanical blends from Oliver Pluff & Co. poured into elegant Estelle Colored Glassware on a private, biophilic-inspired rooftop. You’ll also be served a tiered tower of delicate finger sandwiches featuring smoked salmon, pimento cheese, chicken salad, and cucumber, along with warm scones and an array of sweet Southern pastries and confections. The experience requires a minimum of four people and includes optional alcoholic sips. The service is available Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. by reservation, with prices starting at $340.

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Our May Backroad Bulletin highlights events across the Southeast that celebrate regional legends, seasonal produce, and Appalachian heritage.

Town & Trail Festival

May 1-2, 2026
Hot Springs, North Carolina

This relaxed rural gathering in the scenic mountain town of Hot Springs blends hiking culture along the Appalachian Trail with small-town charm. Expect live music, local vendors, food, trail-related activities, and community events celebrating the area’s natural beauty and outdoor heritage in a peaceful Blue Ridge setting.

Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Festival

May 2, 2026
Townsend, Tennessee

This sixth annual event in the heart of the Smoky Mountains celebrates the legendary creature with a full-day Bigfoot Birthday Bash. Attendees enjoy guest speakers sharing encounters and evidence, live music, food trucks, vendors, contests, interactive activities, photo ops with Party Sasquatch, themed games, giveaways, and a sweet cupcake celebration complete with confetti.

Florida Cracker Cowboy Heritage Festival

May 2, 2026
Alva, Florida

In the historic rural community of Alva near the Caloosahatchee River, this heritage festival showcases Florida’s unique Cracker cowboy culture through whip-cracking demonstrations, horsemanship and roping displays, cattle exhibits, and traditional ranching skills. Visitors can experience pioneer cooking demonstrations, cowboy poetry, live music, ranch crafts, and hands-on family activities.

Stories Around the State: Art and the American Revolution

May 5, 2026
Walterboro, South Carolina

This free educational program at Colleton Museum explores how art shaped public understanding of the American Revolution. Presented by historian Dr. Elizabeth Chew, the event examines portraits, political imagery, and wartime artwork that influenced public opinion during America’s fight for independence. Attendees gain insight into visual storytelling during the Revolutionary period while learning about South Carolina’s role in early U.S. history.

Barnwell Sundial Festival

May 8-9, 2026
Barnwell, South Carolina

This free, family-friendly small-town event in rural Barnwell County transforms the historic town circle with craft and food vendors, local artists, twirlers, bands, a street dance, and evening concert. It offers a relaxed, offbeat blend of shopping, entertainment, and Southern hospitality.

Making Chicken-N-Dumplings

May 9, 2026
Galax, Virginia

This educational cooking workshop at Matthews Living History Farm Museum teaches participants how traditional Appalachian families prepared meals from scratch using historic methods. Visitors learn about rural food traditions, farm cooking practices, and regional culinary heritage while preparing a classic dish. The event offers insight into daily life on early 20th-century Virginia farms and preserves important mountain food traditions.

British Festival & Saturday Queen’s Tea

May 9-10, 2026
Rugby, Tennessee

In the preserved 1880s utopian village of Historic Rugby on the Cumberland Plateau, this event blends British heritage with Appalachian traditions. Highlights include cricket matches, Maypole dancing, live music, vintage baseball, village tours, artisans, food vendors, and a special Queen’s Tea. Period-inspired outfits are welcome in this storybook rural setting for a charming, hands-on cultural immersion.

Boho Hippie Fest

May 9-10, 2026
Maggie Valley, North Carolina

Set on the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds in the Great Smoky Mountains, this event features jam sessions, food trucks, vendors, and family-friendly activities in a scenic rural Western North Carolina gateway town.

West Virginia Strawberry Festival

May 9-17, 2026
Buckhannon, West Virginia

This weeklong celebration in rural Upshur County honors the region’s strawberry harvest with parades, carnival rides, live entertainment, food vendors featuring strawberry treats, crafts, and family activities. It’s a classic small-town agricultural festival highlighting local farming and community spirit in the Appalachian foothills.

Appalachian Trail Days Festival

May 15-17, 2026
Damascus, Virginia

Known as the “friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail,” this hiker celebration in rural Southwest Virginia draws thru-hikers and enthusiasts to vendor villages with outdoor gear and handmade goods, live music, parades, trail talks, and community events.

Biking Through History and Nature

May 16, 2026
Halifax, North Carolina

Organized through North Carolina Historic Sites, this educational outdoor program combines physical activity with historical interpretation. Participants bike through scenic areas surrounding Historic Halifax while learning about the town’s Revolutionary-era significance, colonial development, and natural environment. Helmets required.

Alderson Strawberry Festival

May 23, 2026
Alderson, West Virginia

Hosted by the Town of Alderson and Sunset Berry Farm, this family-friendly one-day event in rural Summers County offers strawberry-themed entrees, locally crafted goods, live music, and a “Market and More on Memorial Bridge.”

Blairsville Spring Arts, Crafts & Music Festival

May 23-24, 2026
Blairsville, Georgia

Experience a parade, regional crafts, art demonstrations, live music, and family activities at this event featuring small-town Appalachian creativity and zheritage in a scenic rural setting.

Appalachian Fly Fishing Festival

May 30, 2026
Thomas, West Virginia

This niche gathering in the rural mountains of Tucker County celebrates Appalachian fly fishing with demos, workshops, vendors, and outdoor activities focused on the sport and its heritage. It draws enthusiasts to the region’s streams and forests for a specialized, nature-centered experience.

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ELEVATE YOUR BACKROAD EXPERIENCE

We hope you enjoy reading our final installment of our Appalachian Trail thru-hiking story written by Ron and Kelly Gaulden of Greenville, South Carolina. We’re concluding this series with their memories of lessons learned, gear recommendations, and trail tips. If you’ve hiked the Appalachian Trail, we’d love to hear about your experience. Email us at backroadportfolio@gmail.com to share it.

Committing to the Climb, Part 3

Story and photos by Ron and Kelly Gaulden

The Lessons

Hiking the Appalachian Trail helped us appreciate simplicity. When you just put one foot in front of the other, solve problems as they come, and witness how genuinely good people are, it is hard not to be happy.

It also heightened our awareness of the importance of conservation. It really is amazing that the Appalachian Trail corridor runs through the most populated region of the entire country. There’s even a spot in Pawling, New York, where the trail crosses train tracks near the Dover Oak—the oldest tree on the Appalachian Trail1. Some hikers take a train to New York City. One moment, they’re enjoying the wilderness, then, less than two hours later, they’re eating lunch in Chinatown.

When so many people live within pretty close proximity to The trail from Georgia to Maine, it’s a great opportunity for people of all ages to get out there and learn about how important our trees are, how vital it is for us to keep our water sources clean, and how we can all be stewards of the natural world.

Also, even all these years later, we don’t take running water or hot showers for granted.

The Supplies

As far as gear, we really used everything we brought. Here are some thoughts on the supplies we chose.

Tent: We decided on the Tarp Tent Double Rainbow tent by Henry Shires. We had to seam-seal it ourselves.

Backpacks: We used Granite Gear Vapor Latitude backpacks2 because we loved the side panel for easy access to supplies during lunch breaks or any other time we needed to access gear easily but weren’t at camp yet. Our base weight was 18 pounds. With water for the day and enough food to get us to our next resupply, our packs weighed 25 pounds (Kelly) and 28 pounds (Ron.) This was considered pretty light in 2007. Now, with all the improvements in the gear world, it’s possible that hikers have lighter packs without going ultra-light.

Hiking poles: Hiking poles helped immensely on the downhills, especially later on in the hike when our knees were sore. Kelly splurged for the carbon fiber poles—safer in lightning situations since carbon fiber is significantly less electrically conductive than aluminum.

Hiking boots: Ron: I went through two pairs of boots. My first pair of boots delaminated in Virginia, so I switched from boots to Montrail trail runners, which I liked a lot.

Clothing: Splurging on good rain gear is definitely worth it. Merino wool is pretty awesome for base layers. We had sock liners, three pairs of socks (two to switch back and forth and one sacred pair for town visits), pants, two shirts, a fleece layer, hats, rain pants, a rain jacket, and a pack cover for when it rained and to protect the pack against brush in tight parts of the trail. We also had gaiters to keep dirt and moisture out of our boots. In the early months when it was still cold, we had down jackets, down pants, and down booties. Also, we treated ourselves to “Buffs” in Virginia, which are like tube socks for your head that can be worn as a bandana, head covering, or neck covering.

Water: Even though we used a water filter, we packed iodine tablets just in case. That was very useful in one section of North Carolina because the filter froze when the temperature went down to single digits.

Miscellaneous: We had head lamps, waterproof stuff sacks, a food bag, and rope to hang the bag at night (away from bears), a Swiss army knife, Montbell down sleeping bags, sleeping pads, gloves, a ditty bag (with toothbrush, toothpaste, and biodegradable soap), titanium pots, an MSR pocket rocket stove, and long-handled titanium spoons (easier for the times we ate food out of bags).

Tips and Tricks

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We’re heading to Virginia this week, starting with the final installment of our Appalachian Trail hiking story, then making our way to the Great Dismal Swamp on the Virginia-North Carolina border. We’ll stop by the Channels Natural Area Preserve in Saltville, then visit Galax for a chicken-and-dumplings cooking workshop. Join us on the backroads!

Committing to the Climb, Part 3

We’re starting off this week’s email with our final installment of Ron and Kelly Gaulden’s Appalachian Trail thru-hiking story. The series concludes with their lessons learned, gear recommendations, and trail tips.

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Swamp Settlements

Virginia and North Carolina

The Great Dismal Swamp hides remnants of maroon communities—self-governing settlements formed by escaped enslaved people during the 1700s and 1800s who took refuge in the dense, mosquito-infested wilderness. Archaeologists have discovered cabin footprints, white clay tobacco pipe fragments, lead shot, gunflints, pottery shards, reworked Native American arrowheads repurposed as tools, and more. Largely unexplored, the swamp that once covered more than a million acres is now a 113,000-acre National Wildlife Refuge straddling southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Its trails allow glimpses into a long-lost chapter of American survival and defiance.

The Channels Natural Area Preserve

Brumley Gap Road or Hayters Gap Road
Saltville, Virginia

The Channels Natural Area Preserve protects a 721-acre site atop Clinch Mountain in Southwest Virginia, featuring the Great Channels of Virginia. This unique 400-million-year-old sandstone outcropping has eroded into a maze of deep crevices, narrow slot canyons, towering boulders, and rock formations resembling a natural labyrinth. Hikers access it via moderate-to-strenuous trails like the Brumley Mountain Trail or Channels Trail, leading to stunning 360-degree views. There are no facilities and only about ten parking spots available. Use 4250 Hayters Gap Road, Saltville, Virginia 24370 for GPS directions.

Making Chicken and Dumplings

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Here’s part two of our Appalachian Trail thru-hiking story written by Ron and Kelly Gaulden of Greenville, South Carolina.

Committing to the Climb, Part 2

Story and photos by Ron and Kelly Gaulden

The Wildlife

We were surprised at some of the wildlife along the way. The deer in Shenandoah National Park were so tame that we could practically reach out and pet them. We saw lots of timber rattlers, especially in Pennsylvania. They’re actually very timid.

We usually slept well on the trail, but we would wake up during thunderstorms. The peeper frogs were so loud at one campsite in Virginia that we barely slept a wink. There was also a campsite in New Jersey where this strange sound kept us up. All. Night. Long. We later learned it was a whippoorwill.

Massachusetts is where we noticed the squirrels were smaller and redder. (They were also meaner. Sometimes they would perch in trees to toss nuts and pinecones onto our tent.) Vermont was gorgeous, and the Whites were challenging, rugged, and awesome. Maine was so very special with all the ponds, moose1, and of course, Katahdin.

We didn’t have any bear scares during the nights, but we did unzip our tent one July night in New Jersey to find a huge pile of bear scat a few feet from our tent. So, even though we slept soundly through it, we did have a visitor at least once.

Kelly: The first bear we actually saw along the trail was in Virginia. I was hiking alone while Ron had hung back. I was looking down to watch my footing, and when I looked up to check for the next white blaze trail marker on the trees, I saw a black bear about 100 yards ahead. I did everything I was not supposed to do—paused, took out my camera, and snapped a photo—before following the protocol of holding my jacket over my head to look big and yelling to scare the black bear away. The bear scurried off immediately after that, and by then Ron had caught up to me.

Ron: I asked Kelly if there was a little dog or something on the trail, and she informed me that I had heard her intimidating “woop woop” that scared the bear away. By the time we reached the Shenandoahs a week or so later, we saw many more bears. On one day alone, we saw eight, including a mama teaching her cubs to climb a tree.

The Magic

We were surprised by and grateful for the “trail magic” along the way, when people would leave treats like cold drinks in a creek or a cooler of food at a road crossing. The best one was a cooler with hard-boiled eggs and fruit. After all of the packaged meals we ate, this fresh food was heavenly.

Oftentimes, we got to meet the people who offered the trail magic. One road crossing had directions to a nearby cabin where hikers could get a meal. We learned that this type of magic usually came with the caveat of listening to some preaching. One of our hiker buddies coined this type of trail magic “Jesus Magic.”

We were surprised at how ravenous we became on the trail. When we got to Manchester, Vermont, we checked in at the Green Mountain House hiker hostel. Then, we found a Friendly’s restaurant where we ate a couple of entrees each. We both ordered the large ice cream dessert that is meant to feed an entire table. We could have eaten more, but we were saving room for the pizza joint up the road!

The People

We met so many wonderful people, many of whom we still keep in contact with now, nineteen years later. Every year we exchange Christmas cards with “Blue Skies” from Denmark. “Dances with Sloths” from Texas sometimes comes back to the East Coast to hike sections of the trail, and makes a point to visit us with his dog, Match. We have fond memories of “Green Hornet” from Ohio who had served in the Navy. The “Four People” consisted of “Crazy Bear” from Arizona, “Paloma” from Ohio, “Ghetto Blaster” from Virginia, and “Carpenter” from Massachusetts. We were so glad to summit Katahdin with them. Plus, now Ghetto and Paloma are married with two kids—and their oldest is named after Benton MacKaye, the originator of the Appalachian Trail!

One day, we met “The Bird Couple” on their section hike. They were out for a short trip, birding along the way. Warren and Lisa graciously helped us identify several birds we had photographed on our digital camera. Thanks to them, we learned about the scarlet tanager, red-winged blackbird, and hermit thrush. We carried that knowledge with us throughout the trail.

Fun fact: We were recently listening to a Substack by Heather Cox Richardson. She quoted Warren Strobel from the Washington Post, and Ron said, that’s our bird guy! Ron reached out to him on social media, and he responded right away. He remembered meeting us on the trail all those years ago.

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We’re heading to West Virginia this week—one of two new Southeastern states we now cover as part of our content expansion. (Please tell all your friends who live there!) We also share Part 2 of our Appalachian Trail thru-hiking story, look back at how the Mountain State formed, visit a mysterious roadside attraction, and introduce you to an annual ramp-inspired festival. (If you don’t know what ramps are, we’ll tell you below. Hint: These ramps have nothing to do with highways.)

Committing to the Climb, Part 2

Story and photos by Ron and Kelly Gaulden

We were surprised at some of the wildlife along the way. The deer in Shenandoah National Park were so tame that we could practically reach out and pet them. We saw lots of timber rattlers, especially in Pennsylvania. They’re actually very timid.

We usually slept well on the trail, but we would wake up during thunderstorms. The peeper frogs were so loud at one campsite in Virginia that we barely slept a wink. There was also a campsite in New Jersey where this strange sound kept us up. All. Night. Long. We later learned it was a whippoorwill.

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The Formation of West Virginia

June 20, 1863

West Virginia became the thirty-fifth state in the Union on June 20, 1863, during the Civil War after deep political and economic divisions separated the western counties from eastern Virginia. Virginia had seceded in 1861, prompting Unionist delegates in the northwest to form the loyalist Restored Government of Virginia under Governor Francis H. Pierpont. Claiming to represent the legal state government, it authorized the creation of a new state, which was originally named Kanawha but later became West Virginia. Congress approved admission once gradual emancipation of enslaved people was required, and President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill on December 31, 1862, clearing the way for West Virginia’s statehood.

Roadside Restoration

Ansted, West Virginia

In 1973, Donald Wilson opened Mystery Hole, a roadside attraction featuring optical illusions in a slanted basement chamber, where visitors experience perplexing effects like tilted rooms, balls rolling uphill, and people standing at impossible angles. After closing in 1996 amid declining tourism and neglect, which followed Wilson’s death, new owners Will and Sandra Morrison revived and restored the roadside attraction, complete with a colorful gift shop. Visitors are welcome May through October from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on varying days.

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This week, we’re straying from our usual weekly template to launch a three-part series written by a South Carolina couple who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. We’ll return to our usual format next week.

Committing to the Climb, Part 1

Introduction by the Backroad Portfolio staff
Story and photos by Ron and Kelly Gaulden

In 2005, Kelly Gaulden was teaching middle school. Her husband, Ron, was working for a print publication. Both graduates of Appalachian State University, the Gauldens enjoyed life in Charlotte, North Carolina, but weekend hikes along the Appalachian Trail inspired them to take their adventures a step further, literally.

“One evening while talking over dinner, we decided that if we didn’t set a date for a thru-hike, we’d never commit to it. So, we decided on March of 2007, which was about two years out,” Kelly said. “That gave us time to research, plan, save money, acquire new gear, and make it come to fruition.”

Over the course of those two years, they studied gear reviews and tested their purchases during practice hikes. “Our first overnight hike together on the AT was near Roan Mountain by Grassy Ridge Bald and Little Hump and Big Hump mountain in Tennessee. There were about two feet of snow on the trail, so it really tested our gear and our resilience,” Kelly said.

During another hike, some thru-hikers “flew by us,” Kelly said, “before we met up with them by a road crossing. They were out there for so long, but their packs were smaller than ours. Since it was our last day out and we were hiking back to our parked car, we offered them our leftover food. The way they ravenously accepted it with such appreciation really amazed me.”

On March 25, 2007, the Gauldens stepped onto the 8.5-mile Approach Trail at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia—their packs heavy with dreams and gear. Five and a half months later, on September 5, they stood atop Katahdin in Maine’s Baxter State Park, having covered roughly 2,175 miles northbound through snowstorms, rhododendron tunnels, and bear encounters.

Camping companions and experiences helped create their trail names: “GG” (Gentle Giant) for Ron and “Rhodo” for Kelly, thanks to her love of the Appalachian Trail’s rhododendron tunnels and “the fact that I would curl up tight in my sleeping bag, just like rhodo leaves curl up in the cold temperatures,” she said.

Here, in their own words—and nineteen years later—we share part one of Ron and Kelly’s experience hiking the Appalachian Trail. Now residents of Greenville, South Carolina, the experience still echoes through their lives.

Setting Out

We are so grateful to have shared this experience, for the wonderful people we met along the way, and the wildlife we encountered. This was our first (and so far only) thru-hike, but we had done small sections of the trail in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia while in college at Appalachian State. We’d go out for one or two nights on the weekends, and we were always curious about what was around the next bend, and contemplated how neat it would be to just keep going one day.

We did a traditional NOBO (northbound) hike, and back, then there were some SOBOs (southbound hikers) and flip-floppers (people who hiked to a point midway up the trail, then traveled to Maine, and hiked back down to their midway point).

It was a real treat to meet up with flip-floppers on our hike because we had met some of them at camp in the southern sections of the trail months earlier.

Exchanging stories was encouraging. By Vermont, we were also regularly sharing campsites with SOBOs. This was always fun because we could ask them about Maine, the infamous moose in the Mahoosuc Notch that we had been hearing about, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We were amazed by these hikers who had completed these strenuous sections, and they were amazed by us because we had so many miles under our belts by then.

An Average Day

We met a group of hikers along the way who became our friends. We arranged to summit Katahdin with them as well. One of them, Crazy Bear, would wake up each morning and ask, “What do you want to do today?” And we’d say, “I don’t know. What do you feel like doing?” And he’d say, “Um … Let’s walk north.”

But it definitely wasn’t like Groundhog Day. Every day was different, even when we got in our groove. We’d wake up to the birds and then do the hiker hobble to find a private spot to use the bathroom. Then we’d eat breakfast and break down camp.

We would usually pump water at our lunch stop, then hike to our anticipated camp spot. Sometimes we decided to go farther; other times we would cut it short because we were tired or there was a gorgeous campsite. From time to time we would sleep in the shelters, especially when the weather was really crummy. Usually, we opted to pitch the tent, though, since there aren’t mice or multiple snorers, like in the shelters.

We always looked forward to getting to camp, unclipping our hip belts and removing our packs for the day. We hardly ever camped without people around us, and it was awesome to eat dinner with them and chat. Sometimes we’d make campfires, which we called “hiker television,” because we’d sit around and stare at it.

One neat thing about campsite discussions is how, at the beginning, people talked about where they were from and what jobs they had left to be on the trail. Not too far up the trail, though, discussions were always about food, gear, and the next town stops. There was way less talk about “home” because the trail quickly became our home.

Kelly: I was always cold, so I’d eat a quick breakfast of granola cereal with powdered milk, or a bar, and start hiking once the tent was packed up. Walking warms you up quickly. During those first solo miles, I would say the Rosary on my fingers against my hiking pole, think, and admire the sunlight through the trees or the pitter-patter of rain on my jacket. After about an hour or so, I’d stop to take a snack break and wait there until Ron had caught up.

Ron: I’ve never been as much of a morning person, so I’d start the day slowly, boil water for coffee, and watch the moss grow. After meeting up with Kelly, we’d talk about what we had seen, who we had passed, and then continue hiking the rest of the miles that day together.

An Average Night

We usually got to camp between 5 and 6 p.m., but sometimes we did have to hike with our headlamps to get to a good overnight spot. The first thing we would do was set up the tent or lay out our sleeping mat and bags inside the shelter. We would get to know the other campers at the site and catch up with people we had already met along the trail.

We had read that the trail is more crowded at the beginning before hikers drop out, but we didn’t know how crowded the campsites would be the first week or so in Georgia.

Oftentimes, especially on the weekends, we met section hikers or overnighters. Then, we’d filter water from whatever source was at that campsite. Sometimes, the blue-blazed side trail to water was half a mile or so from the campsite, so we joked that cumulatively, we hiked way more than 2,175 miles by the time we reached Katahdin.

Dinner usually consisted of a Knorr/Lipton side of rice or noodles. We would add packaged chicken or tuna for protein and some olive oil for a little fat. Thanks to the advice from other hikers, we learned that pepperoni and a hard block of cheddar cheese would be fine unrefrigerated in our packs, so we often would roll that inside a tortilla. Whoever didn’t cook that night would wash the pots and spoons.

Hikers would often share food with each other, and the unwritten rule if someone offered you trail mix was to hold out your hands and let them pour it into them. This etiquette makes sense so a hiker’s dirty hands didn’t land straight into someone else’s bag of food. We would then chat with other hikers and dream about what food we would eat when we got to the next town. Nine o’clock is known as Hiker’s Midnight, so usually everyone was hunkering down for the night by then.

Next week, Ron and Kelly write about the people and wildlife they met while hiking the trail.

Thanks for reading, and remember to always … take the long way home.

When we decided to expand Backroad Portfolio’s coverage to include Florida, I immediately thought of my first boss, Sharon Y. Cobb. Two weeks before graduating from Virginia Tech in May 1995, I applied to work for a new magazine being published in the Orlando, Florida, area titled Coastal Home—later renamed Coastal Living. Jack Thomasson, the mastermind behind HGTV Dream Home from 1997 to 2016, created this glamorous shelter magazine in 1995 and hired Sharon, a Florida native, to be its editor. At that time she lived in Beverly Hills, where she also worked as a screenplay writer. She chose me to be her assistant. Fresh out of college, I could not have asked for a more exciting job.

So, here’s my conversation with Sharon, who returned to Florida in 1999. She talks about her interactions with literary icon Tennessee Williams, who helped inspire her to launch her screenwriting career, and shares favorite Sunshine State destinations. We’ve also included one of her favorite recipes, which happens to line up nicely with our afternoon tea travel feature.

How long have you lived in Florida, and what Florida towns and cities have you lived in?

I was born in DeLand, Florida, and have lived in Jacksonville, MacClenny, Key West, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach. I also lived in Beverly Hills for eight years from 1993 to 2001.

How did you become interested in cooking, and what led to you writing a cooking column for Jacksonville Today?

Growing up in my grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s kitchens, eating down-home Southern cooking, created a curiosity in me about what other people around the world ate, so I subscribed to Bon Appétit magazine in my early 20s. Using those recipes, I experimented on friends, cooking global cuisines in my little apartment. Friends who were opening a restaurant in the Five Points area of Jacksonville thought our city was ready for a more adventurous dining experience and asked me to come in as a partner and chef.

The name of the restaurant was Lady Fingers, and we served eclectic cuisine. I stayed there until I left to open an advertising agency and a few other businesses in Jacksonville. The cooking column for Jacksonville Today came much later after I had lived in Key West as an artist and returned to Jacksonville to establish a publication with partners called Florida Travel Directory, a directory of Florida accommodations and attractions for travel agents. I eventually sold my interest in the directory and was hired by Jim White who owned Jacksonville Today to become their editor. He gave me the freedom to do almost anything creative that I thought readers would like, and a cooking column was at the top of my list.

What launched your Hollywood screenwriting career?

When I lived in Key West from 1981 to 1987, one of my neighbors inspired me to begin writing short stories. I loved his work and he used to walk by the gallery on Duval Street where my art studio was located and tip his straw hat with his cane. One afternoon, on a wild whim, I dashed across the street and asked his advice about how to start writing fiction. He was flabbergasted and answered, “Well, you just write.” There were a few words of profanity included, but that was okay because this was Tennessee Williams giving his advice to a clueless young artist who dreamed of being a writer. I took a few classes at the Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center and started writing.

Years later when I moved back to Jacksonville, I found myself in a screenwriting workshop and that’s when I started writing films. That was 1989. By 1993, I had moved to Los Angeles to pursue a screenwriting career. I was very lucky to find an agent within three months who sent a comedy script I wrote out to studios and production companies. That kickstarted my brilliant career. At that time there was no internet, so you had to be in Hollywood. I was very lucky to get writing assignments and even sell a pitch to Fox Studios, with a writing partner, Carolyn McDonald, who ran Danny Glover’s production company.

After marrying the love of my life, Robert J. Ward, who was a film journalist from New Zealand I met in LA, we moved back to Jacksonville to be close to my family. I continued to write screenplays and even got a film made in London in 2001 shortly after coming back to Florida. The most recent script I co-wrote that was made into a film is titled The Man in the White Van. I wrote it with the director, Warren Skeels, and it was distributed theatrically in December 2024. It premiered in the No. 1 spot on Starz when it began its streaming distribution in February 2026.

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This week we’re expanding our backroad excursions into Florida. Meet a native who made it big in Hollywood then returned to her roots, demystify a former classified missile base, soak up the serenity of Wakulla Springs State Park, and continue your celebration of Florida’s natural beauty at an annual birding festival.

From Florida to Hollywood, and Back

Meet Sharon Y. Cobb, a native Floridian who launched a Hollywood screenwriting career, then returned to her home state in 1999, where she continues writing. Sharon talks about her interactions with literary icon Tennessee Williams, who helped inspire her to launch her screenwriting career, and shares her favorite Sunshine State destinations. We’ve also included one of her favorite recipes.

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Demystified Defenses

Research Road
Homestead, Florida

Tucked in Everglades National Park, the Nike Missile Site HM-69 was a secret Nike Hercules missile base active from 1964-1979 during the Cold War, guarding against threats that followed the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Declassified in 2004, it features bunkers, radar towers, and missile barns. Tours reveal underground magazines and guard dog kennels. Unconfirmed UFO sightings by personnel add to the site’s intrigue. The site in Florida’s swamps remains nearly the same as it was during its official use.

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This week, read one man’s story of unlocking a family secret in North Carolina, visit a pre-Revolutionary colonial port and town, and relive a historic baseball rivalry.

Unlocking a Family Secret

A small metal box quite literally held the key

Story by and photos courtesy of Dr. Garry E. Moore, Ph.D.

Sometimes, history is not found in a library. It is found in the keepsakes passed down to the next generation. Recently, I discovered a long-forgotten treasure: a small metal box containing a key chain that belonged to my grandfather, William Wilson “Willie” Moore. I wondered what the keys had unlocked.

The attached metal tag was cold and tarnished, a silent witness hidden away for decades. At first glance, the stamped characters were an indecipherable blur of faded letters. But as I squinted at the letters worn by time, his name and the word “Cleveland” emerged.

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Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson

Winnabow, North Carolina

Brunswick Town, a pre-Revolutionary colonial port founded in 1726 and destroyed by British troops in 1776, was never rebuilt. Today, its relics lie below Confederate Fort Anderson’s earthworks near the Cape Fear River. Excavations have revealed foundations of homes, a church, and fortifications, plus artifacts from enslaved Africans and merchants. The town’s remnants, unmarked graves, and stories of buried treasures and ghosts—including a soldier’s apparition—offer a glimpse into pre-Revolutionary life.

Easter Monday Baseball

Wake County, North Carolina

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Story by and photos courtesy of Dr. Garry E. Moore, Ph.D.

Sometimes, history is not found in a library. It is found in the keepsakes passed down to the next generation. Recently, I discovered a long-forgotten treasure: a small metal box containing a key chain that belonged to my grandfather, William Wilson “Willie” Moore. I wondered what the keys had unlocked.

The attached metal tag was cold and tarnished, a silent witness hidden away for decades. At first glance, the stamped characters were an indecipherable blur of faded letters. But as I squinted at the letters worn by time, his name and the word “Cleveland” emerged.

“Cleveland” acted as a bridge to the past, linking the physical artifact to the lives of Willie Moore (1877–1952) and his wife, Lottie Blanch Bowman (1899–1975). Willie never owned a car, so these keys did not start an engine—they opened a door, presumably to a house where Willie lived. He had kept them until the day he died. But where was this house, and where was Cleveland?

In my 2023 book on the history of this Moore family, I had inadvertently discovered another clue hidden in Willie’s 1918 World War I draft registration in Rowan County, which described a married man of medium height and build with striking blue eyes and dark hair. His wife’s name was Lottie. While he was never selected to serve, this record preserved vital data: his permanent mailing address in Cleveland, Rowan County, North Carolina, and his occupation as a self-employed farmer.

With this context, the faded letters on the key tag finally made sense: W. W. Moore; Cleveland, N.C. RFD-2—Willie’s postal mailing address. This did not necessarily mean that he lived in Cleveland, so I had to research the history of Cleveland and Rural Free Delivery (a predecessor to the modern postal service that provided free mail delivery directly to rural homes and farms).

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From spring flowers to tropical wildlife, these events celebrate all of April’s gifts across the Southeast.

Mule Day

April 9-11, 2026
Columbia, Tennessee

Attend a celebration of mules with mule pulling, shows, competitions, craft fairs, music, and a liar’s contest during this multi-day tradition highlighting agricultural history and Appalachian spirit.

Florida Birding and Nature Festival

April 9-12, 2026
Apollo Beach, Florida

This four-day celebration of West Central Florida’s birds, wildlife, and natural lands features expert seminars, keynote speakers, field and boat trips during peak spring migration, a free nature expo, and bird shows.

World Grits Festival

April 10-12, 2026
Saint George, South Carolina

The small town of St. George, known as the “Grits Capital,” celebrates Southern grits and Lowcountry heritage with tastings, a grits-eating contest, a parade, live entertainment, arts and crafts, carnival rides, and family activities.

Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin’ Festival

April 11, 2026
Downtown Sopchoppy, Florida

Sopchoppy, known as the Worm Gruntin’ Capital of the World, opens this annual festival with the Wiggle Worm Fun Run followed by live worm-grunting demonstrations and a contest that involves coaxing earthworms from the ground. Local food vendors, live music, a hula hoop contest, contra dancing, scholarship awards, and King & Queen crowning round out the fun.

Perry Dogwood Festival

April 11–12, 2026
Perry, Georgia

Downtown Perry hosts its annual Dogwood Festival with international cuisine and food trucks, local vendors, beer and wine, plein air painting, an art show, a 5K race, live music, and children’s activities. Blooming dogwoods enhance the small-town charm.

Sebring Soda Festival

April 11–12, 2026
Downtown Sebring, Florida

Sebring hosts Florida’s first craft soda festival. Visitors sample unique soda flavors from artisanal makers while enjoying live entertainment and family activities. The event features tastings, vendors, scenic lakes and citrus groves.

The North Carolina Cuegrass Festival

April 18, 2026
Raleigh, North Carolina

The Pit’s 16th Annual Cuegrass Festival is a free, family-friendly event celebrating North Carolina’s barbecue and bluegrass music with live performances, barbecue, local brews, a Kids Zone, vendors, and a silent auction. All proceeds support local children’s causes.

Vidalia Onion Festival

April 23-26, 2026
Vidalia, Georgia

Celebrate these famous sweet onions with tastings, parades, concerts, and art vendors in this annual celebration of Vidalia, Georgia’s agricultural heritage. Enter contests and enjoy family-friendly activities.

Merlefest

April 23-26, 2026
Wilkesboro, North Carolina

The 38th annual “traditional plus” Merlefest music festival is at Wilkesboro Community College. It celebrates acoustic roots, bluegrass, folk, Americana, and more on twelve stages in honor of Eddy Merle Watson while raising funds for the college. Features include kids’ activities, vendors, and memorable moments for all ages. Tickets are on sale now.

16th Annual Ramps and Rail Festival

April 25, 2026
Elkins, West Virginia

Elkins celebrates the spring arrival of wild ramps with this unique culinary and cultural festival at the historic Elkins Depot. Over 25 food vendors serve ramp-inspired dishes alongside other options, while more than 50 craft vendors showcase local handmade goods. The festival also features live music and train rides.

Greening Up the Mountains Festival

April 25, 2026
Sylva, North Carolina

Sylva celebrates the season with regional artists, live music, and local food. Vendors line the streets amid blooming surroundings, while families enjoy small-town charm and mountain culture.

Madison Fest

April 25, 2026
Downtown Madison, Georgia

Blooming azaleas and dogwoods frame this annual garden and crafts festival in historic Madison featuring spring flowers, garden plants, handmade arts and crafts, regional food, children’s crafting activities, and live music.

Blue Ridge Trout Festival

April 25, 2026
Blue Ridge, Georgia

The Trout Capital of Georgia honors its fishing heritage and renowned trout waters with a family-friendly festival featuring fishing contests, kid-friendly activities, arts and crafts vendors, live music, and local food.

Thomasville Rose Show & Festival

April 24–25, 2026
Thomasville, Georgia

Thomasville, known as the City of Roses, hosts one of the oldest flower festivals in the United States. Thousands of blooming roses fill historic downtown as attendees enjoy a parade, arts and crafts vendors, live music, a car show, and Art in the Park.

Cherry Blossom Festival

April 24–25, 2026
Cherryville, North Carolina

Cherryville’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival features two days of entertainment, food, live music, family activities, inflatables, vendors, games, and blooming cherry trees. A Miss Cherry Blossom Pageant takes place Friday and an antique car show is on Saturday.

WV Picklefest

April 24–26, 2026
Lewisburg, West Virginia

Lewisburg celebrates pickles in all forms with music, vendors, food trucks, contests, beer from Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company beer, and cider from Hawk Knob Appalachian Hard Cider. Gather at the town’s fairgrounds for a bluegrass-focused lineup, surrounded by Appalachian culture.

Ramp It Up Festival

April 18, 2026
Oak Hill, West Virginia

Oak Hill celebrates Appalachian spring flavors with bold ramp dishes, live entertainment, and community gatherings highlighting wild leeks and local cuisine. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring Wood-Fired Ramp & Potato Pizza, Ramp O’Roni Rolls, Creamy Ramp Chowder, and Homestyle Ramp Meatloaf.

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ELEVATE YOUR BACKROAD EXPERIENCE

This week, we share our spring travel feature, which takes you to Southern tea rooms and services between Charleston and Augusta that offer refined and delicious experiences. We’ve designed this journey to span three days, but you can stretch it out to four or five if you choose.

At the end of this post, our upgraded Explorer and Voyager subscribers will find Google Maps links for all three days, plus bonus information about unique accommodations to consider.

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GET THERE, Day 1

Day 1: Charleston > Ridgeway, South Carolina
Backroad Route:
2 hours, 56 minutes; 136 miles
Fastest Route:
2 hours, 9 minutes; 141 miles

STARTING POINT
We recommend making Charleston’s luxurious Loutrel hotel your starting point. Arrive on day one of your journey in time to enjoy Lady Loutrel’s afternoon tea service, then book a stay at the hotel that night before heading to Ridgeway the next morning.

Lady Loutrel’s Afternoon Tea
61 State Street, Charleston, South Carolina
theloutrel.com
Enjoy afternoon tea at the Loutrel’s private, biophilic-inspired rooftop in downtown Charleston. Savor heritage botanical blends from Oliver Pluff & Co.—including Countess Grey, Masala Chai, Jasmine, and more—poured into elegant Estelle Colored Glassware. The tiered tea tower features delicate finger sandwiches such as smoked salmon, pimento cheese, chicken salad, and cucumber. Finish the experience with warm scones and an array of sweet Southern pastries and confections. This two-hour experience includes optional alcoholic sips and is available Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. by reservation. A minimum of four people is required and prices start at $340.

Laura’s Tea Room
105 N. Palmer Street, Ridgeway, South Carolina
laurastearoom.com
Experience a charming three-course afternoon tea in an inviting upstairs tearoom within a restored 1911 building. Begin with the iced tea of the day, then share a pot of hot tea, and select another tea from an extensive menu of black, green, white, herbal, and literary-inspired blends. Enjoy scones with Devonshire cream and fruit, a seasonal specialty such as soup or salad, and a tiered tray of sweets and savories. The service is offered Tuesday through Saturday starting at 11 a.m. with the last sitting at 1:45 p.m. Reservations are required and the service costs $37.95 per person.

KEEP GOING, Day 2

Ridgeway, South Carolina > Augusta, Georgia
Backroad Route
2 hours, 12 minutes; 104 miles
Fastest Route
1 hour, 25 minutes; 94 miles

STARTING POINT
After experiencing Laura’s Tea Room, make the scenic drive to Augusta for afternoon or evening tea at Royal Tea on Reynolds. We recommend staying in Augusta at one of the nearby hotels in the Riverwalk area, or you can make the drive to Savannah and stay overnight there before heading to your final tea experience.

Royal Tea on Reynolds
1024 Reynolds Street, Augusta, Georgia
linktr.ee/royalteaonreynolds
Experience a refined afternoon tea in this charming downtown Augusta tea house that blends traditional British style with Southern hospitality. You’ll be served finger sandwiches, scones, and an array of sweet and savory pastries on fine china. The tea house also offers take-and-bake scones so you can relive the experience at home. Tea times vary but are often available into the evening hours. Call 803.474.4435 for pricing and to make a reservation.

AND BACK, Day 3

Augusta, Georgia > Charleston, South Carolina
Backroad Route
5 hours, 1 minute; 234 miles
Fastest Route
4 hours, 28 minutes; 244 miles

STARTING POINT
We’re starting day three in Augusta, but if you opt to stay in Savannah, adjust your starting point to the address of those accommodations. You’ll end your journey back in Charleston. Feel free to stretch this experience out to four or five days to provide more time for exploring all the region has to offer.

Gryphon Tea Room
337 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia
scadgryphon.com
This charming café near the Savannah College of Art and Design presents an elegant afternoon tea service in a historic 1926 Scottish Rite building on Madison Square. Guests enjoy a refined three-tier experience featuring a selection of delicate tea sandwiches, warm scones with Devonshire cream and jam, and an assortment of pastries and petits fours, paired with a pot of premium loose-leaf tea from varieties like Earl Grey, Darjeeling, or Hot Cinnamon Spice. The full afternoon tea is priced at $31 per person. À la carte options include a pot of tea for $9, scones for $10, tea sandwiches for $13, and tea sweets for $13. The cafe is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except for Sunday, when it closes at 3 p.m. No reservations are required.

Camellias Afternoon Tea
404 King Street, Charleston, South Carolina
hotelbennett.com/dining-and-lounges/camellias
End your journey with a sophisticated tea experience at Camellias in Hotel Bennett—a breathtaking, Fabergé-inspired space with pink interiors, an etched mirror ceiling, and a dazzling crystal chandelier. Savor a luxurious three-tier service featuring assorted chilled canapés, delicate tea sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream and jam, and exquisite pastries from La Pâtisserie, paired with premium loose-leaf teas from Tealeaves. The adult tea price is $80 per person, while children ages 12 and younger cost $55 each. The Crown Tea option includes a flute of premium sparkling rosé. Tea times are 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 2-4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with an additional 4:30-6:30 p.m. service available on Sundays. Reservations are required.

Tea Time in America

Tea first arrived in North America during the 1640s through Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam (now New York City), a bustling port settlement that served as the capital of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. The Dutch East India Company pioneered tea imports to Europe around 1610, shipping Chinese tea leaves as part of its lucrative trade network.

Dutch households in the area quickly embraced tea drinking as a social custom, displaying tea tables, teapots, sugar bowls, and silver strainers and establishing an early tea culture in the colonies before British forces captured the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam without resistance in 1664 and renamed it New York in honor of the Duke of York, the future King James II.

Fast-forward two hundred years. Afternoon tea originated in England around 1840 and is credited to Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford. As one of Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting, she reportedly experienced a “sinking feeling” in the late afternoon due to the long gap between lunch and dinner, which was often served as late as 8 or 9 p.m. To bridge this hunger, she requested a private tray of tea, bread and butter, and cake in her rooms.

The practice proved delightful, and she began inviting friends to join her, transforming an afternoon snack into a fashionable social ritual among the aristocracy that soon spread widely. This structured Victorian-style afternoon tea spread to America in the late 19th century after the Civil War, embraced by the upper class and offered in grand hotels and tearooms.

As the practice spread among the Victorian aristocracy it evolved into a refined social occasion. Thinly sliced finger sandwiches—often crustless and dainty, featuring fillings like cucumber, egg and cress, or smoked salmon—emerged, inspired by the 1762 invention of the sandwich by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. (He was an avid gambler and is believed to have requested meat placed between two slices of bread so he could eat without leaving the card table.)

Scones with clotted cream and preserves later joined the tea table, particularly in the 20th century, while an array of pastries, small sponge or seed cakes, and other sweet baked goods expanded the offerings. By the late 19th century, the tiered presentation of savory sandwiches followed by scones and then elaborate sweets became the elegant standard.

Google Maps Links

GET THERE, Day 1

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Introducing Our Spring 2026 Issue

Welcome to spring! In this issue of Backroad Portfolio, experience thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail through a South Carolina couple’s first-person account, find why “place attachment” is particularly strong in small towns, discover a new meaning for mobile homes, tour afternoon tea services between Charleston and Augusta, and more.

Let’s preview our spring features!

Committing to the Climb

A South Carolina couple finds joy, kindness, and simplicity on the Appalachian Trail
Introduction by the Backroad Portfolio staff

On March 25, 2007, Ron and Kelly Gaulden stepped onto the 8.5-mile Approach Trail at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia—their packs heavy with dreams and gear. Five and a half months later, on September 5, they stood atop Katahdin in Maine’s Baxter State Park, having covered roughly 2,175 miles northbound through snowstorms, rhododendron tunnels, and bear encounters.

Read more …

Love Where You Live

Place attachment in small and rural communities
By Dr. Katherine Loflin

For nearly two decades, my work has centered on one deceptively simple question: Why do people love where they live—and why does that love matter? What I’ve learned: Our relationship with place determines far more than we realize. When we feel that we “fit” where we live, we don’t just survive—we thrive.

Read more …

The Original Mobile Homes

They aren’t what you think
By Tom Poland

I’ve been traveling Highway 378/78 to Athens, Georgia, all my life. When I can, I avoid the bypass and drive through the heart of Washington, Georgia, a beautiful town named in honor of our first president. Living across the Savannah River, on trips to Athens, I take my South Carolina friends through Washington so they can marvel at its majestic Southern homes.

Read more …

There and Back Again: Charleston to Augusta

Southern Afternoon Tea Experiences
By the Backroad Portfolio staff

This recurring feature takes you to and from two destinations via winding rural roads lined with charming small towns, captivating landscapes, historic structures and, in this particular journey, Southern tea rooms and services that offer refined and delicious experiences. We’ve designed this journey to span three days, but you can stretch it out to four or five if you choose.

Read more …

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Backroad Portfolio is for explorers.

Travel down roads marked by endless fields, immaculate vistas, and small, cozy towns. Discover the history behind how these backroads came to be for future generations. Meet people who breathe life into the landscape, sharing stories, traditions, and artisanal endeavors that make each stop along the way unforgettable. Escape from the busyness of life on the main thoroughfares. Take the long way home.

This post breaks away from our usual template so we can revisit our breathtaking Winter 2026 Portfolio collection. Join us as we say goodbye to winter.

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Tonight, we head to the Volunteer State to explore an abandoned resort that originated during the early 1900s logging boom. We also revisit a historic event that temporarily reversed the Mississippi River’s flow, explore what lies beneath Lake Watauga, and preview an annual daffodil-centric festival.

This week only, we’ve removed the paywall so all subscribers can read this email in its entirety. Please take our poll below to let us know which kind of content you’d like to see more of. If your choice is not one of our poll options, hit reply and share it with us.

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Daisy Town

Elkmont Campground Road C
Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Daisy Town developed during the later years of the logging boom, which occurred between 1901 and 1925. It served as a summer retreat for Knoxville’s elite and is frequently credited as the birthplace of tourism in the Great Smoky Mountains before the national park was established there in 1934. By the 1920s, the resort included roughly 80 rustic cabins along Jakes Creek, and was accessible via a train ride prior to 1925, when cars became the more common option.

Daisy Town’s cabins were virtually abandoned after their lifetime leases expired between 1992 and 2001. Today, 19 of those cabins have been preserved by the National Park Service. Visitors can stroll through the area, enter cabins, and reserve the Appalachian Clubhouse, built in 1912, for special events (shown in the photo at the top of this post).

If you visit Daisy Town, plan to hike the Elkmont Nature Trail, an easy 0.8-mile loop. If you’re looking for a more challenging hike, the Little River Trail is 5.4 miles out and back, and features a legendary mossy troll bridge and several historic sites.

The New Madrid Earthquakes

February 7, 1812
Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas

Is it possible to reverse a river’s flow? Possibly, but it takes a natural disaster to make it happen. In the early hours of February 7, 1812, the largest shock in the New Madrid earthquake sequence struck the Mississippi River Valley. This quake—which measured to be magnitude 7.4–7.7 (and possibly higher)—was the third major earthquake in a series that began in December 1811. Together, the quakes rank among the most powerful ever recorded in the continental United States.

Violent shaking toppled chimneys, destroyed the frontier town of New Madrid, Missouri, and triggered landslides along Western Tennessee’s Chickasaw Bluffs. The earthquakes also caused widespread soil liquefaction, opening huge fissures that spewed sand and water across the landscape in what are now called sand blows.

The February 7 quake dramatically reshaped the land. Ground along the Reelfoot Fault rose and sank, creating a natural basin that filled with water and formed Reelfoot Lake in northwestern Tennessee. In some areas, the land subsided 5 to 20 feet. It also produced one of the most famous geological phenomena in American history: eyewitnesses reported that the Mississippi River appeared to temporarily flow backward. In reality, the quake lifted parts of the riverbed and generated massive waves called seiches, which surged upstream and created the illusion that the river had reversed its course.

Accounts from boatmen described enormous waves and even temporary waterfalls in the Mississippi River near present-day Kentucky Bend. Boats were nearly overturned as the river churned violently during the shaking. There are even reports that church bells rang in Boston due to shaking.

Lake Watauga

Elizabethton, Tennessee

Tucked in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, Lake Watauga offers some of the region’s clearest, most vibrant waters. When the Watauga Dam was completed in 1948, the reservoir flooded the original town of Butler, Tennessee, forcing 735 families to relocate. In 1983, the lake was lowered so repairs could be made to the dam, revealing some of the town’s foundations and streets. View some of those photos here.

Today Lake Watauga’s shimmering blue surface and rugged backdrop create an unforgettable landscape—especially for Appalachian Trail hikers, since the trail runs along the lake’s western side.

Bell Buckle Daffodil Day

Saturday, March 21, 2026, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bell Buckle, Tennessee

This annual festival, held the third Saturday in March since 1978, celebrates spring’s arrival in rural Bell Buckle with thousands of daffodils blanketing roadsides and farmlands along a 6-mile stretch. Legendarily planned as a “character-building” exercise for Webb School students over a century ago, the celebration was expanded in the 1940s. Highlights include a judged Daffodil Day Flower Show with multiple categories, an Arbor Day ceremony, the “Best of the Butts” cook-off, live music, arts and crafts, vendor booths, and family-friendly activities.

We close with a golden winter view of Cades Cove, Tennessee, by the amazing Bruce DeBoer of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Thanks for reading, and remember to always … take the long way home.

Keith Weakley of Stanley, Virginia, started playing the guitar at age 24. An executive with a background in structural engineering by day, Keith’s love for playing inspired him to take a step beyond where many amateur guitarists are willing to go. Find out how, and why, in our conversation below.

How did you first become interested in handcrafting guitars?

To be perfectly honest, it is because I was cheap. I bought a used Mexican Stratocaster from a pawn shop, but I really wanted a Telecaster. After checking the prices of Telecasters, which were in excess of $1,500, I convinced myself I could make one cheaper than that, so I did. Then I wanted a double fat Tele (meaning two humbuckers/double coils, versus a traditional single-coil setup), so I made that. Then I wanted a Les Paul, and after that I started designing my own body shapes and circuitry.

How many have you handcrafted and how long does it take to make one?

I wish I had kept more meticulous records. I suppose I’ve made over 30 at this point. I started around 2003 or so. I tend to work on them in the winter, when the weather is worse, as I spend summertime in the garden, or cycling. If I could spend my time uninterrupted, it would be about 80 hours for each one. Most of that time would be in the finishing phase, which requires a lot of spraying and sanding, mainly by hand. The final wet sanding phase is the most tedious, using grits of 1,500 and 2,000. My work schedule has slowed down my production, but I do currently have one in the works.

What kind of wood and other materials do you use to make each one?

It varies. I have used all sorts—reclaimed oak from an old house I was remodeling, wormy chestnut my grandfather reclaimed from an old building he tore down, barn wood from a barn built in the late 1800s, as well a maple from a tree in my dad’s yard that was taken down. The hardware is bought from various online stores, which includes knobs, the bridge, pickups, etc. I prefer to keep it natural wood with a clear finish (no stain or paint). Wood is pretty enough on its own, so no need for paint or other things that cover that up. I made one out of sassafras and it was spectacular. As an added bonus, the shop smelled amazing, since it’s such an aromatic wood!

How do you individualize each guitar?

Once I settled on a unique body shape, I stuck with that, with few exceptions. Most of the customization then comes from the wood type, pickup arrangement, and circuitry. I did use bumper stickers for a Virginia Tech/Duke look on a pickguard for one guitar that was a gift. I’m currently expanding from solid bodies to semi-hollow bodies (like a Tele Thinline). This allows me to continue to use the approximately 150-year-old barnwood that I still have left that is too thin for a traditional solid body electric.

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This week, we head to Virginia to meet a self-taught luthier who uses reclaimed wood to create beautiful guitars. We recall a bit of Richmond’s Revolutionary War history and visit a state park that preserves landscape shaped by Virginia’s early frontier history. And if you like maple … there’s a festival for that!

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Guitar Grit

Virginia luthier Keith Weakley shares why he started making his own instruments

Introduction and questions by the Backroad Portfolio staff

Keith Weakley of Stanley, Virginia, started playing the guitar at age 24. An executive with a background in structural engineering by day, Keith’s love for playing inspired him to take a step beyond where many amateur guitarists are willing to go. Find out how, and why, in our conversation with him. Here’s an excerpt:

I bought a used Mexican Stratocaster from a pawn shop, but I really wanted a Telecaster. After checking the prices of Telecasters, which were in excess of $1,500, I convinced myself I could make one cheaper than that, so I did. Then I wanted a double fat Tele, so I made that. Then I wanted a Les Paul, and after that I started designing my own body shapes and circuitry.

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Benedict Arnold Destroys Richmond, Virginia

On January 5, 1781, Benedict Arnold, by then a British brigadier general, led 1,600 Loyalist troops up the James River to capture and burn Richmond, the capital of Virginia. Landing at Westover, they faced only 200 militiamen after Governor Thomas Jefferson’s call for defense went largely unanswered. Arnold’s forces destroyed warehouses and public buildings. Jefferson fled and was later criticized but cleared of wrongdoing. Arnold, who died impoverished in 1801, remains America’s archetype of betrayal.

Wilderness Road State Park

8051 Wilderness Road
Ewing, Virginia

Wilderness Road State Park in Southwestern Virginia preserves a landscape shaped by early frontier history and sweeping mountain beauty. Set against the Cumberland Mountains, the park features wide meadows, hardwood forests, and a meticulously reconstructed frontier fort. Walk its trails amid Appalachian scenery, where past and present meet in an unforgettable setting.

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March blows in with cultural festivals, ethnic foods, spring blossoms, and more. Here are some events to help you usher in the warmer days ahead.

North Carolina Rice Festival

March 4-7, 2026; times vary by day
Brunswick County, North Carolina

Set at the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, the North Carolina Rice Festival honors Gullah Geechee heritage and rice-growing traditions in rural Brunswick County with cultural exhibits, storytelling, drumming, dance, hands-on demos, food vendors, and a riverside walk celebrating agricultural history.

Pigeon Forge Chuck Wagon Cookoff

March 6-8, 2026; times vary by day
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

This unique cowboy-themed event in the Great Smoky Mountains features a chuck wagon cook-off competition, live dinner concerts, a luncheon, a cowboy church service, and western heritage activities. Special guest Barry Corbin, best known for his roles in Urban Cowboy, Lonesome Dove, and Northern Exposure, headlines the event.

The South Carolina Pimento Cheese Festival

March 14, 2026; 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Columbia, South Carolina

The South Carolina Pimento Cheese Festival celebrates the South’s beloved spread, held annually in Columbia at scenic Saluda Shoals Park. This free event features creative pimento cheese tastings, innovative dishes from food trucks, and local vendors showcasing signature recipes. Attendees enjoy live music, a bustling arts and crafts fair, games, and entertainment suitable for all ages.

Highland County Maple Festival

March 14-15 and 21-22, 2026
9 a.m.-5 p.m. both Saturdays; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. both Sundays
Monterey, Virginia

Virginia’s Highland County Maple Festival celebrates the southernmost maple-producing region in the U.S., with events countywide, including free sugar camp tours, syrup demos, pancake feasts, and buckwheat cakes. Enjoy bluegrass music, clogging, artisan crafts, and maple treats amid scenic backroads.

International Cherry Blossom Festival

March 20-29, 2026; times vary
Macon, Georgia

Dubbed the “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World,” Macon explodes with pink blooms this time of year and hosts a festival that includes parades, concerts, food, arts, and unique blossom-themed events celebrating the region’s vibrant Yoshino cherry trees.

Suwanee Beer Fest

March 21, 2026; noon to 5 p.m.
Town Center Park
Suwanee, Georgia

This festival at Town Center Park spotlights hundreds of U.S. craft beers from 100-plus breweries. Enjoy live music, cornhole, axe-throwing, food trucks, and local vendors. The Georgia Beer Garden features over 70 homegrown favorites from up-and-coming Georgia brewers.

Bell Buckle Daffodil Day

Saturday, March 21, 2026, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bell Buckle, Tennessee

This annual festival, held the third Saturday in March since 1978, celebrates spring’s arrival in rural Bell Buckle with thousands of daffodils blanketing roadsides and farmlands along a 6-mile stretch—legendarily planted for “character-building” by Webb School students over a century ago and expanded in the 1940s. Highlights include a judged Daffodil Day Flower Show with multiple categories, an Arbor Day ceremony, the “Best of the Butts” cook-off, live music, arts and crafts, vendor booths, and family-friendly activities in a picturesque historic village. It’s a free, joyful ode to rural Tennessee heritage and seasonal beauty.

The Church Hill Irish Festival

March 21-22, 2026; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Historic Church Hill neighborhood
Richmond, Virginia

This community-focused Irish heritage festival in Historic Church Hill celebrates St. Patrick’s Day traditions with live Celtic music, Irish dancing, authentic Irish food, crafts, family activities, and cultural exhibits.

The Viking Experience Festival

March 21-22 and 28-29, 2026
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays
Oxford, North Carolina
Granville County’s immersive Viking-themed festival features live combat demos, historical encampments, axe-throwing competitions, mead tasting, music, dancing, artisan vendors, and hearty food. It’s a unique, family-oriented celebration of Norse heritage in a rural setting.

Wing & Rock Fest

March 21-22, 2026
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday
Canton, Georgia

The Southeast’s largest wing festival celebrates its 18th year during this free, family-friendly extravaganza at Etowah River Park. The Wing & Rock Fest presents food from over 25 vendors, tribute bands like the Stone Temple Pirates and Thunderstruck, DJ sets, arts and crafts, a farmers market, a kids zone, and wing-eating contests.

Ironweed Bluegrass Festival

March 28, 2026; gates open at 1 p.m.
York, South Carolina

Hosted by the Arts Council of York County in historic downtown York, this rural-rooted bluegrass celebration honors Appalachian-influenced food, music, and community spirit. Enjoy live bands like Radio Flyer and Deeper Shade of Blue.

Yadkin Valley’s Winter Wine & Beer Passport

Through March 29, 2026
Participating wineries in Dobson, Elkin, and Mount Airy, North Carolina

Passport purchasers receive either one or two tastings at each of twelve participating locations plus discounts at local restaurants, accommodations, and businesses. Experience eight wineries and four breweries with the passport, which is valued at $350.

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