Introducing Our Spring 2025 Issue 💐
Meet Seagrove potters, pay tribute to forgotten landowners, visit a restorative mineral spring, and hike through Smoky Mountain waterfalls
Spring Issue Preview
Sweet spring blooms perfume the air as we introduce our Spring 2025 issue of Backroad Portfolio magazine! Print subscribers, you should receive your copy in a couple of weeks. We’ll update you as soon as we get the issues back from our printer.
Here are the features you’ll find in our newest issue!
Unearthed
Discovering the tradition of Seagrove pottery
By Jenna Biter
Halfway between Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C. 705 winds its way through the Piedmont in the shadow of the Uwharrie Mountains. The two-lane road—what seems a highway in name only—wanders past farms and longleaf pines to connect the small towns home to an esteemed community of artists who carry on a pottery tradition that dates to the 1700s.
The Blue Ridge Heritage Project
Honoring ‘The Children of Shenandoah’
By Beth Peterson
In 1934, a farmer in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia read an eviction notice. He read it again—just to be sure—before silently laying it on the kitchen table. “There must be some confusion,” he said to his wife. … In the fervor to produce their coveted national park, the Public Lands and Surveys Committee had begun buying up parcels of land from families willing to sell. However, a stubborn contingent of mountain folk refused to leave.
The Elixir of Life as Therapy
Healing Springs, Mineral Springs, and Hot Springs
By Tom Poland
Old Jed Clampett was shootin’ at some food, and up through the ground came a-bubblin’ crude. Well you can’t drink crude and you sure don’t want to soak in it. Water, the elixir of life, however, was made to drink and bathe in and, in so doing, reputed health cures bubble up from the earth. When modern medicine fails many people turn to springs hoping to heal various ailments.
There and Back Again
Wondrous Waterfalls
By the Backroad Portfolio staff
Inspired by a Wandering Smoky Mountains article, we’re hiking through the scenic Great Smoky Mountains to see some of its breathtaking waterfalls. There’s no better time than spring to enjoy this majestic area. Home base is Gatlinburg. From there, you can hike trails lined with lustrous vegetation to spectacular waterfalls.
Plus:
South Carolina’s treasures, the forgotten rain porch, the history of Irish Soda Bread, and a refuge for retired research chimpanzees.
Welcome New Subscribers!
Whether you’re a free, print, or upgraded Substack subscriber, you’ll receive our weekly post. A portion of each email will be available to all subscribers, but only print and upgraded Substack subscribers will be able to read past the paywall.
Spring Giveaway From Designed for Joy
Our Spring 2025 giveaway from Designed for Joy kicks off April 1 and features the Dorothy, a $169 value. There will be three winners chosen July 1, 2025. Perfectly sized for any occasion, the Dorothy is neither too big or too small—just right for your daily essentials. She’s available in five colors: black, caramel, cinnamon, red, and teal. We’ll email the link to the giveaway entry form as soon as it goes live.
Follow Our Journey
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Backroad Portfolio is a new quarterly magazine 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 issue is a great way to kick spring into high gear!