By the Backroad Portfolio staff

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers two classic round trips into some of the Southern Appalachians’ most bucolic lands. The Nantahala Gorge Excursion starts at the depot in Bryson City, North Carolina, and covers 44 miles in just over four hours, rolling beside the Nantahala and Little Tennessee rivers, across the long Fontana Trestle over Fontana Lake, and into the deep Nantahala Gorge for a layover.

The Tuckasegee River Excursion runs 32 miles round trip in about four hours, following the river through quiet countryside and the 836-foot Cowee Tunnel (some say it’s haunted), and into the little mountain town of Dillsboro.

Ride vintage coaches and open-air gondolas, or step up to First Class and Crown Class cars featuring extra comfort and dining options. Steam locomotives are available for selected trips.

These are the old Southern Railway Murphy Branch tracks, and the onboard stories bring that history to life as you ride over rivers, valleys, and trestles, viewing scenery you simply can’t see from the highway.

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This week, we’re in North Carolina, where you can ride the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad through the Southern Appalachians, explore a lost village near Brevard, and attend the state fair in Raleigh.

A Journey Through Time and Terrain, Part 2

Take the scenic Smoky Mountains Railroad through a gorge, over a river, and across a trestle

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers two classic round trips into some of the Southern Appalachians’ most bucolic lands.

The Nantahala Gorge Excursion starts at the depot in Bryson City, North Carolina, and covers 44 miles in just over four hours, rolling beside the Nantahala and Little Tennessee rivers, across the long Fontana Trestle over Fontana Lake, and into the deep Nantahala Gorge for a layover.

The Tuckasegee River Excursion runs 32 miles round trip in about four hours, following the river through quiet countryside and the 836-foot Cowee Tunnel, and into the little mountain town of Dillsboro.

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A Lost Village

Brevard, North Carolina

The lost Cherokee village of Conestee near modern-day Brevard in Transylvania County, also known as Kanasta or Kana’sta, thrived along the French Broad River and trade routes in the early 18th century. British troops visited the settlement in 1725, but sometime between the 1750s and 1770s, it mysteriously vanished.

Cherokee oral tradition suggests supernatural spirit people, known as the Nunnehi, warned the villagers of impending danger. After a seven-day fast, the Conestee villagers followed them into a mountain and were never seen again, escaping the wars and displacement that followed European settlement. Today, a 1958 roadside marker and oral history commemorate the lost settlement.

The North Carolina State Fair

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By the Backroad Portfolio staff

There was a time when the low, resonant whistle of a train carried more than just freight or passengers—it transported the promise of elegance.

In the Southeast, silver coaches once glided through pine forests and past moss-draped oaks; dining cars served sophisticated meals on white tablecloths; and travelers watched the landscape unfurl at a civilized pace.

The journey itself was the point.

Today those same tracks still cross the region, yet most of us rush past them in cars or above them in planes, treating the train as a relic rather than a choice. Few still board for the simple pleasure of looking out the window. The routes remain, the views endure, and the slower way of moving through the South is still available to anyone willing to reclaim it. We invite you to journey down those tracks with us, starting with the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.

Blue Ridge Beauty

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway pulls out of downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia’s historic 1905 depot for a 26-mile round trip through foothills along the Toccoa River. You can ride vintage rail cars past rolling hills, dense forests, river bends, and preserved homelands.

Choose the two-hour Express with no stops or the four-hour Extended Tour that includes a two-hour layover in the twin border towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. Open-air coaches deliver wide-open views and fresh mountain air.

Adults 18 and older can step up to climate-controlled Premier cars with padded seats, refreshments, and a few extra amenities on select trips. Rail bikes are available to anyone who wants to pedal a stretch of the line at their own pace.

During the early 1900s, these tracks hauled copper ore and timber. Conductors share those stories as you roll along. In McCaysville and Copperhill, you can explore downtown shops for crafts and antiques, grab a riverside meal, or stroll across bridges.

Fall rides are crowd favorites, as the mountains light up in crimson, gold, amber, and orange. Winter trips run in heated coaches with vinyl windows that keep out cold weather while still framing snow-dusted evergreens.

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This week, travel with us to Georgia for a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway; experience life in the 1800s at Historic Westville Village; and watch pigs race for Oreos at the Georgia National Fair.

But first, a reminder that our Fall 2026 issue has arrived. View our updated print and digital subscription rates here. Print subscribers will receive their copy in the next few weeks.

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A Journey Through Time and Terrain, Part 1

Ride the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway through North Georgia and Southeast Tennessee

By the Backroad Portfolio staff

There was a time when silver coaches glided through pine forests and past moss-draped oaks; dining cars served sophisticated meals on white tablecloths; and travelers watched the landscape unfurl at a civilized pace. The journey itself was the point.

In this four-part series, we explore the railways that wind through southeastern mountains and forests, starting with the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Its trains pull out of the historic 1905 depot in downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia, for a 26-mile round trip through the foothills along the Toccoa River with the option of a layover in the twin border towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. It’s a journey everyone should experience.

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Historic Westville Village

3557 South Lumpkin Road
Columbus, Georgia

Step into a carefully assembled mid-19th-century Georgia town where original buildings—homes, a wooden courthouse, shops, and workshops—have been relocated and restored to show daily life before and after the Civil War. Interpreters demonstrate blacksmithing, leatherwork, quilting, and other trades while the village hums with the rhythms of a bygone community. The 1970s gathering held here helped launch the Artist-Blacksmiths Association of North America, now the world’s largest organization of its kind. The result is a living portrait of rural Southern craft and culture, and how it has evolved over the years.

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State Fair of Virginia

Doswell, Virginia
September 25-October 4, 2026

This agricultural fair at Meadow Event Park features livestock competitions, pig races, chainsaw carving, midway rides, concerts, food, and exhibits highlighting Virginia’s rural heritage, farming, and “Best of Show” traditions.

National Storytelling Festival

Jonesborough, Tennessee
October 2-4, 2026
storytellingcenter.net/festival/main

This premier event in what many consider America’s oldest town features master storytellers sharing folklore, personal tales, myths, and Appalachian narratives under tents. Ghost stories and evening performances create an immersive rural cultural experience rooted in oral traditions.

Carolina Renaissance Festival

Huntersville, North Carolina
October 3-November 22, 2026 (during weekends)

This large outdoor village re-creates a 16th-century European marketplace with jousting, comedy, music, artisan crafts, historical demonstrations, food, and interactive entertainment across 25 acres of woodlands.

Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival

Syria, Virginia
October 3-18, 2026 (during weekends)
gravesmountain.com/apple-harvest-festival-first-3-weekends-in-october

This multi-weekend event takes place on a 1,800-acre farm and offers apple picking, cider, hayrides, petting zoo, bluegrass music, crafts, and farm foods amid the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Suffolk Peanut Festival

Suffolk, Virginia
October 8-11, 2026

This agricultural festival at Suffolk Executive Airport honors Virginia’s peanut industry with rides, concerts, demolition derby, contests, fireworks, peanut butter sculpting, and family activities.

Georgia National Fair

Perry, Georgia
October 8-18, 2026

This state-sponsored fair emphasizes agriculture with livestock shows, Georgia Grown exhibits, rides, concerts, food, and youth events on expansive fairgrounds that showcase rural Georgia’s farming traditions and community spirit.

Apple Butter Festival

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
October 9-11, 2026

The 51st annual event features apple butter stirred in copper kettles, a parade, over 200 vendors, crafts, beard and hog calling contests, and live music in the historic downtown. A Beer Garden Party kicks off the festivities on October 9.

Holiday Quilling Class

Bushnell, Florida
October 12, 2026

Expert volunteers teach the historic art of quilling during this class from 10 a.m. to noon at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park. The cost is $3 per vehicle (or Floridians can use a Florida State Parks Annual Pass) plus $10 per person. Ages 12 and under can take the class for free. Pre-register by calling 352.793.4781 or emailing dadeprograms@floridadep.gov.

North Carolina State Fair

Raleigh, North Carolina
October 15-25, 2026

This large agricultural fair includes livestock shows, antique farm machinery, a Heritage Circle, folk festival, rides, deep-fried foods, competitions, and exhibits celebrating the state’s rural and farming heritage.

South Carolina State Fair

Columbia, South Carolina
October 15-25, 2026

The annual fair on the state fairgrounds features agricultural displays, livestock, competitions, rides, concerts, food, and attractions rooted in the state’s farming traditions.

Shrimp & Grits Festival

Jekyll Island, Georgia
October 23-24, 2026

This coastal event celebrates a Lowcountry staple with chef demos and local foods, blending rural coastal heritage with regional culinary experiences.

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ELEVATE YOUR BACKROAD EXPERIENCE

Our Fall 2026 issue is wrapped up and ready for you to enjoy! Click on the cover image or link below to read the digital version. Print subscribers will receive mailed copies of this edition within the next two weeks. Preview the issue below.

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Autumn’s Rainbow

Travel the backroads through a visual story of fall colors

Written and photographed by Robert Clark

As a photographer, I’m often asked what I enjoy most about what I do, and my answer is always the same: experiences. The thrill of viewing something I’ve never seen before and discovering the history, people, and places that make a landscape unique. Keep an open mind, take the scenic route, and you never know what you’ll find around the next corner.

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Roughing It, Comfortably

A first-person account of Airstream adventures in America

Written and photographed by Betsy Tucker

Longtime subscriber Betsy Tucker shares her personal journey from backcountry purist to Airstream owner, describing the unexpected ways embracing a little comfort has opened the door to more adventure. Hop on her 20-foot Airstream Basecamp to explore the joys of downsizing, boondocking, public lands, and new places.

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A Journey Through Time and Terrain

Experience the South’s scenic railways

By the Backroad Portfolio staff

Silver coaches once glided through pine forests and past moss-draped oaks, dining cars served sophisticated meals on white tablecloths, and travelers watched the landscape unfurl at a civilized pace. The journey itself was the point. Today those same tracks still cross the region, yet most of us rush past them in cars or above them in planes, treating the train as a relic rather than a choice.

READ MORE

Harvest Tables and Mountain Roads

Take a taste tour of authentic Southern holiday meals

By the Backroad Portfolio staff

From a Relais & Châteaux farm resort and family-style country kitchen to a sustainable farm community and rustic adventure basecamp, our fall journey loops through the foothills and mountains of East Tennessee and North Georgia in search of authentic Southern holiday tables. Celebrate the season with heritage recipes, hyper-local ingredients, and the kind of unhurried rural hospitality only backroads establishments can deliver.

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Plus:

Resurrecting lost apples, the Colonel’s camellias, ambrosia’s layers of tradition, and the importance of helping others.

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Whether you’re a free or an upgraded subscriber, you’ll receive our weekly email. A portion of each email will be available to all subscribers, but only our upgraded Explorers and Voyagers will have full access to all of the email content and archived stories. Explorers also receive a printed edition of each magazine.

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Remember to always … take the long way home.

The Bill of Rights occupies a unique place in American history. Ratified in 1791 as the first ten amendments to the Constitution, each right was designed to protect individual liberty and limit government power.

While legal scholars and judges continue to debate the Bill of Rights’ meaning, some of the most memorable insights come from the founders who created them. Their words reveal both the hopes and concerns that shaped America’s creation as a constitutional republic.

Often called the “Father of the Constitution,” James Madison initially doubted whether a bill of rights was necessary but ultimately became its chief architect. In a 1789 speech to Congress, Madison argued that the protection of rights would serve as a powerful safeguard against government abuse, observing that “independent tribunals of justice will consider themselves in a peculiar manner the guardians of those rights.” This statement anticipated the important role that courts would later play in defending constitutional freedoms.

Thomas Jefferson was among the strongest advocates for a bill of rights. In a 1787 letter to Madison, he declared, “A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth.” The quote remains one of the most frequently cited statements in American constitutional history. Jefferson believed certain liberties belonged to individuals as a matter of natural right and should never depend solely on the goodwill of government officials. His words reflect the conviction that freedom of speech, religious liberty, due process, and other protections are fundamental rather than optional.

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This is the fifth and final installment of our series on the covert Southern missions that helped make America’s freedom possible. If you haven’t read Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4, access them below.

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Next week, we’ll begin sharing content from our Fall 2026 issue. But first, here’s the fifth and final installment of our series on the covert Southern missions that helped make America’s freedom possible, followed by five of of our founders’ thoughts on the Bill of Rights.

Revoluationary Secrets, Part 5

The Bermuda Gunpowder Plot

Early in the war, Washington’s Continental Army faced severe gunpowder shortages. In 1775, Patriot leaders became aware of supplies stored in Bermuda, a British territory. On August 14, 1775, local Bermudians—many of whom had trade ties with American colonies—assisted Patriot agents in removing gunpowder from British storage to supply Patriots with much-needed ammunition.

The operation involved covert nighttime transfers of barrels onto American ships. Col. Henry Tucker, a prominent Bermuda merchant and politician, played a pivotal role in the raid.

READ PART 5

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The Bill of Rights

Five founders’ thoughts

By Elizabeth Poland Shugg

The Bill of Rights occupies a unique place in American history. Ratified in 1791 as the first ten amendments to the Constitution, each right was designed to protect individual liberty and limit government power.

While legal scholars and judges continue to debate the Bill of Rights’ meaning, some of the most memorable insights come from the founders who created them. Their words reveal both the hopes and concerns that shaped America’s creation as a constitutional republic.

Upgrade your subscription to continue reading this story.

State Fair of Virginia

Doswell, Virginia
September 25-October 4, 2026

This agricultural fair at Meadow Event Park features livestock competitions, pig races, chainsaw carving, midway rides, concerts, food, and exhibits highlighting Virginia’s rural heritage, farming, and “Best of Show” traditions.

This photo of a male indigo bunting was taken by Betsy Tucker and included in our Summer Portfolio collection. The small songbird forages for seeds and insects, and visits feeders with thistle or nyjer. They migrate at night by the stars and often form large flocks during passage.

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

Inside, you’ll find a perspective on RV life, a photo essay on the colors of fall, a roundup of scenic railways, and a journey through East Tennessee and North Georgia.

Here’s an early look at some of the photos in our fall Portfolio collection.

Keep an eye out for an email containing the digital edition on October 1. Print subscribers will receive mailed copies a couple of weeks later.

Reminder: In 2027, we’ll transition to a biannual schedule containing expanded Best of the Backroads issues published at the beginning of April and October. If you’d like to subscribe to our print and/or digital editions, click the link below. Questions? Email us at backroadportfolio@gmail.com.

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This is the fourth installment of a five-part series on the covert Southern missions that helped make America’s freedom possible. If you haven’t read Parts 1, 2, and 3, access them below.

Spain’s Southern Campaign

The Southern campaign of the Revolutionary War was not solely Anglo-American. Before Spain entered the war in 1779, Louisiana’s interim governor, Bernardo de Gálvez, smuggled critical supplies like gunpowder, muskets, uniforms, and medicine through the British blockade to Patriot forces via the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

After Spain declared war on Britain, Gálvez captured British ports in Pensacola, Mobile, Biloxi, and Natchez with little around 500 soldiers and two ships. His greatest victory was at Pensacola, where Spanish forces took the city by land and sea. The attack lasted from March 9 to May 10, 1781—greatly reducing the number of British forces and ships that could be sent to Cornwallis at Yorktown, which contributed to his impending surrender.

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This week, we head to Florida for the fourth installment of our five-part series on the covert Southern missions that helped make America’s freedom possible, with a focus on Spain’s campaign in the Revolutionary War. But first, here’s a brief history of the Amelia Island Lighthouse in Fernandina Beach, pictured above and included in our Summer 2026 Sentinels of the Shore travel feature.

The Amelia Island Lighthouse

215 O’Hagan Lane
Fernandina Beach, Florida

The Amelia Island Lighthouse, built in 1838, is Florida’s oldest surviving lighthouse and the only one built during the state’s Territorial Period (which began in 1821 after the United States acquired the wilderness territory) that escaped major reconstruction. The lighthouse guided sailing ships and, later, modern freighters and fishing boats into Fernandina Harbor.

In 2001, the Amelia Island Lighthouse was transferred from the U.S. Coast Guard to the City of Fernandina Beach, where it remains an active beacon maintained by the Coast Guard with local Auxiliary support. The city offers limited public tours of the historic landmark and Saturday ground access. Tours cost $10 per adult and $5 per child. It’s worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Revolutionary Secrets, Part 4

Spain’s Southern Campaign

The Southern campaign of the Revolutionary War was not solely Anglo-American. Before Spain entered the war in 1779, Louisiana’s interim governor, Bernardo de Gálvez, smuggled critical supplies—gunpowder, muskets, uniforms, and medicine—through the British blockade to Patriot forces via the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

After Spain declared war on Britain, Gálvez captured British ports in Pensacola, Mobile, Biloxi, and Natchez with around 500 soldiers and two ships. His greatest victory was at Pensacola, where Spanish forces took the city by land and sea. The attack lasted from March 9 to May 10, 1781 and greatly reduced the number of British forces and ships that could be sent to Cornwallis at Yorktown, which contributed to Cornwallis’ impending surrender.

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Hurricane Forces at Work

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This week, we share the third installment of our five-part series on the covert Southern missions that helped make America’s freedom possible. Then we travel to the Volunteer State to learn about a legendary gold discovery near Greenbrier Cove, navigate the Obed Wild and Scenic River in Wartburg, and preview the 48th Annual Mountaineer Folk Festival in Spencer.

Revolutionary Secrets, Part 3

A key double agent made big social moves

James Armistead Lafayette of New Kent County, Virginia, is remembered as one the most significant intelligence operatives of the American Revolution. With permission from his enslaver, Armistead joined the Continental Army and came under the command of a young French nobleman known as the Marquis de Lafayette. In 1777, the Marquis had anchored his ship at the entrance of South Carolina’s Winyah Bay, then rowed to North Island where he vowed to fight for America’s liberty. He recognized that Armistead’s ability to move between social worlds primed him for double agency, which is exactly what he asked him to do.

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After the Civil War, a blacksmith named Perry Shults became known as the wealthiest man in Greenbrier Cove, Tennessee. According to legend, Shults uncovered a shallow gold streak near Webb Creek with a pick and shovel. He secured a mining charter from the State of Tennessee in 1867, which was, interestingly, only licensed for mining silver, lead, copper, and zinc. Shults guarded the site carefully, taking different paths each time he journeyed to the mine and never sharing the details of its location with his wife. He also melted gold at his forge to produce counterfeit coins, using stolen plates he obtained from a former U.S. Mint worker.

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This is the third installment of a five-part series on the covert Southern missions that helped make America’s freedom possible. If you haven’t read Parts 1 and 2, you can access them below.

A Key Double Agent

James Armistead Lafayette, an enslaved man from New Kent County, Virginia, became one of the most significant intelligence operatives of the American Revolution.

With permission from his enslaver, Armistead joined the Continental Army and came under the command of young French nobleman Marquis de Lafayette, who, in 1777, had anchored his ship at the entrance of South Carolina’s Winyah Bay and rowed to North Island, where he vowed to fight on the side of liberty. Armistead’s ability to move between social worlds primed him for double agency, and that is exactly what Lafayette assigned to him.

Armistead posed as a runaway enslaved man seeking work with the British, which gained him access to enemy camps. There, he observed British commanders and defectors like Benedict Arnold, then relayed this intelligence to American forces.

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This is the second installment of a five-part series on the covert Southern missions that helped make America’s freedom possible. If you didn’t read Part 1, access it below.

Warrior Women

Women in the Southern colonies didn’t sit passively by observing the Revolutionary War. Embedded in civilian life, they formed informal intelligence and logistical systems, gathering and transmitting important information under conditions of occupation and surveillance.

Three South Carolina women are known for their clandestine courier work in 1781. On January 16, 1781—the night before the Battle of Cowpens—Margaret Catherine “Kate” Moore Barry mounted her horse at Walnut Grove Manor near present-day Spartanburg. She rode all night through South Carolina’s backcountry to warn militia forces of British movements ahead of the Battle of Cowpens.

The following June, Emily Geiger rode through the state’s upcountry with an urgent message from Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene for Brig. Gen. Thomas Sumter. After being intercepted by British forces and taken to Fort Granby for questioning, she memorized the message’s contents, then ate the paper it was written on.

Later that year, Laodicea “Dicey” Langston of the Ninety Six District—now Laurens County—bravely spied on Loyalists near her family’s home and learned that “Bloody Bill” Cunningham’s “Bloody Scouts” planned to attack the settlement where her brother and other Patriots camped. She traveled miles through the backcountry terrain at night—by foot and on horseback—to warn the soldiers in time. They alerted residents and prevented the assault.

Another time, when Loyalists pointed a gun at her disabled father, Dicey stepped boldly in front of him, daring them to shoot. Shaken by her courage, they left without harming anyone.

Other women contributed through direct action and sacrifice. During the May 1781 Siege of Fort Motte in South Carolina, British forces took over the elegant Congaree River plantation home of widowed Patriot Rebecca Brewton Motte to fortify it as a key outpost.

After Gen. Francis Marion and Lt. Col. Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee learned of the seizure, they proposed burning the mansion to force a British surrender. In a profound sacrifice for American independence, Motte readily agreed and reportedly supplied the troops with East Indian fire arrows. On May 12, 1781, Patriots ignited the roof and the British soon surrendered. Fortunately, quick-acting Patriots spared the house from total destruction.

Then there was Ann “Nancy” Morgan Hart, a legendary six-foot-tall, redheaded Patriot frontierswoman and spy who was said to have captured or killed British soldiers in her home, prompting Northeast Georgia Cherokee neighbors to nickname her “War Woman.”

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This week, we’re focusing on heroic women of the Revolutionary War in Part 2 of our Revolutionary War Secrets series, then we head to South Carolina to visit a world of color in Winnsboro, preview an annual fiddlers’ convention in Pickens, and take flight with a tricolored heron in Huntington Beach.

Warrior Women

Women in the Southern colonies didn’t sit passively by observing the Revolutionary War. Embedded in civilian life, they formed important informal intelligence and logistical systems, gathering and transmitting information under conditions of occupation and surveillance.

Part 2 of our Revolutionary War Secrets series tells the story of how Margaret Catherine “Kate” Moore Barry, Emily Geiger, Laodicea “Dicey” Langston, Rebecca Brewton Motte, Ann “Nancy” Morgan Hart, and Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson served the Patriots’ cause.

READ PART 2

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Christy in Color

1450 Newberry Road
Winnsboro, South Carolina

Speaking of bold women, Christy in Color is the vibrant online home of artist Christy Buchanan’s Wonderful World of Color in Winnsboro, South Carolina. Centered on her SHE Garden—a living studio and whimsical outdoor canvas filled with painted hearts, recycled folk art, bottle houses, picket fences, and ever-evolving installations—Buchanan invites visitors into a joyful fusion of art, gardening, and creativity. Stop by if you’re in the area.

The South Carolina Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention

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As summer turns to fall, explore the Land of Oz, attend a heritage fair, and learn how to play old-time music.

Fort Henry Days

Wheeling, West Virginia
September 5-6, 2026

Experience an authentic Revolutionary War reenactment encampment and market fair at Oglebay Park Resort as part of Wheeling’s America 250 commemoration. Learn about the historic Siege of Fort Henry by listening to period musicians, living history interpreters, and speakers. The event also features a colonial market fair, traditional crafts, and regional food.

North Carolina Mountain State Fair

Fletcher, North Carolina
September 11-20, 2026

Celebrate regional harvests, heritage, and America’s 250th birthday in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Western North Carolina’s premier fair. Organizers will add Semiquincentennial exhibits, patriotic displays, and programming to its traditional agricultural competitions, crafts, livestock, and entertainment this year.

South Carolina Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention

Pickens, South Carolina
September 18-19, 2026

The annual South Carolina Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention at Hagood Mill Historic Site features the official South Carolina State Fiddling Championship. Friday kicks off with concerts by Blindhouse and the Blue Wall Ramblers. Saturday includes youth and adult competitions in fiddle, banjo, guitar, and string band, and a concert takes place that night. See an 1845 gristmill and living-history demos while you’re there.

Autumn at Oz Festival

Beech Mountain, North Carolina
September 11-13, 18-20, and 25-27, 2026

Autumn at Oz is the world’s largest celebration of The Wizard of Oz, held on three September weekends at the historic Land of Oz theme park high atop Beech Mountain. Guests begin at a replica of Auntie Em and Uncle Henry’s Kansas farm, then experience a twister and follow a three-quarter-mile Yellow Brick Road paved with 44,000 gold-glazed bricks. Performers portray Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, the Wicked Witch, Glinda, and the Wizard.

Stephen Foster Old-Time Music Weekend

White Springs, Florida
September 11-13, 2026

The 18th Annual Stephen Foster Old-Time Music Weekend takes place on the banks of the historic Suwannee River at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park. This three-day immersive event offers in-depth workshops in traditional old-time music techniques on banjo, guitar, and fiddle for all skill levels. It also features jam sessions, discussion groups, and evening concerts.

Mayberry Days

Mount Airy, North Carolina
September 21-27, 2026

This week-long festival held in Andy Griffith’s hometown recreates the simple rural life of the fictional town of Mayberry from Griffith’s hit TV show. It features parades, live music, checkers tournaments, pork chop sandwiches, apple-peeling contests, guided tours, trivia, and special guests.

SC Foothills Heritage Fair

Seneca, South Carolina
September 22-26, 2026

This multi-day event celebrates the rural Appalachian foothills with agricultural exhibits, heritage crafts, local food vendors, livestock displays, and traditional music. You can also watch blacksmith demos, a tinsmith show, an antique tractor parade, and more.

Hardy County Heritage Weekend

Moorefield, West Virginia
September 25-27, 2026

The 73rd annual heritage weekend event opens historic homes, schools, and churches for tours. It includes Civil War living history, jousting, crafts, live music, food, car shows, and traditional demonstrations, immersing visitors in Appalachian rural history and community traditions.

Mountain Heritage Arts & Crafts Festival

Kearneysville, West Virginia
September 25-27, 2026

This juried festival at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds showcases over 160 artisans demonstrating traditional mountain crafts, pottery, woodwork, and more. Live bluegrass music, local wines, craft beers, food, and kids’ activities celebrate Appalachian artistry and heritage.

State Fair of Virginia

Doswell, Virginia
September 25-October 4, 2026

This agricultural fair at Meadow Event Park features livestock competitions, pig races, chainsaw carving, midway rides, concerts, food, and exhibits highlighting Virginia’s rural heritage, farming, and “Best of Show” traditions.

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ELEVATE YOUR BACKROAD EXPERIENCE

This is the first of a five-part series on the covert Southern missions that helped birth America’s freedom. We start with the Southern intelligence web. Each week, we’ll add a new section.

Revolutionary Secrets, Part 1

By Elizabeth Poland Shugg

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.

Stories from the Southern campaign don’t often make it into the overall narrative, so we’re throwing a spotlight on the lesser-known people, actions, and events that helped make the Revolution possible.

The Southern Intelligence Web

During the Revolutionary War, Northern Patriots relied on structured espionage strategies through systems like the Culper Spy Ring, directed by Gen. George Washington and Lt. Col. Benjamin Tallmadge. Down South, however, intelligence moved through informal, human networks embedded in daily life.

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This week, we share the first of a five-part series on the covert Southern missions that helped birth America’s freedom, starting with the Southern intelligence web. We also spend some time in Virginia exploring Cornwallis’ Cave in Yorktown and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach. But first, let’s find out who our Pinehurst Barbecue Festival ticket winners are!

Pinehurst Barbecue Festival Ticket Winners

Here are the randomly chosen winners of our Pinehurst Barbecue Festival ticket giveaway! Thanks to everyone who entered. The festival is September 4-6 in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

• One set of two tickets to the Pitmaster Invitational on September 6: Tommy Pope of York, South Carolina

• One set of four tickets to the Pitmaster Invitational on September 6: Gwen Gangewere of Jacksonville, North Carolina

• One set of four tickets to the Q School Grilling Class on September 5: Janina DeMasi of Chapel Hill, North Carolina

• One set of two tickets to the High on The Hog Pitmaster Dinner on September 4: Jeffrey McQueary of Morrisville, North Carolina

Congratulations to all of our winners, who should have received an email from us prior to this email. We hope you have an awesome—and delicious—experience!

Revolutionary Secrets, Part 1

By Elizabeth Poland Shugg

During the pre-Revolutionary War period, Northern Patriots relied on structured espionage strategies through systems like the Culper Spy Ring, directed by Gen. George Washington and Lt. Col. Benjamin Tallmadge. Down South, however, intelligence moved through informal, human networks embedded in daily life.

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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Cornwallis’ Cave

Yorktown, Virginia

A small, mostly human-made grotto along Yorktown’s waterfront in Virginia, Cornwallis’ Cave holds legendary importance for its role in the final days of the American Revolutionary War. During the 1781 Siege of Yorktown, British General Charles Cornwallis established his base here.

Folklore claims he used the cave—less than 350 square feet—as a hiding place and last headquarters to escape relentless American and French artillery bombardment. Though the National Park Service suggests it may have resulted from stone quarrying and was likely used for storage, the cave is a symbol of Yorktown’s pivotal role in securing American independence. The cave later stored munitions in the Civil War and became a tourist site.

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Interview by Kurt Dusterberg

By the time Larry Bowles led Chesapeake, Virginia Post 280 to the American Legion World Series in 2025, he already knew the event was something special.

As a player, he had finished as runner-up for the Virginia state championship in 1994 and 1995—for the same team he was now coaching.

Bowles’ playing days were part of a different era, before youth sports became college-focused and ultra-competitive. So bringing a team to the American Legion national championship tournament represented a chance to do two things: win something special and, at the same time, tap into a baseball niche that represented simpler times.

Despite changes in the sport, Bowles has worked hard to preserve the spirit of Legion baseball. Here’s our conversation with him about his approach to the players and love of the game.

How have you seen youth baseball change in recent years?

Kids are trying to show off for college coaches in the eighth and ninth grade, and they have their personal trainers that they go to on a regular basis. They go to their pitching coach, and everything is hyper-focused on getting a scholarship. So, we tell them, “When you come play for us in the summer, our first order of business is, you have fun.” So we know we already have the camaraderie from the beginning; it’s just whether we have the talent or not.

You already had eighteen players who had college commitments to play baseball last year, so how did you approach last season?

We went into the summer telling the guys, “Look, you’re going to go play college baseball in the fall and it’s going to become a job.” So we sold them on: This summer, go out here, no stress, no pressure and just have fun. And sometimes it clicks. Last year, it really, really clicked. We had great team camaraderie on top of the team talent.

Do you put much emphasis on the association with the American Legion?

Before the season every year, we get them up to the Legion post to meet some Legionnaires. A lot of parents and players aren’t familiar with American Legion like they used to be. It’s important to understand that the guys who are fundraising for this are part of this organization. They are not just veterans, they’re combat veterans. They did things that most people in our country don’t want to do. When we see veterans, we thank them for their service. We even teach [the players] how to stand for the national anthem. But it’s not too much of a hard sell with our community. We have a very heavy military presence here in the Hampton Roads area [with Naval Station Norfolk.

Has it been difficult to keep the Legion program together as amateur baseball has changed?

In 2011, we had ten American Legion teams just in the Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach area. We had a whole league. By 2013, there were two teams. There were some years where we just could not put a team together. I think it was 2014 and 2015 that we didn’t have a team. I just fought tooth and nail to get a team back together in 2016. It was tough. I was barely putting some rosters together.

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