Journey through Guilford County

Guilford County is the third-most populous county (and city) in North Carolina behind Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) and Wake County (Raleigh). The original inhabitants of the area were a Siouan-speaking people called the Cheraw. Beginning in the 1740s, settlers arrived in the region in search of fertile and affordable land. These first settlers included American Quakers …

Journey through Davidson County

The original Davidson County was formed in 1786 as the far western portion of North Carolina, with its county seat at Nashville and a territory covering most of what is now Middle Tennessee. However, when Tennessee was established as a separate state in 1796, this county became Davidson County, Tennessee. The current North Carolina county …

Journey through Pitt County

If I could associate a color with Pitt County, it would most certainly be purple, as Greenville in Pitt County is home of the Eastern Carolina University (ECU) pirates. In addition to having a college town metropolis, you’ll also find a plethora of farmland, including tobacco, corn, dense pine forests, tobacco farms, and fertilizer mining …

Journey through Hertford County

Dotted with family cemeteries and occasional solar farms, Hertford County is painted with a plethora of open land and fields, lush farms and forests, as well as marshland. Psst… from late spring to early fall, watch out for turtles, big and small, crossing the road. The area was first settled in the 18th century with …

Journey 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 …

Journey 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 …

Journey 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 …

Journey 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), …

Journey 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. …

Journey 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 …