Journey with me across NC!
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FeaturedJourney through Alamance County
Alamance County was formed on January 29, 1849 from Orange County. Alamance County was named after Great Alamance Creek, the site of the Battle of Alamance (May 16, 1771), a pre-Revolutionary War battle in which militia under the command of Governor William Tryon crushed the Regulator movement. Great Alamance Creek, and Little Alamance Creek, according… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Montgomery County
The first inhabitants of the area eventually comprising Montgomery County were Keyauwee and Cheraw Native Americans. And the first European settlers were German and Scottish. Montgomery County was created in 1779 out of Anson County. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Stokes County
Stokes county was formed in 1789 from Surry County; and before 1770, it was part of Rowan County. The county was named for John Stokes, an American Revolutionary War captain severely wounded when British Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s cavalry practically destroyed Col. Abraham Buford’s Virginia regiment in the Waxhaws region in 1780. Stokes was most heavily… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Johnston County
Named for Governor Gabriel Johnston, Johnston County, or JoCo as it is affectionately called today, was established on June 28, 1746, from the upper part of Craven County. Located in the southeastern part of North Carolina, farming has a primary business since its earliest days. Most early growers in Johnston County were subsistence farmers. A… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Alleghany County
The fifth smallest county in North Carolina, Alleghany County was formed from parts of Ashe County in 1859 by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly. The county received its name from the Allegewi Indian word “oolikhanna” (beautiful stream). In 1825, Bower’s Store became Alleghany’s county seat. The earliest inhabitants of the area eventually… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Bladen County
Throughout Bladen County, you’ll find a plethora of pine trees, as it is part of the Southern Pines/Sandhills region, as well as corn, soy bean, watermelon, and blueberry fields as well as turf farms. Curiously, you’ll also happen upon a large number of private family cemeteries–some roadside and some set back on private land. As… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Sampson County
A drive through Sampson County will quickly reveal that it is largely an agricultural area. You’ll pass by outstretched fields of corn, tobacco, soy bean, and even watermelon. The area is also known for its blueberry farms, sandy soil, pine groves and forests, and cypress swamps as well as occasional palm trees and Spanish moss.… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Wayne County
Wayne County, North Carolina was founded in 1779 and named for the Revolutionary War hero from Pennsylvania, General Anthony Wayne. Prior to 1730, Indians and wild animals were the only known occupants of the territory. Settlers trickled into the territory, but there was no general movement of immigration until after 1750. During the Revolutionary War,… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Lenoir County
Lenoir county was formed in 1791 from the southern part of Dobbs County and was named for William Lenoir (1751-1839), an officer in the American Revolutionary War who took part in the Battle of Kings Mountain. The area hosts a BBQ Fest on the Neuse in May each year, including a car/truck show. You can… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Greene County
Tourism-wise, there’s not a whole lot that creates interest in Greene County, but there is some interesting history here. Greene County was named in honor of Nathanael Greene, one of General Washington’s right-hand men, as was the Piedmont city of Greensboro, NC. As part of a land grant by King Charles II of England in… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Warren County
Warren County Once one of the wealthiest counties in the state from 1840 to 1860 as the center of tobacco and cotton plantations, education, and later textile mills, Warren County is now one of the poorest counties in North Carolina. It was made famous for a landfill scandal and a birthplace of the environmental justice… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Union County
Union County was formed in 1842 from parts of Anson County and Mecklenburg County. Its name was a compromise between the Whigs, who wanted to name the new county for Henry Clay, and the Democrats, who wanted to name it for Andrew Jackson. The Helms, Starnes, McRorie, and Belk families were prominent in the town… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Vance County
As one of the smaller counties in North Carolina, we were comfortable able to tour through the area in a day. If you have enough time, you may want to pair this county with Granville County or Franklin County. A little history on the area… the Occonachee Native Americans were the first inhabitants of what… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Stanly County
Stanly County was formed in 1841 from the part of Montgomery County west of the Pee Dee River. The county was named for John Stanly of New Bern (1774–1834), who served several terms in the North Carolina House of Commons and two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. The county was originally populated with by small tribes. Artifacts and settlements have since been discovered,… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Franklin County
Full disclosure: I have been behind in posting and finally able to get caught back up. However, I have found that all but a select few photos from this county and the next (Stokes County) that I had posted to my personal Facebook are completely missing from my phone; they apparently disappeared during a phone… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Cleveland County
Cleveland County Located on the North Carolina-South Carolina border, Cleveland County is two counties west of Charlotte. The county was formed in 1841 from parts of then Lincoln and Rutherford counties. It was named for Benjamin Cleveland, a colonel in the American Revolutionary War, who took part in the Battle of King’s Mountain. From 1841… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Alexander County
Called the Gateway to the Brushy Mountains, Alexander county is named in honor of the Alexander family who were leaders in Colonial North Carolina. And Taylorsville is the namesake of either John Louis Taylor, Carolina agriculturist and political philosopher, or General Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States. The County was established in… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Anson County
Enjoy a scenic day throughout the rolling hills of Anson County, NC. Named for George Anson, Baron Anson, a British admiral, who circumnavigated the globe from 1740 to 1744 and later became First Lord of the Admiralty, Anson County was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. While neighboring Bladen was occupied by Native American tribes(Waccamaw),… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Granville County
Grandville County is Uniquely Open. The land known today as Granville County was once the home of many Indian tribes, dominated mainly by the Tuscarora. After the Tuscarora War of 1711, settlers, mostly from Virginia, began to populate this area, attracted by the abundant game, well-watered wood, and rich land. By 1746, the area had… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Richmond County
Step back in time with a visit to Richmond County, formed in 1779 from Anson County. In 1899, the southeastern part of Richmond County was organized as Scotland County. The county was named for Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox, who was an Englishman and a member of the Parliament of the United… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Randolph County
Home to the original school that became Duke University, some of the first European settlers moved into this area of the Piedmont. The county was formed in 1779 from now neighboring Guilford County and part of a then larger Rowan County. Randolph County was named for Peyton Randolph, the first president of the Continental Congress.… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Davie County
Davie County is one of the smaller counties in North Carolina, so you can easily traverse the county in one day and hit all of the highlights. We chose Davie County this day because it wasn’t too far from our origination point–and the days are shorter this time of year, of course. Davie County was… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Rowan County
Considered part of the Charlotte metropolitan area, Rowan County was formed in 1753 as part of the British Province of North Carolina. It was originally a vast territory with unlimited western boundaries, but its size was reduced to 524 square miles after several counties were formed from Rowan County in the 18th and 19th centuries,… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Surry County
I purposely planned this trip for when Surry County would (hopefully) be in peak fall color season–and this day didn’t disappoint. A nestled Appalachian Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains foothills community, Surry County is alive with peaks and valleys and untouched lands. It seems every corner you turn, a majestic mountain or valley view awaits… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Scotland County
Scotland County was founded in 1899 from the southeastern part of Richmond County, which was divided to reduced the travel time for residents to the county seat of Rockingham. The county name documents the strong historic and cultural influence from the early settlers from Scotland. Scotland County is often referred to as the “Soul of… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Hoke County
Discover rural life in Hoke County, bordering the low country of South Carolina. Hoke county is dotted with small, unincorporated communities like Ashley Heights, Five Points, Silver City, Arabia, and Rockfish. Raeford is the county seat of Hoke County, and the most populated area of the county. Hoke County is among the smallest counties in… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Harnett County
You’ll find Harnett County filled with Civil War history. And there’s more for you here–even if you’re not a Civil War buff. Harnett County was formed in 1855 from land given by Cumberland County. It was named for American Revolutionary war soldier Cornelius Harnett, who also served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. The… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Catawba County
Wow! Catawba County was chockful of little discoveries! This county is well worth the trip. Catawba County, name after the Catawba River, was formed in 1842 from Lincoln County. The word “catawba” is rooted in the Choctaw sound kat’a pa, loosely translated as “to divide or separate, to break.” However, scholars are fairly certain that this word was imposed… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Chapel Hill, NC
You’ll find Chapel Hill to be a little bit urbanist and a little bit village. The town of Carrboro runs right into Chapel Hill, so it may seem difficult to determine where one begins and the other ends. Hailed as one of America’s Foodiest Small Towns by Bon Appétit, Chapel Hill is rapidly becoming a… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Orange County
Orange County was formed in 1752 from parts of Bladen, Granville, and Johnston Counties, and was named for the infant William V of Orange, whose mother Anne, daughter of King George II of Great Britain, was then regent of the Dutch Republic. In 1771, the western portion of Orange County was combined with the eastern… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Wilmington, NC
Wilmington is one of the most beautiful cities by the sea (situated between a river and an ocean), boasting a large historic district that encompasses nearly 300 blocks along the Cape Fear River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. A short drive (30 minutes or less) from several local beaches (Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach,… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Moore County
Moore County, named after Alfred Moore (an officer in the American Revolutionary War and associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States), is home of Southern Pines and part of the Sandhills region of North Carolina, and a border county between the Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. This area is packed with… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through New Hanover County
If you love coastal communities, New Hanover County has the idyllic combination of seaside village beaches plus the city perks of nearby Wilmington–all rolled into the second-smallest county in North Carolina (by land area, behind only Chowan County). New Hanover County totals 328 square mmiles, of which 191.37 square miles of land area and 136.67… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Lincoln County
Just northwest of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, you’ll find the lovely country atmosphere of Lincoln County, with eastern parts of the county bordering manmade Lake Norman. The county was formed in 1779 from the eastern part of Tryon County, which had been settled by Europeans in the mid-18th Century. The county was named for Benjamin… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Wilson County
Wilson County is the shining epitome of small-town, southern life and days gone by. A leisurely drive throughout the county will spotlight small towns (many are railroad communities) with 1920s- and 1930s-style downtown building facades and water towers. You’ll discover this tucked-away county about halfway between New York and Florida, just east of I-95. Wilson… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Person County
It’s Better in Person! At least, that’s the name of the website. And, perhaps, it is better in Person County once you discover the hidden treasures and gems here, including the Person County Quilt Trail that began in 2015 and consists of 29 barn quilts so far. On the west side of Hyco Lake, you’ll… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Caswell County
On the west side of Hyco Lake, you’ll find Caswell County, an area dotted with tobacco farms and small towns that boast the joys of rural living in North Carolina at its best. Caswell County was formed from a northern portion of Orange County in 1777 and was named for Richard Caswell, who was a… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Gaston County
Gaston County is a wonderful area to visit during the holiday season. I chose this county to visit during December specifically to see McAdensville (Christmas Town USA) and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens (DSBG). More on both of these attractions later. Gaston County is a community of rolling hills combined with quaint, walkable downtown areas.… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Iredell County, NC
From an old western town to a luxury lake community, you’ll find it all in Iredell County. Nestled in the foothills between the mountains and the Piedmont, somewhat north of Charlotte, this county has a lot to offer. The NC state legislature divided Rowan County in 1788, and the new resulting county was named Iredell… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Lee County, NC
One of North Carolina’s smallest counties, Lee County is just about 255 total square miles. The area has historically been one of the leading brick manufacturers in the U.S. due to its location between the Sandhills region and the clay-predominant Piedmont region. The leading crops in the area are tobacco and cotton–and I did stumble… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Rockingham County, NC
“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,To gain all while you give,To roam the roads of lands remote,To travel is to live.” ― Hans Christian Andersen It was a sunny day, one day post-Hurricane Dorian which hit our state both as a Category 2 and Category 3 storm. Most of the damage was on… Read more
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FeaturedJourney through Yadkin County, NC
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” ― Henry Miller August 24, 2019 I hemmed and hawed the night before my departure about whether or not to go. Earlier in the week, the weather had looked pleasant for Saturday. But by that night, it looked like definite rain… no… Read more
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I was at the Badin Museum on Sunday afternoon, 2/19, doing some research, when you dropped in for a visit. Thank you for leaving your website address at the museum. The blog is very interesting and informative!
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Great, I hope you enjoy!
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