Our summer travel feature takes you to historic lighthouses along a section of the South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida coastline. In honor of America’s 250th birthday, we start at the Morris Island Lighthouse, which played a role in the American Revolutionary War. On the return trip, we’ll stop at a Revolutionary War battlefield and fort. We’ve designed this journey to span three days, but you can stretch it out if you’d like.

Compiled by the Backroad Portfolio staff

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GET THERE, Day 1

Folly Beach, South Carolina > Tybee Island, Georgia > Savannah, Georgia

Backroad Route:
3 hours, 31 minutes; 142 miles

Fastest Route:
3 hours, 16 minutes; 138 miles

STARTING POINT
Day one starts at Morris Island Lighthouse—the only Southeastern lighthouse that played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War. The first leg of the trip ends after a visit to the Cockspur Island Lighthouse in Savannah.

Morris Island Lighthouse

1750 E. Ashley Avenue, Folly Beach, South Carolina
follybeach.com/lighthouse

The site of Morris Island Lighthouse dates to 1673, after the founding of Charles Town, when American colonists lit fires in raised metal pans to guide ships into the harbor. By 1767, the colonists had constructed a proper lighthouse—one of approximately ten in the colonies at that time. During the American Revolutionary War, Patriots deliberately extinguished its lights to deny British ships safe navigation into Charleston Harbor, a vital port at that time.

The original 43-foot tower suffered heavy damage amid wartime actions aimed at disrupting British naval operations, though exact details vary across accounts. The lighthouse was repaired after the war, and a taller replacement standing around 102 feet was constructed in 1801. Morris Island Lighthouse later played a significant role in the Civil War. Today, the lighthouse is viewable by boat only and leans slightly northeast due to an 1886 earthquake and the effects of erosion.

Tybee Island Lighthouse

30 Meddin Drive, Tybee Island, Georgia
tybeelighthouse.org

Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse was ordered by Gen. James Oglethorpe in 1732 and has guided ships into the Savannah River for nearly three centuries. The first daymark was completed in 1736 under Noble Jones of Wormsloe Plantation and was rebuilt multiple times due to storms and damage, with a lighted version established later. The current 154-foot tower displays a 1916 daymark, has 178 steps, and features a first-order Fresnel Lens.​

During the Revolutionary War, Tybee Island served as a staging area for French Admiral Charles-Hector D’Estaing’s ill-fated 1779 Siege of Savannah, though the lighthouse’s direct role was limited. It played a signaling function in the War of 1812 and was damaged during the Civil War when Confederates burned it to render it useless for Union soldiers. Today, the fully restored light station includes a museum in Battery Garland and offers climbs to the top for panoramic views that offer a glimpse into maritime and military history.

Cockspur Island Lighthouse

Use the Fort Pulaski National Monument address:
U.S. Highway 80, Savannah, Georgia
cockspurislandlighthouse.com

Cockspur Island Lighthouse, located on a small oyster-shell islet off the island, marks the South Channel of the Savannah River. A brick daymark suggests it was first built between 1837 and 1839. The structure was illuminated in 1849 under architect John Norris but was destroyed by a hurricane in 1854. The current 46-foot tower—made of Savannah gray bricks with a distinctive prow-shaped eastern side—was completed by 1856.

During the Civil War, the Cockspur Island Lighthouse stood in the line of fire during the 1862 bombardment of nearby Fort Pulaski but sustained only minor damage. The light was extinguished in 1909 and transferred to the National Park Service in 1958. Today, it’s preserved as a historic landmark and visible from an overlook trail.

KEEP GOING, Day 2

Savannah, Georgia > St. Simons Island, Georgia > Amelia Island, Florida

Backroad Route:
3 hours, 53 minutes; 167 miles

Fastest Route:
3 hours, 18 minutes; 166 miles

STARTING POINT

On day two, leave from the Cockspur Island Lighthouse or the Savannah accommodations of your choice, and finish your day in Florida at the Amelia Island Lighthouse or Fernandina Beach accommodation of your choice.

St. Simons Island Lighthouse

610 Beachview Dr, St. Simons Island, Georgia
saintsimonslighthouse.org

Georgia’s second-largest barrier island spans about 12 miles long and 3 miles wide in Glynn County, east of Brunswick. Inhabited since the Late Archaic Period, it later hosted Guale Indian villages and Spanish missions during the 1600s. In 1736, James Oglethorpe built Fort Frederica, site of the pivotal 1742 Battle of Bloody Marsh against Spanish forces. The current lighthouse, built in 1872, replaced the 1810 original, which was destroyed by Confederates during the Civil War to prevent Union forces from being able to use it.

After the Revolution, the island became a prosperous cotton plantation region reliant on enslaved labor. During the Civil War, it was occupied by Union troops. After the war, lumber mills and tourism emerged, boosted by the 1924 causeway. Today, with nearly 15,000 residents, the island blends historic sites like Christ Church and the lighthouse with resort development and natural beauty.

Amelia Island Lighthouse

215 O’Hagan Lane, Amelia Island, Florida
fbfl.us/1097/Amelia-Island-Lighthouse

Amelia Island Lighthouse, located in Fernandina Beach, Florida, is the Sunshine State’s oldest existing lighthouse. Originally built in 1820 on nearby Cumberland Island, Georgia, the brick tower was dismantled and relocated to Amelia Island in 1838 to better guide ships into the St. Mary’s River and Fernandina Harbor. Standing around 64 feet tall with a distinctive white exterior, it was first lit when Florida was still a territory.

The lighthouse survived the Civil War and continues to be an active navigation aid. Owned by the City of Fernandina Beach since 2001, the grounds are open to the public on Saturdays, with interior tours available by appointment.

AND BACK, Day 3:

Amelia Island, Florida > Ratliff, Florida > Midway, Georgia > Charleston, South Carolina

Backroad Route:
6 hours, 30 minutes; 310 miles

Fastest Route:
5 hours, 2 minutes; 285 miles

STARTING POINT

For the final day of this coastal excursion, start at the Amelia Island Lighthouse or Fernandina Beach accommodation of your choice, then head to Thomas Creek Battlefield. Next, stop at Fort Morris State Historic Site in Midway, Georgia, and end your journey at Dills Bluff in Charleston, South Carolina.

Thomas Creek Battlefield

Nassau Village, Ratliff, Florida
battlefields.org/visit/battlefields/thomas-creek

On your way back to Folly Beach, make a stop at the site of the Battle of Thomas Creek, also referred to as the Thomas Creek Massacre. This ambush of Georgia militia by British, Loyalist, and Native American forces occurred during a failed American invasion of East Florida on May 17, 1777, near the mouth of Thomas Creek, south of Callahan in Nassau County. This battlefield is often called the southernmost battle of the Revolution. Visitors will find historical markers, interpretive trails, and preserves that offer a deeper explanation of the battle.

Fort Morris State Historic Site

2559 Fort Morris Road, Midway, Georgia
gastateparks.org/fortmorris

From the Thomas Creek Battlefield, head to Fort Morris State Historic Site, located near Midway, Georgia, where you’ll find some of the state’s most significant Revolutionary War earthworks. Built in 1776 to protect the thriving port of Sunbury on the Medway River, the fort was garrisoned by Patriot forces. In November 1778, Colonel John McIntosh famously defied a British surrender demand with the bold reply, “Come and take it!” The British withdrew but returned in January 1779, capturing the fort after a heavy bombardment.

Under the name Fort Defiance, the bulwark saw service again during the War of 1812. Today, visitors can explore its well-preserved earthen fortifications, enjoy panoramic views of Saint Catherines Sound, and learn about colonial Sunbury through the site’s museum and interpretive film. The 66-acre park also offers excellent birdwatching opportunities.

Dills Bluff

Dills Bluff Road & Fort Sumter Drive, Charleston, South Carolina
battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/dills-bluff

For your last stop, a historical marker on North Shore Drive commemorates the site of the Dills Bluff skirmish in South Carolina. During the final weeks before the British evacuation of Charleston on November 14, 1782, Polish engineer Colonel Tadeusz Kościuszko led a 70-man American force in a daring ambush against British woodcutters at Dills Bluff on James Island. Captain William Wilmot and Lieutenant John Markland’s Continentals surprised the foraging party, but the British quickly reinforced with over 300 troops and artillery.

Outnumbered five to one, the fierce skirmish resulted in ten American casualties, including Wilmot—often cited as the last Continental soldier killed in the Carolinas. Kościuszko narrowly escaped. Though a small engagement, Dills Bluff marked the final combat action of the Continental Army in South Carolina.

Google Maps Links

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Each Labor Day weekend, the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival brings award-winning pitmasters and spirits to the Sandhills for three days of barbecue-themed fun. Festival attendees enjoy samplings of smoked meats and Southern sides with four signature events.

The 6th Annual Pinehurst Barbecue Festival takes place September 4-6 and is once again partnering with Backroad Portfolio to offer readers ticket giveaway opportunities to enjoy one of North Carolina’s top foodie experiences. Scroll down to enter. Upgraded subscribers who enter will receive a bonus entry!

ENTER TO WIN

Seven North Carolina pitmasters are participating in the festival’s staple event—the Pitmaster Invitational on September 6, noon to 4 p.m., with early entry at 11 a.m.

Other scheduled events in the iconic Village of Pinehurst include the High on the Hog gourmet pitmaster dinner on Friday, September 4, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., and the Q School Grilling Class on Saturday, September 5, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All events require separate tickets. There are a limited number of tickets assigned to each event, and most sold out in 2025. Click here for festival details and to purchase tickets. 

Giveaway Details

Click on the link below for a chance to win one of the following prizes. You’ll be able to enter each giveaway separately, or you can enter all of them at one time. Remember, upgraded subscribers who enter will receive a bonus entry.

ENTER TO WIN

Good luck! We’ll announce all winners on August 27!

Questions? Email backroadportfolio@gmail.com.

As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday this summer, few things honor our national heritage more deliciously than Revolutionary-era recipes. This week, we’re sharing Mary Washington’s Gingerbread, Onion Pye, and Whiskey Truffles—three recipes that connect us to the tastes and traditions that sustained early Americans during the founding of our nation.

We’re providing the recipe for Mary Washington’s Gingerbread free to all of our readers, but only paid subscribers can access the recipes for Onion Pye and Whiskey Truffles. Bon appétit!

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Mary Washington’s Gingerbread

Recipe courtesy of the Mary Washington House Museum Store in Fredericksburg, Virginia

This richly spiced gingerbread recipe is attributed to Mary Ball Washington, George Washington’s mother. It blends molasses, brown sugar, butter, warm milk, brandy, and warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace. The batter consists of orange juice and zest for brightness, raisins for texture, and cream of tartar and baking soda for leavening. Serve it with homemade whipped cream, lemon sauce, or powdered sugar.

MARY WASHINGTON’S GINGERBREAD

Onion Pye

This modern adaptation of Onion Pye, created in 2003 by Lori Trolan, draws directly from Hannah Glasse’s 1747 cookbook The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy—a bestseller widely used in British colonies.

Layered with thinly sliced potatoes, onions, apples, beaten eggs, butter, and warming spices like mace and nutmeg, it reflects the era’s savory-sweet pies that combined available produce in a hearty, economical dish. Such recipes were common in George Washington’s household, embodying the flavors and techniques of the country’s founding era.

ONION PYE

Whiskey Truffles

George Washington developed a strong fondness for drinking chocolate. He first ordered 20 pounds in 1757 and continued purchasing it regularly throughout his life, including a 50-pound order just months before his death in 1799. The Washingtons enjoyed it primarily as a warm breakfast beverage consisting of grated chocolate frothed with milk or water, then sweetened with sugar, and often spiced or fortified with wine or brandy.

This truffle recipe revives 18th-century colonial chocolate traditions using American Heritage Chocolate’s Milk Chocolate Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix*, which is modeled after the drinking chocolate served at Mount Vernon with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and orange. The truffles blend whiskey, cream, and chocolate into a ganache that can be rolled in the cocoa mix and/or a mixture of confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon.

WHISKEY TRUFFLES

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

This recipe is courtesy of the Mary Washington House Museum Store in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the photo is courtesy of the Old Sturbridge Village Facebook page.

Clouds Creek | November 17, 1781

For many years I’ve driven Highway 378 from Columbia, South Carolina, to my hometown of Lincolnton, Georgia. Along that route I plunge downhill over Clouds Creek. I knew a massacre was connected to this creek but had no idea where it took place. Now I do. On a cool and cloudy Sunday I made my way to the site in heavy woods near the Saint John CME Church.

A Patriot turned prominent Loyalist, Maj. William Cunningham, would become notorious for his brutality in a war that set South Carolinians against one another. Cunningham grew up near Ninety-Six, a Loyalist community. His cousins were Loyalist organizers. Cousin Robert Cunningham refused to sign an early truce with Patriots in South Carolina in 1776 and fought until imprisoned.

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This week, we complete ’s four-part series on Revolutionary War battles in the Southeast, with a focus on the Battle of Clouds Creek, and revisit the legend of Betsy Ross. We also introduce you to a book commemorating America’s 250th birthday, and visit a park that symbolizes regional resilience amid continued recovery.

The Battle of Clouds Creek

Part 4 of Three Battles and a Massacre
By

Clouds Creek | November 17, 1781

For many years I’ve driven Highway 378 from Columbia, South Carolina, to my hometown of Lincolnton, Georgia. Along that route I plunge downhill over Clouds Creek. I knew a massacre was connected to this creek but had no idea where it took place. Now I do. On a cool and cloudy Sunday I made my way to the site in heavy woods near the Saint John CME Church.

A Patriot turned prominent Loyalist, Maj. William Cunningham would become notorious for his brutality in a war that set South Carolinians against one another. Cunningham grew up near Ninety-Six, a Loyalist community. His cousins were Loyalist organizers. Cousin Robert Cunningham refused to sign an early truce with Patriots in South Carolina in 1776 and fought until he was imprisoned.

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Flagging History

1775 to 1783

Flags used during the American Revolutionary War varied widely. Early banners like the Grand Union Flag, which symbolized the unity of the thirteen colonies against British rule, combined British symbolism with colonial ideals. Meanwhile, regimental flags often featured mottos such as “Liberty or Death.”

The Betsy Ross flag symbolized the new nation’s unity, though its origins are debated. The 3rd Maryland Regiment flag represented disciplined Continental troops at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina’s back country. Militias also carried unique designs reflecting local identity and political loyalty.

The Legend of Betsy Ross is a popular American tale, but largely unverified. According to family lore, Philadelphia seamstress Elizabeth “Betsy” Ross was visited in June 1776 by George Washington, Colonel George Ross, and prominent merchant Robert Morris. They showed her a flag sketch with six-pointed stars. She suggested five-pointed ones and allegedly sewed the first Stars and Stripes.

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Eutaw Springs | September 8, 1781

It’s a curious battle. Britain claimed victory, yet retreated to Charleston. Their presence in the Carolina backcountry was done. Often cited for its close-quarters combat and being one of the bloodiest engagements of the war in the South, Eutaw Springs set the stage for the British surrender at Yorktown a month later.

On a cool spring morning I set out for the Eutaw Springs Battlefield, another parklike and peaceful place. It was the last major battle fought on South Carolina soil for independence, and the bloody battle raged for four hours on a blistering day.

Over 2,000 Patriot forces under Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene attacked and drove back a British force of around 2,300 Redcoats commanded by Lt. Col. Alexander Stewart. After the ragged, hungry American troops captured the Redcoats’ food and liquor, they stopped their attack to plunder, eat, and drink.

The British regrouped at the Wantoot Plantation house and launched a counterattack led by British Maj. John Marjoribanks, saving the day for the British and something else. He turned aside a British soldier’s sword, sparing the life of Patriot Col. William Washington, George Washington’s nephew.

After staving off repeated American attacks, Col. Stewart led his force back towards Charleston. It was the last major engagement in South Carolina, hastening the Redcoats retreat from the backcountry.

Considered a tactical victory for the British and a strategic victory for the Patriots, the battle is remembered as the Redcoats’ last stand. The American side suffered 119 killed, 382 wounded, and 78 missing or captured. The Redcoats suffered 85 killed, 297 wounded, and 500 missing or captured. All told, there were 1,461 casualties.

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As America continues celebrating 250 years of independence this month, we share the third installment of our four-part series on Revolutionary War battles fought in the Southeast. This week, read about the Battle of Eutaw Springs near Eutawville, South Carolina; our victory at Kings Mountain in Blacksburg, South Carolina; some unknown facts about Major Patrick Ferguson; and a 250-year-old Piece of Eight.

The Battle of Eutaw Springs

Part 3 of Three Battles and a Massacre
By Tom Poland

Eutaw Springs | September 8, 1781

It’s a curious battle. Britain claimed victory, yet retreated to Charleston. Their presence in the Carolina backcountry was done. Often cited for its close-quarters combat and being one of the bloodiest engagements of the war in the South, Eutaw Springs set the stage for the British surrender at Yorktown a month later.

On a cool spring morning I set out for the Eutaw Springs Battlefield, another parklike and peaceful place. It was the last major battle fought on South Carolina soil for independence, and the bloody battle raged for four hours on a blistering day.

READ PART 3

Free subscribers can read all of Part One and preview Parts Two, Three, and Four. Upgrade your subscription for full access.

The Battle of Kings Mountain

October 7, 1780
Blacksburg, South Carolina

On a rocky, forested ridge straddling the South Carolina–North Carolina border, roughly 900 Patriot “Overmountain Men”—frontier militia from the Appalachians—surrounded and attacked a force of about 1,100 Loyalists commanded by British Major Patrick Ferguson. In a fierce, hour-long battle fought almost entirely between Americans, the Patriots charged uphill repeatedly, using cover and rifle fire to overwhelm the Loyalists. Ferguson was killed trying to rally his men. The Loyalists suffered devastating losses, with over 300 killed or mortally wounded and around 700 captured, while Patriot casualties were relatively light. The decisive victory halted British momentum after the Fall of Charleston and Camden, forced Cornwallis to retreat, and revived Patriot resistance in the South. Thomas Jefferson later called it the “turn of the tide.”

Some Facts About Major Patrick Ferguson:

• No regular British troops participated in the battle besides Ferguson himself.

• Ferguson was born in Scotland, not England, and lived at the Pitfour estate in Aberdeenshire. He was the second son of James Ferguson and Anne Murray and joined the British Army as a young man.

• Patriots were told to look for the man with the sword in his left hand because Ferguson’s right arm was disabled from an earlier wound.

• Ferguson was a noted inventor of the breech-loading Ferguson rifle (shown below), which was faster to load than standard muzzle-loaders. A few of his men had them, but most Loyalists used smoothbore muskets with bayonets.

  

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Camden | August 16, 1780

I walk past monuments and flags, past where Redcoats mortally wounded beloved Continental officer Maj. Gen. Baron de Kalb, born Johann Kalb. Past where five Patriots fell. Past where a member of Fraser’s Highlanders died and is buried. The 71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser’s Highlanders, was a prominent British infantry regiment raised to serve in the American Revolutionary War. Lt. Gen. Simon Fraser composed the unit of two battalions recruited from the Scottish Highlands. They were elite, battle-hardened, and feared for their skill with the bayonet.

Bayonets and Camden’s battlefield make me uneasy. Its little white wildflowers possess leaves with stinging hairs. Think swords dipped in toxins. Think stinging defeat. A British bayonet charge would scatter Patriots like a covey of South Georgia quail, and Lord Charles Cornwallis regulars would crush Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates’s unseasoned men. That’s the short of it.

The long of it began with dragoons. Now there’s a terrifying word, dragoon. Armand’s Legion, a Continental Army cavalry unit, i.e. dragoons, and Gen. Sir Banastre Tarleton’s dragoons collided unexpectedly early morning on the Great Wagon Road. They skirmished, withdrew, and waited on dawn.

As major conflict brewed, Gates positioned Maryland and Delaware Continentals on his right flank, while placing inexperienced Virginia and North Carolina militia on his left. Gates’s raw militia directly faced elite British regulars. The British 23rd and 33rd Regiments met the advancing Virginians with a disciplined bayonet charge. Lacking bayonets and experience, the Virginia militia fled without firing a shot, followed quickly by the North Carolina militia. A disaster was unfolding.

Maryland and Delaware Continentals, led by Maj. Gen. Baron de Kalb, launched successful counterattacks against Lord Rawdon’s wing. British Col. James Webster, wheeled his troops to strike the exposed Continental flank. Surrounded and outnumbered, the Continentals were broken when Tarleton’s cavalry charged their rear. Retreat turned into “rout and slaughter” where Bloody Ban’s dragoons killed many over a 20-mile chase.

Baron de Kalb received eleven wounds—shot thrice and bayoneted over and over. Upon seeing de Kalb, Cornwallis said, “I am sorry, sir, to see you, not sorry that you are vanquished, but sorry to see you so badly wounded.” Cornwallis supervised the dressing of de Kalb’s wounds by his own surgeons in Camden. As he lay dying, de Kalb reportedly told a British officer, “I thank you, sir, for your generous sympathy; but I die the death I always prayed for; the death of a soldier, fighting for the rights of man.”

He died three days later.

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America’s 250th birthday is just two days away! We hope you’re planning a fun celebration of this special anniversary with families and friends.

This week, we continue our four-part series on Revolutionary War battles, written by . Below, read the introduction to Part 2, which focuses on the Battle of Camden. South Carolina’s role in the Revolutionary War remains in our focus this week as we share the story of Francis Marion, aka the “Swamp Fox,” then journey down the historic Green River Road. We’ll wrap up with Carolina Days in Georgetown.

The Battle of Camden

Part 2 of Three Battles and a Massacre
By Tom Poland

I walk past monuments and flags, past where Redcoats mortally wounded beloved Continental officer Maj. Gen. Baron de Kalb, born Johann Kalb. Past where five Patriots fell. Past where a member of Fraser’s Highlanders died and is buried. The 71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser’s Highlanders, was a prominent British infantry regiment raised to serve in the American Revolutionary War. Lt. Gen. Simon Fraser composed the unit of two battalions recruited from the Scottish Highlands. They were elite, battle-hardened, and feared for their skill with the bayonet.

READ PART 2

Free subscribers can read all of Part One and preview Parts Two, Three, and Four. Upgrade your subscription for full access.

The Swamp Fox

South Carolina Lowcountry

In spring 1780, British forces under General Henry Clinton besieged Charleston, South Carolina. After six weeks, on May 12, Major General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered roughly 5,000 Continental troops—the worst American defeat of the Revolutionary War. The loss gave Britain control of the South and nearly crushed Patriot resistance. Francis Marion, a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army recovering from a broken ankle, escaped capture. He raised a small militia and waged guerrilla warfare from the swamps and backcountry. Using hit-and-run ambushes, Marion disrupted British supply lines and morale. British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s failed pursuit earned Marion the nickname “Swamp Fox.” His resilient tactics helped revive the southern Patriot effort and led to his promotion to brigadier general.

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July is filled with Semiquincentennial celebrations. From historic battles to waterfront fireworks, celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday at a variety of patriotic events across the Southeast.

Carolina Days Celebration

June 27–July 5, 2026
Georgetown, South Carolina

Georgetown County kicks off this week-long commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary and the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. Events and attractions include patriotic ceremonies, colonial-themed markets, kids’ activities with scavenger hunts, museum explorations with discounted admission, grave site honors for Revolutionary veterans, and educational programs about local patriots. Highlights feature a Carolina Day procession, time capsule opening, Independence Day concert and fireworks, and the Great Georgetown Cookout.

America 250 High Tea Cruise

Various dates throughout July
Sanford, Florida

Step aboard the historic Barbara Lee paddlewheeler for an America 250 High Tea Cruise. This elegant two-hour luncheon voyage boards at 11:30 a.m. and sails from noon to 2 p.m. Glide along the scenic St. Johns River while enjoying a traditional British-style high tea with a patriotic twist that includes unlimited hot tea selections, savory finger sandwiches, fresh scones with jelly, and bite-sized sweets. Guests are encouraged to wear festive or patriotic attire.

Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival

July 2-4, 2026
Smithville, Tennessee

This official Tennessee state festival fills downtown Smithville with old-time fiddling, music competitions, dancing, food vendors, and handcrafted artisan booths. A longstanding rural tradition since 1972, the event offers free performances across multiple stages amid authentic Appalachian heritage.

Monticello Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony

July 4, 2026
Charlottesville, Virginia

Experience Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello during its 64th annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony on America’s 250th anniversary. Dozens of new citizens will take the Oath of Allegiance on the West Lawn. Enjoy patriotic music by Dom Flemons, the Virginia Children’s Chorus, and the Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum Corps, plus children’s activities, concessions, root beer floats, and wine and beer tastings. The event is free, but reservations are required.

Waterfront Independence Day Celebration

July 4, 2026
Charleston, South Carolina

This free Independence Day celebration starts at 4 p.m. at Waterfront Park, featuring patriotic programming, live concerts, and the “largest fireworks display in the Southeast.” Enjoy a festive atmosphere filled with music, food, and community pride as the city commemorates 250 years of American independence.

Independence Day Celebration at Historic Halifax

July 4, 2026
Halifax, North Carolina

Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with a patriotic Independence Day event from 1 to 4 p.m. at the birthplace of the Halifax Resolves, the first official call for independence by any colony. This free event features musket firing demos, living-history interpreters, colonial crafts and trades, and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Explore the restored 18th-century buildings and grounds where North Carolina’s revolutionary spirit was ignited. Later that night, watch a fireworks show on the Halifax County Courthouse lawn.

Revolutionary Soldiers of Marietta National Cemetery

July 6, 2026
Marietta, Georgia

Enjoy a free presentation by Marietta National Cemetery historian Brad Quinlin from 6 to 7 p.m. in Switzer Library’s Community Room as he explores the stories of two American Revolutionary War veterans: John Hames and John Clark. Discover how these soldiers came to be laid to rest at Marietta National Cemetery and learn about their lives, military service, and legacy.

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games

Linville, North Carolina
July 9-12, 2026

One of the premier Scottish Highland games in the U.S., this multi-day event on MacRae Meadows transforms the dramatic slopes of Grandfather Mountain into a celebration of Celtic heritage. Enjoy athletic events like the caber toss and stone put, bagpipes, Highland dancing, clan gatherings, sheepdog demos, whisky tastings, and traditional music surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Nicholas County Fair

July 22-25, 2026
Summersville, West Virginia

Celebrate West Virginia’s agricultural roots and Summersville’s small-town charm at the 101st annual Nicholas County Fair at Veterans Memorial Park. Enjoy amusement rides, livestock shows, homemade exhibits, live music, pageants, and community competitions at this annual event that has been going strong since 1924.

Green Bean Festival

Blairsville, Georgia
July 25-26, 2026

This celebration in the Appalachian foothills honors the humble green bean, a mountain staple. Held around Blairsville’s historic courthouse square, it features arts and crafts vendors, local food and produce (including fresh green beans, of course), music, pizza-eating and canning contests, a 5K, tractor shows, quilt displays, and family activities. It blends rural farming heritage with community fun to offer authentic slice of Georgia high-country culture.

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Kettle Creek | February 14, 1779

In Washington, Georgia, I took Route 44 toward Union Point. I crossed Kettle Creek. Then Stoney Ridge Road. Highway 68, took me to Court Ground Road, which took me to War Hill Road. When I saw the stonewall, I stood at the foot of the hill where a key battle of the Revolutionary War took place.

I walked the hill of its cemetery and monument. The air was still, humidity high, and all quiet, save birdsong. Reinforcements arrived, five ladies on a history tour. They told me Plains, Georgia, was next. Men changed history where we stood.

The British just about had Georgia under its thumb when Col. James Boyd led 600 British sympathizers across the Savannah River into present day Elbert County. Patriots Col. Andrew Pickens with 200 South Carolina militia, and Col. John Dooly and Lt. Col. Elijah Clarke with 140 Georgia Militia, overtook them at a bend in a flooded Kettle Creek. The war had not been going well for the Patriots. The British had taken Savannah as part of their southern strategy designed to separate Georgia from middle and northern rebellious colonies. But things were about to change.

Patriots surprised Loyalists twice their number, and a desperate battle raged for three hours. The turning point came when Patriot forces killed Boyd. Immediate panic and disorder set in among the Loyalist ranks. They broke and fled.

While Boyd and twenty of his men were killed and twenty-two captured, Pickens and Dooly suffered seven killed and fifteen wounded. Pickens later wrote that Kettle Creek “was the severest check and chastisement the Tories ever received in South Carolina or Georgia.”

The Battle of Kettle Creek stopped a Loyalist advance and boosted morale after Savannah’s fall. It demonstrated British inability to secure the Georgia interior, halted Loyalist recruitment, and prevented the British from taking full control of upper Georgia.

Forested Kettle Creek battlefield, including “War Hill,” is a 40-acre tract encircling a 500-foot hill. Revolutionary soldiers lie reburied atop the hill.

In school all I heard about was the Boston Tea Party and the shot heard around the world, but battles like Kettle Creek did their part to stave off British control. Sometimes, like those five ladies, you have to seek history on your own. Kettle Creek is a good place to start.

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

As summer breezes roll across the Southeast, we’re celebrating the extraordinary journey that has shaped our nation. All season long, we’ll honor America’s 250th birthday—starting this week in Georgia with a Revolutionary War battlefield in Elbert County, the old governor’s mansion in Milledgeville, the view from Brasstown Bald in Hiawassee, and a piece of patriotic pottery made in Canton.

Three Battles and a Massacre

Victory, Stinging Defeat, a Draw, and Bloody Bill

By

Old battlefields seem more like parks. They’re quiet. Trying to imagine black powder, cannon, and cries of the wounded? Difficult, but not always. Farmers’ plows unearthed so many Minié balls at Shiloh, the soil turned white. Shiloh was of the Civil War. I’m writing of Revolutionary War sites: Kettle Creek, Camden, Eutaw Springs, and Clouds Creek.

This week, we’ll start a four-part series on Southeastern battlefields that played a prominent role in the Revolutionary War. Part One focuses on the Battle of Kettle Creek. We’ve removed the paywall for the first installment so everyone has full access.

READ PART 1

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Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion

120 S. Clarke Street
Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion is a National Historic Landmark and one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States. Completed in 1839, it served as the official residence for Georgia’s governors during the state’s capital years in Milledgeville. The mansion witnessed major events spanning the antebellum era, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, including the occupation by Union General William T. Sherman. Today, carefully restored to its 1850s appearance, the mansion operates as a historic house museum, interpreting the lives of governors, their families, and the enslaved people who lived and worked there.

Brasstown Bald

Hiawassee, Georgia
2941 Highway Spur 180
Coordinates: 34.8747° N, -83.8107° W

Rising above the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, Brasstown Bald is the highest point in the state and offers sweeping views that stretch across four states on clear days. A paved pathway leads from the visitor area to the summit observation deck, where expansive mountain vistas unfold in every direction. Throughout the seasons, changing foliage, blooming wildflowers, and drifting mountain mist transform the landscape and showcase the Southern Appalachian Mountains’ grandeur and enduring beauty.

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Introducing Our Summer 2026 Issue

In this special issue honoring America’s 250th birthday, we reflect on the extraordinary journey that has shaped our nation. Explore the hallowed grounds of Revolutionary War battles and secret intelligence networks that helped make victory possible. Celebrate the enduring tradition of American Legion Baseball, and travel to historic lighthouses that still stand sentinel over our Southern shores. Plus, we share Revolutionary-era recipes and five founding fathers’ views on the Bill of Rights.

Let’s get started!

Three Battles and a Massacre

Victory, stinging defeat, a draw, and ‘Bloody Bill’
By

Old battlefields seem more like parks. They’re quiet. Trying to imagine black powder, cannon, and cries of the wounded? Difficult, but not always. Farmers’ plows unearthed so many Minié balls at Shiloh, the soil turned white. Shiloh was of the Civil War. I’m writing of Revolutionary War sites: Kettle Creek, Camden, Eutaw Springs, and Clouds Creek.

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Revolutionary Secrets

Covert Southern missions that helped birth America’s freedom
By

We Americans often celebrate our hard-won independence from Britain through a familiar set of images: Washington crossing the Delaware, Continental and British army battles, and clandestine northern spy rings.

The South’s role in the war, however, unfolded in a far less orderly way. Across Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and beyond, a shifting landscape of local intelligence networks, civilian participation, enslaved resistance, global alliances, and hidden supply chains contributed to the Patriots’ victory. What emerged was not a single war, but multiple conflicts that played out concurrently.

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America’s Enduring Pastime

100 years later, American Legion Baseball maintains a proud legacy
By Kurt Dusterberg

Baseball has long been part of our country’s summertime landscape. For more than a century, fans of America’s pastime have filled major league stadiums to watch the greats of the game. In mid-size towns across the country, minor league ballparks have added to the game’s charm with an up-close view of tomorrow’s stars.

But all across America, another brand of the game—one without much fanfare—has endured for a full century. American Legion Baseball claims more than 3,000 teams that play in local communities.

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Sentinels of the Shore

Journey to historic lighthouses in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida
By the staff

Our Summer There and Back Again feature journeys to historic lighthouses. In honor of our nation’s 250th birthday, we start this excursion at the Morris Island Lighthouse, which played a role in the American Revolutionary War. On the return trip, we suggest stops at a Revolutionary War battlefield and fort. We’ve designed this journey to span three days, but you can stretch it out if you’d like. We’ve also suggested accommodations for each location.

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Plus:

Revolutionary-era recipes, Founding Fathers’ philosophies, events celebrating our nation’s 250th birthday, patriotic products, and our Summer Portfolio collection.

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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.

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This week, travel with us along Tennessee’s trails and roads. It’s the perfect time to revisit our three-part Appalachian Trail thru-hiking feature. Below, find the link to Part 1, which is completely unpaywalled. Check it out if you haven’t already.

READ PART ONE

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The Elkmont Troll Bridge

Elkmont, Tennessee
Coordinates: 35.660144, -83.582882

Tucked away in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just 100 feet into the Little River Trail, a small side trail leads to the fairy tale-like, moss-covered stone Elkmont Troll Bridge. The main trail continues past streams and small waterfalls on this moderate roundtrip hike that covers about 5 miles. The coordinates for the bridge are 35.660144, -83.582882.

Old Town of Elkmont

Homesteaders, hunters, and loggers first settled the community of Elkmont in the mid-1800s. By the early 1900s, it had grown into the county’s second-largest town, complete with a post office, school, hotel, store, church, and homes. When Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created, cottage owners received lifetime leases—later changed to 20-year terms in 1952 and renewed in 1972. Their leases ended in 1992, and most structures were slated for demolition. The Elkmont Troll Bridge survived and was restored by park officials.

South Holston Lake

South Holston Lake, Tennessee
918 Holston Dam Road

South Holston Lake in eastern Tennessee stretches through the Appalachian highlands. Formed by the South Holston Dam on the South Fork Holston River, the lake is known for its calm, glassy surface and peaceful forested shoreline within the Cherokee National Forest. From secluded fishing spots to sweeping views along the Tennessee–Virginia border, its tranquil waters and surrounding mountains create a timeless retreat in one of the most scenic corners of the southern Appalachians.

Hidden Gem: Cliff Island is a popular cliff-jumping spot located off Point 2. Pull your boat near the small island, swim to its low side, and in about 50 steps, you’ll be ready for an exhilarating 10-20 foot drop. Check out a video of the jump below.

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Story and photos by

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 first 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.

“Beaufort, Aiken, and Camden have many fine Southern homes,” I tell them, “but wait until you see Washington, Georgia.” The old homes never disappoint.

This glimpse of the past came about thanks to a feature I wrote. The writing life introduces me to some memorable people. Among them are memories of the late Steve Blackmon. He found me when his daughter, Myra, read my feature, “Remembering Danburg,” in an online journal of Southern culture. She told her father about my story and Steve called me. “Would I speak to his Kiwanis Club?”

I did.

How well I remember my day in Washington, Georgia. I had no clue just how many beautiful and interesting homes Washington has until I spoke to Steve’s Kiwanis Club. Prior to speaking, Steve gave me a tour of seven historic homes that had something unique in common. All had been moved in total or in part to their current location. And moved for good reason.

Arriving at Steve’s I met him and his wife, Eleanor. Steve had made a list of eight homes to visit, complete with a timetable an airline scheduler would envy. (One home would be unavailable to us.) I appreciated the tight scheduling. A book event back in Columbia, South Carolina, that evening had me in a squeeze.

Now these mobile homes were not trailers or doublewides as we know them today, mind you. As Steve drove me to homes with names like Holly Court, Hollyhock, Woods Huff’s House, and Colley House, we talked of the old days. Our reflections, combined with Steve’s “mobile” home tour, amounted to a time capsule of a day.

Born Out of Necessity

I was in for a memorable day. Besides the star attractions, I’d see a millstone inlaid among bricks as a walkway centerpiece, a volume of Jericho, The South Beheld, by James Dickey and Hubert Shuptrine. I’d hear a deflating story about a letter Mrs. Jefferson Davis left the wartime owners of Holly Court purloined during a home tour. I’d see Civil War artifacts and vintage oil paintings and remarkable old homes that share a unique heritage born out of necessity.

In the 1800s, the plagues of old age made going to see the doctor too much of a challenge. For others, fashionable excursions such as going into town, say, to enjoy the opera spurred changes. The solution? Well, it was something near impossible to do today.

They moved their home into town.

In 1978, a feature in The Christian Science Monitor titled, “The Traveling Homes of Washington, Ga.” found its way into the Washington Post. The feature quoted historian Robert M. “Skeet” Willingham Jr. “In the early 1800s, when boards were hand-hewn and nails were handmade, houses were not simply demolished when no longer needed. They were recycled,” Willingham said.

“Our 19th-century counterparts knew much more about recycling than we do. If a certain home was no longer needed, it was either disassembled and rebuilt in another form or moved as it was to another location,” Willingham said.

According to the feature, Washington’s “prefab” houses were manor houses brought in from nearby plantations as it became fashionable to live in town between 1820 and 1840, a time when local farmers prospered after switching from tobacco to cotton farming.

Slow and Steady

Let’s return to the era when power lines and utility poles didn’t hem in roads. Envision teams of oxen hauling a house down a dirt lane. Not mules, mind you, but oxen. Now mules may have been used but handling them wasn’t always easy with their tendency to bolt. Oxen plodded along, were reliable, and resilient. Moving a house best happens at a slow, steady pace. That would be what oxen do, and best of all, oxen are world-class strong.

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This week, we’re back in Georgia. Discover the “original mobile homes” in historic Washington, a hidden treasure near the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain, and the Georgia Mountain Scottish Festival and Highland Games in Hiawassee. Plus, take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.

The Original Mobile Homes

By

In the 1800s, the plagues of old age made going to see the doctor too much of a challenge. For others, fashionable excursions such as going into town, say, to enjoy the opera spurred changes. The solution? Well, it was something near impossible to do today.

They moved their home into town.

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Springer Mountain, Georgia

The Southern Gateway to Adventure

The Appalachian Trail officially begins at Springer Mountain in northern Georgia, a 3,782-foot summit nestled in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. This remote peak marks the southern starting point of the 2,200-plus-mile trail that stretches to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Most northbound hikers reach it via the challenging 8-mile Approach Trail from Amicalola Falls State Park.

Under-the-radar gems: While the bronze plaque and summit register mark the spot for that first official hiking photo, a hidden spot via an easy detour known as Three Forks lies 4 miles north of Springer Mountain at the peaceful confluence of Stover, Long, and Chester creeks into Noontootla Creek. It also marks the spot where the Appalachian Trail meets the Benton MacKaye Trail.

Framed by lush rhododendrons, scenic Long Creek Falls connects directly to Three Forks via a 1.1-mile hike from the Three Forks parking area.

Georgia Mountain Scottish Festival and Highland Games

June 6-7, 2026
Hiawassee, Georgia

This vibrant celebration in the North Georgia mountains showcases traditional Highland games, pipe bands, Scottish dancing, clan societies, and Celtic music. Held at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, it features cultural demonstrations, athletic competitions, children’s activities, and Scottish food in a scenic lakeside setting—perfect for experiencing Celtic heritage in the Appalachian foothills.

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