Backroad Portfolio | WINTER 2024

Take the long way home

PORTFOLIO

The Art of Wintering

How a Mule Kick Killed 8 People The View From a Horse

There and Back Again WINTER 2024 Germanton, North Carolina PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRACE FRANKLIN

SOUTHEAST

Mount Holly, North Carolina

clearysbookstore.com @clearysbookstore

Cleary’s is a brand new, women-owned independent bookstore located on historic main street in Mount Holly, North Carolina. Our mission is to cultivate and support a lifelong love of books and share in the joy of reading with our community. Our shelves are stocked to bursting with new and used genre fiction for adults, nonfiction, young adult and graphic novels, kids’ books, and more.

We have monthly in-store events, book clubs, subscription boxes, and weekly kids and family story times. Whether you’re browsing our brick-and-mortar store in person or on our website, at Cleary’s you’ll find favorites for all ages! We can’t wait to read with you!

PRELUDE

“History: gossip well told.”

// E L B E RT H U B BA R D, 1 905

Balsam Mountain Inn in Balsam, North Carolina PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERICA DE FLAMAND

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SOUTHEAST

WINTER

10

14

Hidden relics, places, and stories along the backroads

Destinations worth visiting any time of year

secrets 18

nostalgia

Historic events that have shaped our region

evergreen 23

provisions

Must-have essentials for your next backroad adventure

26

the art of wintering

36

the view from a horse

42

how a mule kick killed 8 people

48

there and back again Our exclusive guide to getting there the long way

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CONTENTS

56

60

Advice for new photographers from Robert Clark

The Cedars of Philomath: A Georgian gem uncovered

conversation

preservation

64

69

A garden-to-pot aroma infusion for your home

Small-business treasures along the backroads

creation

inspiration

72

78

Seasonal adventures for your calendar

Captivating southeastern photo spots

bulletin

landscape

86

88

The beauty of a dry dirt road

Our featured writers, photographers, and artists

philosophy

On the cover

Meet Rhett, a paint gelding who was rescued from a neglect and abuse case in King, North Carolina.

His friend, Amelia, rests in the background.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRACE FRANKLIN

contributors portfolios Sean Byrne 20-21 Robert Clark 54-55, 58-59, 76-77, 82 Erica de Flamand 8-9, 16-17, 24-25, 46-47, 66-67 Grace Franklin Cover, 34-35 Eifel Kreutz 12-13, 62-63 Tom Poland 40-41, 84-85

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Volume 1 • Winter 2024 Covering Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee © 2024 Backroad Portfolio is published quarterly.

Email hello@backroadportfolio.com for advertising, subscription, and submission info.

Tullahoma, Tennessee

CARL BANKS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C A R L BA N K S Icicles form around a Short Springs Natural Area waterfall in Coffee County, Tennessee.

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WELCOME

Our world is spinning quickly. Cities swell with growth as suburbs sprawl and technology gets smarter. Work and life consume our days. And so, for one afternoon or a long weekend, we invite you to escape the busyness of your daily routine and take a different route. Experience the road less traveled, where every turn unveils hidden gems, cozy towns, lesser-known vistas, and undiscovered adventures.

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Backroad Portfolio, your seasonally-inspired passport to the heart and soul of off-the-beaten-path destinations. Along with our esteemed network of adventurers, writers, photographers, and artists, we’re excited to present a collaborative work that combines the origin stories of historic places and vanishing structures with the vibrant culture, lifestyle, and wanderlust of today’s backroad dwellers and explorers.

Our pages share experiences and stories of remarkable people who breathe life into the landscape. We’re shining a spotlight on the local artists, diverse cultures, and intriguing communities that thrive in heart of our nation, co-existing in-between the hauntingly beautiful remnants of America’s history.

Backroad Portfolio celebrates southeastern backroads through modern storytelling, clean design, and striking visuals. We’ll offer four editions per year—winter, spring, summer, and fall—in a portfolio of stunning visual art complemented by impactful stories found in-between the big cities and suburbs. Access a digital version online for free, or purchase a beautifully printed individual issue or annual subscription so you can hold the Southeast’s greatest stories in your hands.

Instead of jumping on the interstate to save time, we challenge you to choose a backroad instead. More than just a magazine, Backroad Portfolio celebrates the authentic, unique, and extraordinary stories that live beyond our city limits.

Let’s take the long way home.

EDITOR + CO-CREATOR

ART DIRECTOR + CO-CREATOR

backroadportfolio.com | hello@backroadportfolio.com WINTER 2024 | 7

PORTFOLIO

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Corolla, North Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E R I C A D E F L A M A N D Sea oats billow in the breeze on Outer Banks dunes during a cold winter morning. Sand dunes play an integral role in maintaining barrier island systems, as they are easily affected by wind, tides, currents, storms, and human interaction. The Outer Banks utilize native grasses to help support and protect dunes in this area.

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SECRETS

Southern backroads are filled with secret places, views, recipes, stories, memories, and mysteries. Here, we share a few of them with you.

ANDREW S. – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

VIEW Canton, North Carolina

The Cowee Mountains Overlook at milepost 430 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Jackson County, offers a layered view of one of the country’s most beautiful mountain ridges. Visit at sunset for a magical experience.

P HOTO G R A P HY BY A ND R EW S.

PLACE Athens, Georgia

A stone bridge crosses over Boulder Creek in Athens, Georgia, just off the Atlanta Highway within a hidden forest. Known as the Camelback Bridge, this historic structure sits on property originally purchased in 1910 by Charles Alden Rowland II as a summer refuge for his family. Rowland named the property Beech Haven thanks to its plentiful beech trees, and built a summer house there with the help of his wife, Effie Whitehead Rowland, who designed the home’s blueprint. Just downhill from the summer house, Rowland’s oldest son, Hampton, constructed the Camelback Bridge using stones from the property to mimic the landscape architecture his father had observed in Southeast Asia. Charles Alden Rowland II had admired the gardens in China, Japan, and Korea during his travels there as a Presbyterian missionary during the early 1900s. Now part of land sold by descendents of the Rowland family to the Athens-Clark County Unified Government for the purpose of establishing Beech Haven Park, the bridge is one of many structures six generations of Rowland residents have enjoyed over the years.

PHOTO ABOVE BY ELIZABETH POLAND SHUGG: The Camelback Bridge over Boulder Creek.

PHOTO AT RIGHT BY DAVID CHILDERS: Backroad Portfolio Editor Elizabeth Poland Shugg, her

mother Liz, and her sister Becky sit on the Camelback Bridge in 1976.

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SECRETS

MYSTERY Lunenburg County, Virginia

An 1895 murder investigation and trial in Lunenberg County, Virginia, brings to life a lost episode of a small, segregated Southern town, framed against the backdrop of racial strife in the country as a whole. When the wife of a prominent Lunenberg man is murdered with an ax, a black farmhand, Solomon Marable, is immediately arrested. Marable shocks everyone by accusing three black women of the crime, and a dramatic series of trials ensues. Mary Abernathy (tried twice), Mary Barnes, and her daughter Pokey Barnes were eventually exonerated, to the relief of many. Marable paid for the crime with his life, but to this day, no one is sure he did it. Explore more about this story in A Murder in Virginia: Southern Justice on Trial by Suzanne Lebsock.

PLANT Southern United States

Known as “the queen of winter,” you may not know that the hardy camellia originated in the eastern Himalayas, China, Japan, and Malaysia. Thanks to its tea-producing leaves, the camellia found its way to England and other European countries during the 1700s. By the late 1700s, the plant had been introduced to the United States and was primarily cultivated in New York greenhouses. It soon arrived at Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia and, later, Charleston, South Carolina. Now camellias primarily grow in southern states, thanks to the region’s warm, humid climate.

P H OTOG RAPHY BY E LI ZABE T H POLAN D SHUG G

RECIPE Lincolnton, Georgia

This simple slow cooker chili recipe from my late grandmother, Mary Ruth Walker Poland of Lincolnton, Georgia, has fed guests of my Super Bowl parties for nearly two decades—and counting.

Spice it up with extra Tabasco or Cackalaky sauce, then top it with shredded cheddar cheese and cheese-flavored crackers like white cheddar Cheez-Its or chili cheese-flavored Fritos. Over the years, I made a slight modification by adding a can of corn.

R E C I P E PR OV ID ED BY EL IZA BETH P OL A ND S HUG G P HOTO GR A PH Y BY KATIE SH U GG

M AW M AW ’ S C H I L I INGREDIENTS • 1½ pounds of lean ground beef or chuck • 2 15-ounce cans of red kidney beans • 2 15-ounce cans of stewed tomatoes • 1 tablespoon of chili powder • 1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix • 1 15-ounce can of corn (optional) • Tobasco or Cackalacky sauce to taste • Shredded cheddar cheese • Cheese-flavored crackers

DIRECTIONS Brown, then drain the ground beef. Mix it with beans, tomatoes, and corn in a slow cooker. Add the Lipton Onion Soup Mix, splashes of Tabasco or Cackalacky sauce, and a splash of water.

Cook on high for two hours, then low for three hours. Serve the chili in bowls with shredded cheese and crackers on top.

D O YO U H AV E A S E C R E T FA M I LY R E C I P E TO S H A R E ?

E M AI L HE LLO@BACK ROADPORT F OLI O.C O M

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EIFEL KREUTZ – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

PORTFOLIO

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Mount Rogers in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E I F E L K R E U TZ Grayson Highlands State Park in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, is home to herds of wild ponies that roam without minding the presence of hikers and campers. Learn more about this secret spot on page 14.

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EVERGREEN

No matter what time of year you venture out, picturesque southeastern backroads will transport you to these evergreen destinations.

EIFIEL KREUTZ – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

G R AYS O N H I G H L A N D S S TAT E PA R K Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Virginia’s two highest peaks—Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain— Grayson Highlands State Park stretches across 4,502 acres offering visitors invigorating hikes with breathtaking vistas of surrounding ridges and waterfalls. Another perk of visiting this park is seeing the wildlife that lives there.

In addition to black bears, bobcats, red foxes, ruffed grouse, deer, and wild turkey, the park is home to herds of ponies of the Virginia Highlands that roam without minding the presence of hikers and campers. You’ll spot them gently grazing between distant rock outcroppings.

Mouth of Wilson, Virginia

Grayson Highlands State Park dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/grayson-highlands P HOTOGR A P H Y BY EIFEL KR EU TZ

ALLEN PENTON – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

G R E A T S M O KY A R T S & C R A F T S C O M M U N I T Y

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Founded in 1937, the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community consists of more than 100 artists and craftspeople. Believed to be the largest of its kind in the United States, the community exists within an 8-mile loop road where visitors will discover unique eateries and inns among shops offering creations such as fine art, pottery, quilts, baskets, candles, glass, jewelry, leather, and more.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Glades Road Loop greatsmokyartsandcrafts.com P HOTOG RAPHY BY ALLE N PE N TON

EVERGREEN

C H AT TO O G A R IVE R T R A I L Travel down Highway 76, aka Long Creek Highway, to a trail that straddles the South Carolina-Georgia border and takes you back in time. Enter the 15.5-mile, one-way Chattooga River Trail from the northern entrance at Ellicott Rock, or southern trailhead at Burrells Ford Campground. Many through-hikers bring two cars so they can park one at the entrance and another at the exit. Enjoy a thrilling hike through densely a forested gorge next to a wild river made famous by the 1972 movie Deliverance. Boating is prohibited along some of the river’s main sections, so you’ll only see hikers and anglers every so often. The engraved boulder pictured at left sits near a section of the trail that descends to a view of Bull Sluice, where a key scene in Deliverance was filmed.

Mountain Rest, South Carolina

Highway 76 East fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recarea/?recid=10512 PHOTOG RAPHY BY TOM POLAN D

OAK ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE A visit to North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands won’t be complete until you head down Caswell Beach Road to Oak Island Lighthouse. Constructed in 1958, its light shines across 16 miles of ocean water. Oak Island Lighthouse stands 153 feet but sits on 24 concrete-filled steel pilings capped by a 30-foot-wide by 3-foot-deep octagonal concrete base, which pushes the light up to 169 feet. Climb 131 steps via a series of ship’s ladders (as opposed to the more common spiral staircase) to reach the lantern gallery. At the top, enjoy panoramic views of the ocean, the United States Coast Guard station, Fort Caswell, and Bald Head Island’s “Old Baldy”—the oldest lighthouse still standing in North Carolina.

Oak Island, North Carolina

Caswell Beach oakislandlighthouse.org

NICK – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

P HOTO G R A P H Y BY NICK

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Olin, North Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E R I C A D E F L A M A N D Dried turkey tail mushrooms grow on a decomposing tree in the woods along the Historic Stagecoach Trail.

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PORTFOLIO

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N O S TA LG I A

Backroads transport us to the places that commemorate our country’s history.

Learn about these events that occurred during southeastern winters past.

R EVO LUT I O N A RY WA R B AT T L E O F M O O R E S C R E E K February 27, 1776 Prior to the Revolutionary War, North Carolina’s considerable Loyalist population made it a prime target for British invasion.

The morning of February 27, 1776, Loyalist forces made up of Scottish Highlanders charged across a partially dismantled Moores Creek Bridge in Currie, North Carolina. Unaware of the nearly 1,000 North Carolina Patriots who had installed strong earthwork on a ridge overlooking the creek, the Loyalists entered a long, narrow, and dark causeway after crossing the bridge. The Patriots were waiting, ready to fire their muskets and cannons. The battle only lasted a few minutes, but it marked the last broadsword charge by the Scottish Highlanders and the first significant Patriot victory of the war, allowing North Carolina to become the first American colony to instruct its Continental Congress delegates to vote for independence.

Source: National Parks Service Currie, North Carolina

Moores Creek National Battle Field nps.gov/mocr/index.htm P HOTO COU RTESY OF TH E NATIONA L PARK SE RVI CE

FOUNDING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA January 27, 1785 Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1785, the University of Georgia is the oldest and largest educational institution in Georgia, as well as the first university in America to be created by a state government. This helped lay the foundation for the American system of public education. Popular UGA majors include psychology, biology, finance, political science, computer science, international relations and affairs, marketing, and business administration and management. Source: University of Georgia Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia Chapel uga.edu PHOTO COURT E SY OF T HE LI BRARY OF CON G RE SS

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N O S TA LG I A

THE BURNING OF M I D D L E TO N PL AC E PL A N TAT I O N February 23, 1865 During the Civil War, General William Tecumseh Sherman blazed a trail through the Southeast that reduced many historic plantations to ashes.

Just before the war ended, Sherman and the 56th New York Regiment of Volunteers targeted Middleton Place in Charleston, South Carolina, which had been built by planter John Williams in the late 1730s for his son-in-law, Henry Middleton, who served as president of the First Continental Congress.

Middleton’s son, Founding Father and Declaration of Independence signer Arthur Middleton, lived there during the last years of his life. Arthur’s son Henry and grandson Williams oversaw the home’s transition into a rice plantation. When Williams learned of Sherman’s approach, he evacuated the property. In 1886, an earthquake destroyed what was left of the family residence and flankers. Henry Middleton’s descendent John Julius Pringle Smith inherited the plantation in 1916 and restored it in 1924. Today, Middleton Plantation is a National Historic Landmark owned and operated by the Middleton Place Foundation. It’s also home to the oldest landscaped gardens in America.

Charleston, South Carolina

Middleton Plantation middletonplace.org P HOTO C O URTESY OF TH E L IBR A RY OF CONG RE SS

THE 18TH AMENDMENT, MOONSHINE , AND NASCAR January 17, 1920 Prohibition drew criticism from the moment it took effect on January 17, 1920, until it ended on December 5, 1933.

The inability to manufacture, sell, or transport intoxicating liquors empowered Americans to become experts in creating, selling, and transporting it on their own. Hardware stores sold the parts required for distilling alcohol. Many citizens learned how to make “bathtub gin.” Some even became registered pharmacists just to exploit the law. Churches received kits of juice concentrate from the grape industry that included directions for how to trigger fermentation and turn juice into wine.

Breweries—still legally required to produce beer (but with an alcohol content of less than 0.5 percent)—began creating and selling malt extract as a cooking product, and included directions for how to use it to make “bread.” Many southerners worked with mechanics to make faster, more maneuverable vehicles that could conceal and transport as much illegal alcohol as possible. Hauling moonshine throughout southeastern backroads led to the creation of NASCAR in 1948, which was originally funded by moonshiners-turned-racecar-drivers like Junior Johnson of Ronda, North Carolina, and Raymond Parks of Dawsonville, Georgia.

Wilkes County, North Carolina

Dawsonville, Georgia

constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-18 nascarhall.com P HOTO S C OU RTESY OF TH E L IBR A RY OF CON G RE SS

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PORTFOLIO

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Raleigh, North Carolina

“ T H E BU G L E M A N ” I L LU S T R AT I O N BY S E A N BY R N E Sean Byrne specializes in children’s picture book illustrations.

“The Bugle Man” is from a picture book that remains a workin-progress. See more of Byrne’s work at seanwbyrne.com.

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Columbia, South Carolina

tompol@earthlink.net tompoland.net

Tom Poland travels southern backroads seeking evidence of how those before us lived, worked, and survived. Each day their farms, barns, outbuildings, stores, churches, and once-essential structures succumb to time and the elements. He photographs and writes about a forgotten land so that others can know it was there. A writer, author, and photographer, his books cover the backroads, vanishing cultural ways, and natural areas at risk. He and co-author Robert Clark document what is, a land that may well become what was.

Backroad explorations require sturdy, useful products that enhance the experience of the journey. Here are a few suggestions for your supply list.

PROVISIONS

S O M E T H I N G YO U WA N T Traveling Soldier Backpack, $297.50 Home State Made homestatemade.com Inspired by the company owner’s husband and father-in-law, who both served in the United States Army, this backpack was made from a combination of distressed leather, and a repurposed Army duffle and flight bag. It’s perfect for carrying essentials as you journey through historic sites and trails.

Sanford, North Carolina

SOMETHING YOU NEED Pisgah Map Company Trail Guides, $15 Pisgah Map Company pisgahmapcompany.com It all started with the Pisgah Ranger District Map, but grew into a network of trail guides for regional public lands and rivers that now include destinations such as Dupont State Recreational Forest, Grandfather Ranger District, the French Broad Region, and the Chattooga River. In addition to directions, each map contains decades of local knowledge offering first-hand experiences of traveling through Southern Appalachian lands.

Asheville, North Carolina

SOMETHING TO WEAR Mast 1883 Dylan Trooper Hat, $34.99 Mast General Store mastgeneralstore.com This cozy, one-size-fits-all hat features faux fur-lined earflaps, an adjustable chin strap, and a classic style that creates ultimate warmth on a cold winter hike. Made with 50 percent wool and 50 percent polyester, with a 100 percent polyester lining, the Dylan Trooper Hat comes in black or charcoal gray.

Various locations across the Southeast

SOMETHING TO READ Classic Carolina Road Trips by Tom Poland, $16.79 tompoland.net/make-a-road-trip arcadiapublishing.com (also available on Amazon) Rustic beauty, natural areas, history, and fascinating sights surround the Midlands. Go back in time to see South Carolina’s pristine treasures: waterfalls, raging whitewater, oaks of legend, and more. Walk across a covered bridge, explore North America’s only tea plantation, and meet artisan crafters. Set out on a classic Carolina adventure you’ll never forget.

Columbia, South Carolina

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Olin, North Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E R I C A D E F L A M A N D A holly tree endures an historic winter storm that brought record snowfall levels to Iredell County, North Carolina.

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PORTFOLIO

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F E AT U R E

the art of wintering W R I T T E N B Y K AT H L E E N M CI N T Y R E PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERICA DE FLAMAND

Cloaked in darkness, winter possesses an often-forgotten creative genius.

Accessing the wisdom of the barren landscape invites us into the space between letting go of fall, and welcoming spring’s seeds of possibility.

Here lies restoration.

Nature knows bypassing rest can compromise our systems. Farmers working with the earth know this truth, as do mamas of tired babes. And we experience a cellular sign of relief upon reclaiming this truth for ourselves. There is an artistry to experiencing the restoration of winter—a passive yet active way about her.

I invite you to the practice of wintering.

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With children gathered around, a dear friend and wise woman began circle time by inviting us all to “make silence.” This was the first time I thought of silence as an active process. Noise and movement happen all around us; most of it is unconscious, or a reaction. To counter this, we must invest energy in the other direction—in silence. It can take effort to resist blurting out a word or tapping a restless foot. This is how we “make” silence.

In making silence, we pause.

The active part consists of feeling our body sitting or standing, noticing our breath, softening, and actively participating in the present moment without manipulating it. We enter into the space between the impulse or thought, and the execution of the action. Sustaining this pause can feel like a Herculean effort; especially when there is a trigger. Winter’s invitation is sitting in this pause before we respond or take action.

Winter offers the question, “Is this necessary or more important than restoration?”

Pausing in the natural world—our backyard, local greenspace, or an overworked field—can help us discern and reflect on the most nourishing response we can make to nature’s question.

Winter is medicine. Wintering is the receiving of nature’s medicine.

When we “make silence” in the winter landscape, nature guides us to and supports us in experiencing an inner stillness that might be challenging to achieve on our own. While walking through a barren landscape one winter, I became acutely aware of the contrast between the stillness of the woods and an inner turmoil I had been experiencing. This disparity between the outer landscape and my inner emotions highlighted my discomfort and unsettledness.

Longing for inner stillness, I stopped walking and found a seat beneath a resting oak. With my back leaned against her, I surrendered myself to the woodland’s care. I let out a silent cry to the leafless hardwoods, asking for assistance to slow my whirling thoughts, calm my frazzled nerves, and pacify my unsettled heart. I wanted complete stillness.

The whisper I received was to let go.

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To soften and allow the surrounding woods to entrain my inner landscape back to stillness. It was the first time the word entrain had ever come to me in nature— and there could not have been a more perfect word. Entrainment is the process of shifting something to have the same rhythm or pattern as something else. In this case, I wanted to entrain myself to the stillness of the woods.

I believe entrainment happens when we feel a gentle willingness to soften and relax our bodies, allowing ourselves to feel—but not become attached to—the static of our current state. To let it be. As we make silence and settle down, the rhythm of winter’s landscape settles in. This is winter’s gift.

There is an art to wintering.

Artists create from deep within, allowing their art to flow through. Whether painting with a brush, playing notes, or jotting down words, their initial inspiration flows out and mastery refines. But the initial impetus comes from existing in the present moment—without filter—when creation can take over.

From this place of artistry, winter invites us to hold witness to newly emerged negative space within the landscape. Space once occupied now opens and holds its subjects—the structure of trees and plants—with a new level of elegance and simplicity. If we soften our gaze on nature’s “subjects,” we free them to be more than what their labels proclaim. By softening our gaze into this space, we might perceive this “tree” as an elder. Winter invites us to see the world differently and, perhaps, extend this unencumbered view to how we see ourselves, or our human relations.

Wintering invites us to view the world and ourselves differently.

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The absence of light, heat, and color in the natural world holds space for calm, quiet reflection. This type of spaciousness can feel uncomfortable until we settle into it, since so much of the world is filled with sounds, information, and stimulation. Just as a masterful artist or designer invites us into negative space, so does nature. We are asked not to fill this space, but to enter in, be still, and be soothed.

Before I began the practice of wintering, this was my least favorite season. The long nights, weather-limiting activities, sparse gatherings, and gray skies made me feel lethargic and, honestly, less distracted. When trying to escape yourself, this type of stillness becomes uncomfortable quickly. “Rest” never entered my vocabulary. I did not want to sit with what had been trying to get my attention during the busier months of sowing and creating, growing and harvesting.

But skipping winter left its mark over the years, translating to a frazzled nervous system and ungrounded feeling within. To my detriment, I had been missing the gift of winter: deep restoration. Fortunately, nature kept whispering in my ear.

I finally got the memo. I needed winter.

During this season, there is a going “into the earth” and resting throughout the natural world. Animals burrow into the earth to hybernate. Trees and plants store energy within their roots in anticipation of longer, warmer days. We don’t have to go into the earth because we are a part of it. We can anchor into the clay of our bones, which are of the earth. This happens when we “make silence,” settle into stillness, and rest. We amplify the experience when we join with the little patch of nature wherever we are, gazing at the wintry sky from the comfort of our homes. By doing so, we enter into the here and now, joining the “collective rest” within the natural world. We take our rightful place within the tapestry of nature and join winter’s natural rhythm.

Winter nourishes us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Winter is becoming my new favorite season. May it also become yours as you find solace and restoration while discovering the art of wintering.

winter is the slow-down winter is the search for self winter gives the silence we need to listen winter goes gray so we can see our own colors. // T E R R I G U I L L E M E T S

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K AT H L E E N MCINTYRE

Follow the dark and sleep like it’s winter.

Our bodies need sleep for restoration, and to help creativity blossom and grow.

Consider allowing the darkness to guide your sleep patterns. What would it be like to “take a long winter’s nap?” Try going to bed five to ten minutes earlier each night until you wake up refreshed—a clear sign you hit the mark. Maintain this pattern until the first of February. In the ancient Celtic world, this time of year signaled the beginning of spring and was marked by the celebration of Imbolc, or Saint Brigid’s Day.

Dim the lights.

Support your efforts to go to bed early by dimming your inside lights as it darkens outside. Think soft lamp light versus bright overhead light. This includes screens. If you must be on a screen after it gets dark, decrease its brightness. Aligning your indoor lighting with what is happening in the natural world resets your circadian rhythm in a nourishing way.

Intentionally expand your outdoor connections.

Expand your concept of nature beyond parks and wild spaces to include urban trees or birds at feeders, for example. By shifting perception, you can step out the back door and receive winter’s medicine wherever you are. The intentional part is bringing your entire focus to the present moment, feeling aware of your body and allowing sensory information from the landscape to help you pay attention to the here and now. Begin by feeling sensations within your feet and then with the earth beneath you. Invite softness and relaxation to your shoulders, hands, and facial muscles; notice the rhythm of your inhalations and exhalations; then bring awareness to your sense of sight, hearing, smell, and touch—feeling the air on your skin. Then, just be.

Honor the absence.

The absence of light, heat, and color in the natural world presents the opportunity to slow down, get cozy, and settle in for rest. Try not to fill this space nature gifts you with news, podcasts, or social media. Winter is a time to heal and settle your nervous system with restoration.

Get cozy.

Inspired by a landscape where wintry light is scarce and days are frigid, the Danes created Hygge—the act of slowing down, being in the present moment, and taking pleasure in simple things. Enjoying a cup of tea, calming window view, visit with a friend, cozy blanket, or good book are ways to intentionally create Hygge moments. Intentionally creating a space to settle into can feel nourishing. Leverage lighting, candles, natural materials, images, cozy fabrics, music, and sounds to create natural experiences indoors.

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Statesville, North Carolina

Equuvation—a nonprofit nature-based therapy and education center in North Carolina—has created a safe and thoughtful space for children, teens, and adults to seek healing, respite, and education. The organization offers equine-assisted therapies and services for clients who are healing from trauma, living with a disability, or navigating a chronic condition/illness.

equuvation.org @equuvation

PORTFOLIO

Germanton, North Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY G R AC E F R A N K L I N Amelia, a Friesian x Tennessee Walker mare, welcomes a misty winter morning. Loved by Megan McKenzie, Amelia lives at Grace Franklin’s barn in Germanton with other rescued horses who are, naturally, often the subject of photo shoots.

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BY ELIZABETH POLAND SHUGG

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY G R AC E F R ANK L IN

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F E AT U R E

For two years, I lived on a horse farm in southwestern Virginia. My mother remarried the summer of 1986 and we left Athens, Georgia, for a rental home on State Route 812 in Fincastle, Virginia, 20 miles northeast of Roanoke. The two-story duplex fronted a horse pasture at the foot of a hill. We could watch the horses graze from our kitchen window.

I turned 14 that summer—not a good age for disruption. The horses definitely helped.

State Route 812, also known as Farmers Road, ends at State Route 606, also known as the Blue Ridge Turnpike. I never heard it referred to as the Blue Ridge Turnpike the entire time I lived there, but I recall large milk trucks passing by our home en route to a dairy farm on 606. One of those trucks ran over and killed our schnauzer, Ralph.

Frank and Lois Farmer, our landlords, owned much of the property along Farmers Road—thus the name. They also owned the horses, horse barn, equestrian arena, and large cornfield I walked by many a day on my way home from the activity bus drop-off point after basketball practice.

But before I could build up enough confidence to even try out for the James River High School basketball team, I had to navigate my resentment of leaving grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and best friends; of missing University of Georgia football games with my dad.

I had to adjust from 10-minute bus rides to 30-minute commutes on winding mountain roads that passed creeks, hollers, and hayfields. I wish I could say at 14 I appreciated the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

That didn’t happen until I had grown up and left.

Or did it?

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Looking back, I believe the mountain valleys, creeks, and farmland settled my anxieties. The horseback riding lessons my sister and I experienced on that farm gifted us tender moments with the horses—learning how to properly pet and feed them, brush and dress them, take long, nourishing walks on them around the property. Today, we call this equine therapy.

On horseback, there’s no need to look down at your steps—the horse does that for you. This unencumbered view of the foothills we trotted across each week settled into my subconscious, cleansing my mind of resentment and fear, gently forcing acceptance. My equestrian experiences, although brief, gave me exactly what I needed at that pivotal point in my life. I regained the confidence I had lost in the move. Made friends, joined clubs, tried out for as many sports teams as I could. I became a class president twice and student body president once. I have lifelong friends from these experiences.

This fork in my life road took me down a southwestern Virginia backroad that brought me peace, acceptance, and the joy of setting and achieving goals. I developed a love for a region I never imagined I’d live in, that eventually lured me to attend Virginia Tech, where I met my husband.

Growing up, I knew someday I would go to college and get married. I just thought it would happen in Athens. At 13, I fully intended to become a Bulldog. At 14, that horse farm in Virginia had other plans.

State Route 812 in Fincastle, Virginia

P H O TO G R A P H Y B Y G R AC E F R A N K L I N All of the images included with this feature show horses who were rescued by Red Feather Equine Sanctuary, a 501c3 nonprofit organization in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Jade (page 36, top), who is nearly 30, was surrendered by her owner when she needed surgery and could no longer be ridden or used for competing.

Arya (page 36, bottom) is an Arabian mare who found rehabilitatation and sanctuary after severe starvation and neglect. Cassie (page 39) is an off-the-track-Thoroughbred who was saved from the slaughter pipeline after her career as a racehorse. Red Feather Equine Sanctuary is on a mission to advance equine welfare through education, access, and advocacy. In recognition of the fact that a large number of people have never been able to interact with horses in a meaningful way, the organization’s members believe creating opportunities for the general public to develop a human-horse connection is paramount to the cause of equine protection. Learn more at redfeatherfarmnc.org.

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Highway 378 in Edgefield County, South Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY TO M P O L A N D This small country store holds deep, dark secrets surrounding one of South Carolina’s most famous murders. Read the story on pages 42–45.

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BY TOM POLAND

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F E AT U R E

You can drive by a place 1,000 times and be unaware of its history. Such was the case for a small country store on Highway 378 in Edgefield County, South Carolina. Over the years I passed this store at least 1,000 times, and not once did I stop. That changed Sunday, September 29, 2013. I did pass it, but I turned around and went back, curious to see what the price of gas was on the old rusty pump.

I got out with my camera and a classic RC Cola sign immediately distracted me. Behind it was another vintage sign advertising Camel Cigarettes. American Pickers would like this place, I thought. I moved closer to get a good shot. That’s when a man slipped up behind me.

“If you think I’m selling those signs you’re wrong.”

Startled, I said, “No, I just wanted to photograph the old gas pump and the signs caught my attention.”

“People try to buy them all the time.”

“It’s a wonder someone hasn’t stolen them,” I replied.

“Maybe I’ll file off the nail heads,” he said and then he paused.

“My granddad got killed in that store.”

“Robbed and shot?”

“No, a woman had him killed for $500.”

And then the most incredible story unfolded, a story that goes back to 1941. The little store at the intersection of Highway 378 and Highway 430, a road that leads to Edgefield, a road known as Meeting Street, holds deep, dark secrets.

In 1940 roads were unpaved and in many areas electrification had yet to arrive. Men farmed with mules. Times were tough; people were rough. It must have been an upsetting thing to lose a calf. Yes, to lose a calf was to lose an investment. When a mule wandered from one Edgefield County farm into an adjacent farm and kicked a calf, killing it, someone had to pay for it.

That someone was the granddad of the fellow standing beside me. “Yep, my granddad was shot in the back for $500. Right in there,” he said pointing at the store’s old wooden siding.

Photo, o p p o sit e p a g e, b y E r ic a d e F l aman d

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Murderpedia, an online encyclopedia devoted to those who kill others, documents this tale of dead livestock and lives gone wrong. It quotes a report that appeared on EdgefieldDaily.com, which I provide here as the facts have been vetted.

“The story began in September of 1940 when Davis Timmerman’s mule got into Wallace Logue’s field and the mule kicked and killed Logue’s calf. Logue demanded that Timmerman pay him $20 for the calf and Timmerman agreed. Logue later went to Timmerman’s rural store and decided he wanted $40 in restitution instead of $20, and Timmerman refused to pay.

Logue became infuriated, grabbed an ax handle, and began beating Timmerman. Timmerman pulled a gun he kept hidden in a drawer, shot twice, and killed Logue. Timmerman was said to have locked the body in the store and, despite being seriously injured, drove to Edgefield to report the shooting to then Sheriff L.H. Harling.

Sheriff Harling, Coroner John Hollingsworth, and Solicitor Jeff Griffith drove back to the store.

Based on their interpretation of the evidence, Timmerman was held over for trial. After the trial, the jury ruled that Timmerman acted in self-defense and he was acquitted.

Logue’s widow, Sue, and his brother, George, didn’t agree with the jury’s verdict. They hired Joe Frank Logue, George and Wallace’s nephew, giving him $500, to find somebody to kill Timmerman. Joe Frank was an officer with the Spartanburg Police Department and he hired Clarence Bagwell to do the job.

A year after Wallace Logue died, Joe Frank and Bagwell went to Timmerman’s store. Joe Frank waited in the car while Bagwell went in and asked for a pack of cigarettes (some say it was a pack of gum). When Timmerman turned to get the item, Bagwell fired five shots at pointblank range with a .38 caliber revolver, killing him instantly.

Joe Frank and Bagwell returned back to Spartanburg and carried on as if nothing had happened. Unfortunately for the pair, Bagwell was a heavy drinker and during one of his binges bragged to a young woman that he had made $500 for killing a man.

The woman went to the police. When Bagwell was questioned, he learned that he had been seen at Timmerman’s store on the day of the murder. Other reports say he was spotted casing the store prior to the murder as well. Either way, feeling trapped, Bagwell confessed and fingered Joe Frank as well.

It turned out Joe Frank wasn’t a dutiful nephew after all. He admitted hiring Bagwell, and also told the authorities that the money had come from his aunt and uncle, Sue Logue (Wallace’s widow) and George Logue (Wallace’s brother).

On Sunday, Nov. 16, 1941, newly elected Sheriff Wad Allen and Deputy W.L. “Doc” Clark picked up the warrants from magistrate A.L. Kemp and headed for Sue Logue’s home. But someone had warned George Logue that the law was on

P H OTO C OU RT E SY OF T H E N AT I ON AL AR C HI V ES. Se n at o r s E dw ar d Ke n n e dy (l e ft ), St r o m T h u r mo nd (c e n t e r ), an d H o w ar d Me t z e n bau m ar e s e at e d a t C api t o l H i l l i n Was h i n gt o n , D. C .

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FAR LE F T P H OTO C OU RT E SY OF MU R D E R P E DI A .

Su e Lo gu e w as t h e fi r s t w o m a n t o di e i n So u t h C ar o l i n a’s e l e c t r i c c h ai r.

P H OTO AT LE F T BY TOM P OLAN D. Lo gu e i s bu r i e d i n E dge fi e l d’s E as t Vi e w C e me t ar y.

the way. Logue and a sharecropper, Fred Dorn, ambushed the two officers. Sheriff Allen died after being shot in the head and Deputy Clark was shot in the stomach and arm. Clark was able to wound both men before staggering from the house and making his way to Highway 378 where he was picked up by a passing motorist. South Carolina Governor Richard Manning Jeffries later ordered state patrolmen and deputies from Saluda County to arrest Logue and Dorn.

With dozens of officers surrounding the house, and officials wanting to avert further bloodshed, they appealed to then local Circuit Court Judge Strom Thurmond, a Logue family friend, to try to reason with the Logues. Thurmond walked alone across the yard and into the house. The Logues followed his advice and surrendered a short time later.

Two days later, Deputy Clark died. Logue’s friend, Fred Dorn, died from a paralyzing gunshot wound the day before. Four months later, George, Sue, and Bagwell were tried for Timmerman’s murder. The three-day trial was held in Lexington County with Solicitor Griffith serving as prosecutor.

The jury took only two hours to convict the trio.

On Jan. 15, 1943, Sue Logue was electrocuted.

One book reports that Strom Thurmond accompanied Sue on the trip to the “death house” and had relations with her during the trip, according to Thurmond’s driver, who was interviewed for the book. (She had been a teacher in the school system when Strom was superintendent. A tale goes that Sue and Strom were caught in the act, flagrante delicto.)

Sue Logue was the first and only woman to die in the electric chair in South Carolina.

Less than an hour after Sue was executed, George and Bagwell took their place in the electric chair.

Joe Frank Logue received the death penalty for his participation in the killing and his execution date was set for January 23, 1944. He ate his last meal and was prepped for the electric chair. Shortly before midnight, Governor Olin D. Johnston visited Joe Frank and as a result of that visit, Johnston commuted Joe Frank Logue’s sentence to life.”

I’ll never pass that way again without thinking of the murders and Sue Logue. On the evening before her execution she cried softly as her long black hair was shaven off.

Oh! I almost forgot. The price of gas on the old pump was sixty cents a gallon. That pump must have last dispensed gas circa 1974, about the time I first passed this store, where a mule’s kick set a series of tragedies in motion that ended up killing eight people.

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Olin, North Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E R I C A D E F L A M A N D A winter storm with record levels of snow blanketed this peaceful horse pasture and private road in Iredell County.

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F E AT U R E

Backroad Portfolio’s exclusive guide to getting there the long way

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C R E AT E D B Y T H E BAC K ROA D P O RT F O L I O S TA F F

Backroads transport us to the places in between. This regularly occurring feature takes you to and from two Southeastern destinations via winding rural roads lined with pristine woods, spacious farmland, historic sites, and locally owned businesses. Take one route there and another back to experience two unique journeys. Stop by a cafe, restaurant, or farm for a seasonally-inspired coffee or bite to eat; or to shop for fresh produce, blooms, or artisan treasures.

For Backroad Portfolio’s first “There and Back Again” feature, we’re connecting the towns our founders live in: Pittsboro and Statesville, North Carolina. Not accounting for time spent at stops, this drive from Pittsboro to Statesville and back adds 52 minutes to the typical interstate drive (U.S. 64 to Interstate 85 to Interstate 40), while the route back adds about 30 minutes. Both options meander through small towns and communities, offering picturesque views of vast pastures, crumbling tobacco barns, and old country stores.

Note: Some businesses market their products off-site or online only, so while it’s OK to drive by their property, it may not always be appropriate to enter it.

Check the businesses’ websites for more information before taking your trip.

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GET THERE

Pittsboro to Statesville BACKROAD ROUTE: 2 hours 43 minutes, 116 miles Pittsboro to Siler City to Liberty to Franklinville to Linwood to Statesville

STARTING POINT:

S&T’s Soda Shoppe 85 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro

Graham Woodworking 3460 Silk Hope Gum Spring Road, Pittsboro Head toward U.S. 64 Business from downtown Pittsboro and turn right onto N.C. 87 North. Turn left on Silk Hope Gum Spring Road and you’ll soon pass Graham Woodworking on the right, which is owned by a family of berry and vegetable farmers who also happen to be experienced woodcrafters. They lovingly craft aromatic red cedar chests out of logs harvested from nearby forests on an environmentally friendly bandmill, using every scrap of wood to make additional products such as red cedar grilling planks and hangers. The family sells their chests and other products every Saturday at the Carrboro Farmers Market. Learn more at grahamwoodworking.com.

Bottom of the Fox Farm 157 Joe Fox Road, Siler City Continue on Silk Hope Gum Spring Road and turn left on Joe Fox Road to reach Bottom of the Fox Farm on the left. Customers are welcome to the self-serve seasonal flower bar near the farm entrance. Just drop cash in the green box for whatever flowers you take, or Venmo payment to @BF_Farm.

The farm also offers a 1966 Ford flower van on a pop-up schedule that serves up fresh seasonal bouquets or small bunches, and you can sign up for a tulip subscription at bottomofthefoxfarm.com. Follow the farm on Instagram at @bottomofthefoxfarm to learn more.

V I S I T B AC K R OA D P ORT F OL I O. C OM F O R A L I N K TO T H I S R O U T E T H AT I N C LU D E S A L L T H E S TO P S .

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Enjoy old-fashioned delights at S&T’s Soda Shoppe, and pick up fresh flowers at Bottom of the Fox Farm.

Photos courtesy of S&T’s Soda Shoppe’s Facebook page and Bottom of the Fox Farm.

Hurricane Janes 161 S. Greensboro Street, Liberty Silk Hope Liberty Road morphs into Silk Hope Road and then E. Dameron Avenue, which takes you to Hurricane Janes in Liberty, which offers a colorful exterior on the outside, and homemade specials, burgers and hot dogs on the inside for a classic American meal. Learn more at facebook.com/hurricanejanes.

Native Son Vineyard

Hurricane Janes serves American food in the heart of Liberty, and Native Son Vineyard in Franklinville produces a variety of Muscadine wines.

Photos by Backroad Portfolio staff.

1511 Mamie May Road, Franklinville Head northwest on S. Greensboro Street toward W. Raleigh Avenue, then turn left on W. Swannanoa Avenue, which becomes Old Liberty Road. Drive through Grays Chapel and turn right onto Bruce Pugh Road, which veers right onto Bethany Church Road. Soon after, you’ll come to Native Son Vineyard on the right, which offers a wide variety of wines made from Noble, Magnolia, Carlos and Summit muscadines; along with muscadine cider, hot pepper jelly and salsa. The property is also home to rescue horses, mules, sheep, pot-belly pigs, and a donkey. Learn more at nativesonvineyard.godaddysites.com.

220 Cafe 220 S. Center Street, Statesville Head southwest on U.S. 29/U.S. 70 West toward Spencer, then turn right on Charles Street and right again Hollywood Drive. Turn right on U.S. 601 North. Turn left on W. Ridge Road, then hop on U.S. 70 to Center Street in Statesville, and turn right toward downtown Statesville, where you can enjoy a meal at 220 Cafe, a family-owned tavern-style restaurant offering salads, sandwiches, burgers, and full entrees. Learn more at the220cafe.com.

PET-FRIENDLY STOP ON THE BACKROADS

Yadkin County Dog Park 11127 Old Salisbury Road, Linwood Traveling with a four-legger? Head over to Yadkin County Dog Park for a doggie stretch break. From Native Son Vineyard, plug the park’s address into your GPS. You’ll take a series of roads that lead to U.S. 29 in Linwood. The dog park is located next to Yadkin River Park, where there are trails you can walk as well. Learn more at yadkincountync.gov/464/dog-park.

Luna, a 4-year-old Brittany, explores Yadkin County Dog Park.

Photography by Katie Shugg

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AND BACK AGAIN

Statesville to Pittsboro BACKROAD ROUTE: 2 hours 28 minutes, 213 miles Pittsboro to Mount Ulla to Salisbury to Asheboro to Pittsboro

STARTING POINT:

220 Cafe 220 S. Center Street, Statesville

West Rowan Home & Garden 11575 N.C. 801, Mount Ulla Take Amity Hill Road out of Statesville and turn left on Ostwalt Amity Road, which eventually turns back into Amity Hill Road. Turn right on Umberger Road and left on N.C. 801. Soon after, make a right onto Graham Road to arrive at West Rowan Home & Garden, which specializes in one-of-a-kind, hand-painted barn quilts, and offers a variety of other vintage, antique, and handmade items. Hours vary. Learn more at westrowanbarnquilts.com.

Salisbury National Cemetery 202 Government Road, Salisbury Head northwest on Graham Road toward N.C. 801 North, then take Sherrills Ford Road to Military Avenue and then Government Road, where you’ll find a beautiful tribute to members of the armed forces. At Christmas, wreaths are honorably hung on each gravestone. As of 2020, a total of 26,000 veterans and their family members were buried in the cemetery’s original and annexed sites. The cemetery is is the final resting place for 11,700 Union soldiers who died in Salisbury’s Confederate Prison during 1864—the largest number of unknown burials in any national cemetery. Learn more at cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/salisbury.asp.

At top: Stop at 220 Cafe in Statesville for lunch. Photo courtesy of 220 Cafe’s Facebook page. Middle: A quilt mural adorns West Rowan Home & Garden’s building. Photo by Backroad Portfolio staff. Above: Wreaths honor veterans’ graves at Salisbury National Cemetery. Photo by Backroad Portfolio staff.

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V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E F O R A G O O G L E M A P L I N K TO T H I S R O U T E W I T H A L L S TO P S ! B AC K R OA D P O RTF O LI O. CO M

Tamarac Marina 9120 Bringle Ferry Road, Salisbury After leaving Salisbury National Cemetery, head north on Government Road toward South Railroad Street, then turn right on East Monroe Street and left onto South Long Street. Turn right on Bringle Ferry Road and after about 10 miles, you’ll come to Tamarac Marina, where you can take in a view of 15,180-acre High Rock Lake and grab a bite to eat at the marina restaurant. Learn more at tamaracmarina.weebly.com.

Back to Earth Farm 3175 Trotter Road, Asheboro, NC 27205 Head southeast on Bringle Ferry Road and turn right on Lick Creek Church Road for about 5 miles, then turn right onto Handy Road, and left on N.C. 49 North. Drive for about 8 miles, then turn right onto Trotter Road, which heads straight toward Back to Earth Farm in Asheboro, a farm that produces 100 percent grass-fed beef and offers overnight stays via an Airbnb cabin. You can also book a farm tour via Airbnb.

Learn more at backtoearthfarm.com.

Photo at top: Take in the view of High Rock Lake at Tamarac Marina in Salisbury. Photo by Backroad Portfolio staff.

Above: Back to Earth Farm offers overnight stays and more. Photos courtesy of Back to Earth Farm’s Facebook page.

S&T’s Soda Shoppe 85 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro For the last leg of your trip, take N.C. 49 to U.S. 64 to exit 378 onto U.S. 64 Business toward downtown Pittsboro. Turn right on West Street into the traffic circle around the town’s historic courthouse. Exit onto Hillsborough Street—the heart of downtown Pittsboro—and end your trip at S&T’s Soda Shoppe for a vintage experience and much-deserved ice cream sundae. Learn more at sandtsodashoppe.com.

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Oaks Crossroads, South Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY RO B E RT C L A R K This rusted old car was once used as way to advertise an auto repair shop. It now reminds passing drivers of days gone by.

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C O N V E R S AT I O N

Capture the Golden Hours A conversation with photographer Robert Clark INTRO BY ELIZABTH POLAND SHUGG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT CLARK

Robert Clark knows a thing or two about photography. A resident of Columbia, South Carolina, the Charlotte native’s photographic interests led him south, where he took photos for seven books on the Palmetto State, including South Carolina, The Natural Heritage; South Carolina, A Timeless Journey; and Reflections Of South Carolina. His latest book, authored by Tom Poland, is Carolina Bays—Wild, Mysterious, and Majestic Landforms. Clark’s photography has also appeared in National Geographic books, Newsweek, and Smithsonian. We asked Clark for advice on how to photograph rural backroads and landscapes. Here’s what he had to say.

What is your favorite rural backroad scene to photograph?

I have several subjects I love to photograph on the backroads: barns, old country stores, churches and graveyards, and old tenant homes. If I see a subject I want to photograph, the next item is getting permission from the owners.

What time of day do you prefer taking outdoor photos, and does that time change with the seasons?

I love the early morning and late afternoon light—better known as the golden hours. Seasonal changes such as fall colors and spring wildflowers always add interest to the photos. If you know you are just passing by and won’t be this way again for a long time, take the picture while you can.

What advice would you offer an amateur photographer who would like to learn how to take beautiful backroad photos, or rural scenes and landscapes?

Practice getting to know your camera and its settings. Practice the art of photography and ask yourself questions regarding the outcome of the photo. Is the photo too light, too dark, too far away?

How is the composition? Ask these questions, and learn every time you take a photo how to improve the photo. Before long, you realize you have become a better photographer.

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Are there different techniques and tips for taking photos that will be printed versus just shared online?

Try to shoot your photos in the highest resolution possible with your camera. You can then determine the output destination for the photo. Get the best photo initially, and you can then use it in various media platforms later. If you shoot only for online, shoot in jpeg format.

What kind of camera, lenses, and gear do you recommend to an amateur photographer who is just starting out?

If you are just starting out, learn how to take photographs using your camera phone. Learn the art of photography before spending your money on a camera. You’ll know when it’s time to upgrade to a camera to make your photography more advanced. In the meantime, study cameras to see what fits your experience level.

What tips can you offer the average smartphone photographer who may not have a professional camera but would still like to capture beautiful photos.

The smartphone is an incredible device for photography, and you can elevate the art of photography by using a tripod adapter for your phone to maximize the quality of the phone. There is very little equipment you need to make your smartphone improve the quality of the image. A tripod helps best.

What other advice do you have for amateur photographers?

If you want to improve your photography, you are in a great phase of your artwork getting better.

You’ll find that you will study all you can to solve a problem with your artwork not being what you think it should be. You ask yourself better questions, and get better answers. I always check on YouTube regarding the latest and greatest techniques to elevate photography skills. Have the motivation to become a better photographer, and you will become one. There are so many free tutorials on photography available, and only you can determine how good a photographer you want to become. instagram.com/robertclarkphotography Robert Clark is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina.

His work has appeared in National Geographic books, Newsweek, Smithsonian, and other publications.

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Beaufort, South Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY RO B E RT C L A R K Abandoned work boats decay in a foggy marsh near Beaufort.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM POLAND

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P R E S E R VAT I O N

The Cedars Of Philomath

BY TOM POLAND Long ago it was, in the late 1980s. I was in a hurry to get back to South Carolina. Thus did I take Georgia Highway 22, known also as Crawfordville Road. I knew that road would take me to I-20 but it took me somewhere else—the past. I drove through farmland and wooded tracts, and when I entered a place called Philomath, I knew at once it was an authentic place stranded in time.

Then I passed a house like no other. Four stout cedar trees bereft of limbs served as columns. I could never forget this house and several times over the next thirty years I’d go out of my way to see the unusual home. Then the day came, a Sunday, when I went to photograph it.

The old home stood in Philomath, Georgia, a name that’s hard to forget. Phil-o-math. Three syllables that seem biblical, and in fact King James himself penned a character, Philomathes, to debate arguments of whether the ancient religious concepts of witchcraft should be punished in a politically fueled Christian society, but that’s not biblical. My friend and fellow author, Jodie Peeler, told me R.E.M. mentioned Philomath in a song. “If you’re needing inspiration, Philomath is where I go.” That’s not biblical either, but it’s true, or I wouldn’t be writing about the place, would I? Now, regarding the fine home with the cedar columns you see in my photo. Thanks to Brian Brown’s Vanishing Georgia website I learned that it’s the Bryan-Wolfe House. The old place came to be 100 years ago, and like Sir Elton’s song, “it’s still standing.”

And what about Philomath, the unincorporated community in Oglethorpe County, Georgia? Well, to go there is to flee the present. You’ll see buildings of wood with shape and construction from the past. The Antebellum South comes to mind at once. I cannot verify it but I heard this agrarian community was among the sites selected where the University of Georgia was to be. Athens, of course, won out.

William Bartram came through Philomath, and there’s a small building there known as the William Bartram Museum, seldom used unfortunately. I learned this thanks to a thesis Justin E. Courson wrote in 2010 titled, “Preservation Planning For Philomath, Georgia.” Courson also wrote that President Woodrow Wilson traveled to Philomath as a boy when his father, Joseph Wilson, went there to preach at the request of the Philomath Church’s congregation. Courson suggests, too, that Philomath lore holds that Jefferson Davis dissolved the Confederacy from the balcony of The Globe, an antebellum home.

“Philomath.” The name sticks with you. It refers to the Love of Knowledge and a person who’s fond of studying and learning. So, what’s the morale of this column? When you’re young you breeze right through a fascinating place and pay it no heed. Then years later an unusual sight catches your attention and you slow down and want to learn more. And then on a Sunday when you’ve got time on your hands—as well as a camera in your hands—you think, “I’m going to hit the road and photograph the cedars of Philomath.”

And I did. Before I go, let me encourage you to visit Brian Brown’s Vanishing Georgia website at vanishinggeorgia.com. He will, indeed, show you not just a vanishing Georgia, but a vanishing Southland as Georgialina and neighboring states continue to lose their old southern places. An old house with rough-hewn cedars as columns. You just don’t come across that too often, not at all.

Philomath in Oglethorpe County, Georgia

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Twisting Falls, Cherokee National Forest in Elizabethton, Tennessee P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E I F E L K R E U TZ As the Elk River enters Tennessee, it encounters a twisting passage featuring a series of waterfalls collectively known as Twisting Falls. Also referred to as Compression Falls to locals, this series of waterfalls creates one of the area’s most impressive sights as it crashes with a deafening roar into a deep pool flanked by tall cliffs.

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WINTER POTPOURRI

RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY THE BACKROAD PORTFOLIO STAFF

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C R E AT I O N

This fragrant concoction spikes the air with the scent of fresh evergreen and orange trees. Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, anise seeds, and nutmeg add heat to a cold winter’s day.

I N G R E D I E N TS

1 orange (sliced) 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tablespoon of whole cloves 1 teaspoon of anise seeds ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg 2 sprigs of fresh pine 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary D I R EC T I O N S

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan filled three-fourths of the way with water. Warm the pot over low heat on the stovetop. As the pot simmers, scented steam will fill your home with the aroma of winter.

Tips: Don’t allow the water to boil, and don’t leave it unattended. Add more water depending on how long you want the potpourri to simmer.

Toss in another cinnamon stick to create an extra spicy aroma.

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Olin, North Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E R I C A D E F L A M A N D Aida, an English Pointer, runs through a snowy hayfield.

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PORTFOLIO

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Mount Airy, North Carolina

336.793.6549 StateOfGraze.com

State of Graze is a small, locally owned and operated charcuterie company based in Downtown Mount Airy, North Carolina. Offering everything from artistically designed grazing tables to your favorite deli salads and sandwiches, we have something to offer everyone. Using the freshest, most in-season meats, cheeses, fruits, and veggies, our products are sure to be pleasing to the eye and stomach. We serve grab-and-go lunch and charcuterie boxes Tuesdays through Saturday every week, or you can order large charcuterie boards online at StateOfGraze.com.

Planning a special event? Inquire about our mobile charcuterie trailer!

Backroad entrepreneurs, farmers, boutique owners, and innovators offer unique products that reflect the Southeast’s culture. Here are some we loved.

I N S P I R AT I O N

PEACHES, PECANS AND PRESERVES Fort Valley, Georgia

Two hours south of Atlanta down Highway 341, you’ll find Fort Valley, county seat of Peach County, Georgia. When you arrive, turn left onto Highway 96 and drive 3 miles east to 50 Lane Road, where you’ll discover Lane Southern Orchards, an 11,000-acre peach orchard and pecan grove established in 1908. The farm grows over 35 varieties of peaches and several varieties of pecans. It also encompasses a 6-acre strawberry patch and roadside market stocked with an assortment of jarred goods. Looking for something different? Try the peach cobbler jam, peach syrup, peach butter, peach salsa, or cinnamon glazed pecans. Take home a jar of Black Eyed Pea Relish or Southern Hot Chow Chow, a unique blend of finely chopped cabbage, red peppers, onions, and bell peppers seasoned with jalepeñoes, vinegar, and turmeric. Lane Southern Orchards works with neighboring farms to offer other Georgia favorites such as Vidalia onions, fresh peas, beans, corn, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, and watermelon. Pick up a bottle of local wine, shop from a large selection of craft beer, and try some freshly baked bread—from salted to roasted to chocolate-covered. Discover more good stuff at lanesouthernorchards.com, but make the drive there if you can. It’s worth it!

DELIGHTFUL DOGS Charleston, South Carolina

This colorful set of dog candles by Meri Meri, available at Rhodes Boutique in Charleston, South Carolina, will brighten up any human or pet birthday celebration. It costs $10, includes five candles, and is perfect for dog lovers of any age. Shop online at rhodesboutique.com.

SNUGGLE UP Canton, Georgia

Celebrate your favorite farm animal with a personalized farmhouse pillow from Hello Floyd, located in Canton, Georgia. You can also cozy up with reminders of your favorite backroad destinations by ordering a few zip code throw pillows. Farmhouse pillows start at $26 and zip code pillows start at $34. Shop online at hellofloyd.com.

COZ Y CATC H E S Pittsboro, North Carolina

Tired of burning your hands on hot microwave dishes? Try one of these cozies from The Rusty Bucket in Pittsboro, North Carolina. They come in a variety of patterns and colors, cost $10 each, and go right into the microwave under your bowl, mug, or other microwave-safe container. Owners Pam and Mack Thorpe recently moved their shop from Apex to Pittsboro, and will update the website with more products soon.

Visit therustybucket.biz to learn more.

Photos provided by vendors or taken by the Backroad Portfolio staff.

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Stanley, Virginia

Cori and Jason Cave Voice/Text: 540.999.1LOG jason@shenandoahwoods.com shenandoahwoods.com

Nestled in the foothills of the Blueridge Mountains in Stanley, Virginia, Shenandoah Woods is a private 200-acre estate spanning from one ridge line to the next and the valley between. We offer romantic log cabins perfect for couples, lodges for larger groups, and a wedding venue with fantastic views of Virginia’s iconic Shenandoah Valley.

BULLETIN

Journey down a backroad to one of these Southeastern events this winter.

P HOTO O F GATL INBU R G W INTER MAGIC COURT E SY OF FACE BOOK

G AT L I N B U RG W I N T E R M AG I C | Through February 15 Various locations around Gatlinburg, Tennessee

gatlinburg.com/event/gatlinburg-winter-magic/26 Gatlinburg’s Winter Magic event has dazzled visitors for more than 30 years. View millions of twinkling lights on festive displays that include life-size, three-dimensional snowpeople, and participate in a fun scavenger hunt. Visit the website for a self-guided tour and map of the light display locations.

I C E S K AT I N G AT S U G A R H I L L | Through February 18 Sugar Hill, Georgia

haidrink.com Celebrate winter on a 60-by-120-foot ice rink in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Enjoy ice skating on real ice, order warm treats from the concession stand, and participate in special events, such as the ’70s Skate Night on February 12, 7–10 p.m. (get 50 percent off your admission ticket) and Valentine Skate on February 14 (time TBA).

W I N T E R AT B I LT M O R E | January 8–March 24 Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

biltmore.com/things-to-do/events/winter-at-biltmore After you tour America’s largest home, extend the fun with a Biltmore House Backstairs Tour. Then explore tranquil trails by foot or bike, historic gardens, and the estate’s orchid-filled conservatory.

Enjoy a complimentary wine testing, or try the red wine and chocolate tasting. New this year, all Biltmore house tickets include free next-day grounds access.

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From festivals to farm shows, you’ll discover plenty of fun off the beaten path.

BULLETIN

S O U T H E R N FA R M S H O W | January 8–February 2 North Carolina State Fairgrounds, 4285 Trinity Road, Raleigh, North Carolina

southernshows.com/sfs The largest annual agricultural exposition in the Carolinas and Virginia showcases more than 400 exhibitors, tractor and truck driving competitions, a lumberjack show, live bluegrass music, and the Southern National Draft Horse Pull.

I N T E R NAT I O NA L W I N E F E S T I VA L | January 19 The Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, Virginia

taubmanmuseum.org/international-wine-festival Sample more than 40 wines from around the world while you enjoy live music, and expertly paired hors d’oeuvres and desserts at the Taubman Museum of Art’s Annual International Wine Festival.

Sample sparklings, crisp whites, and bold reds as seasoned wine stewards guide you through new international wines.

B L O W I N G RO C K W I N T E R F E S T | January 25–29 Blowing Rock, North Carolina

blowingrockwinterfest.com Take the Polar Plunge, view magnificent ice sculptures, and sample local delicacies during Winterfest in Blowing Rock, an annual wonderland filled with unforgettable experiences. Check the website for updates on 2024 events.

P H OTO O F THE PO L A R PLUN GE BY REV IVA L CR EATIVES

Visit our interactive calendar at backroadportfolio.com for these events and more!

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BULLETIN

Enjoy live music performances and clear nights under the stars.

A N E V E N I N G W I T H PAT S Y C L I N E | February 2 at 7 p.m.

Starring Michelle Martin as the Iconic Singer Chattahoochee Country Club, Gainesville, Georgia

lanierchambersingers.org/an-evening-with-patsy-cline The Lanier Chamber Singers soprano Michelle Martin stars in this musical tribute to country music great Patsy Cline. Martin has starred as Cline at venues throughout the country. As part of your ticket, enjoy a buffet dinner. Arrive at 6:30 p.m. for appetizers and a cash bar.

A S T RO N O M Y DAY S | February 3–4 at 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina

naturalsciences.org/calendar/astronomy-days Join the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the Raleigh Astronomy Club to view a big picture of the universe. From rockets, exoplanets, and telescopes to crafts and activities, space enthusiasts of all ages will enjoy the museum’s annual Astronomy Days.

PAUL PALADIN – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

P H OTO AT TO P BY PAUL PA L A DIN P H OTO A BOV E AT L EF T CO URTESY O F THE LOWCOU NTRY H OS P ITALITY AS S OCIATION P H OTO A BOV E IN MIDDL E CO URTESY O F THE TAU BMAN MU S EU M OF ART’S FACEBOOK PAGE P H OTO A BOV E AT RIGHT CO URTESY O F THE CALICO ARTS + CR AFTS S H OW’S FACEBOOK PAGE

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Indulge in local delicacies and shop for artisan crafts.

BULLETIN

L O W C O U N T RY OY S T E R F E S T I VA L | February 4 at 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.

Boone Hall Plantation, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

boonehallplantation.com Experience 45,000 pounds of oysters at the 40th anniversary of the world’s largest oyster festival.

Enjoy live music, raw oyster eating, shucking conests, wine, domestic and imported beers, specialty cocktails, a kids’ area, and a food court showcasing local restaurants.

B O U R B O N A N D BAC O N | February 16 at 7– 10 p.m.

The Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, Virginia

taubmanmuseum.org/bourbon-bacon Enjoy generous pours of craft spirits from noted distillers, paired alongside tapas-style savory pork creations made by local chefs. Sip along to live music, learn more about bourbon with a spotlight talk, and visit the galleries for an array of inspiring works on view.

P H OTO S BY J O N ATHA N CO O PER, A L IN A TYU LYU, AND P ER RY Mc LEOD ; COU RTESY OF CH AR LESTON FOOD + WI NE

C H A R L E S T O N W I N E + FO O D F E S T I VA L | March 6–10 Various locations throughout Charleston, South Carolina

charlestonwineandfood.com Celebrate food and culture with a collective of restaurateurs, artists, culinary visionaries, artisans, purveyors, sommeliers, farmers, writers, musicians, and, of course, Charlestonians. The annual festival features 100-plus unique events located in various areas around Charleston. Ticket prices range depending on the event. View the schedule and ticket availability online.

C A L I C O A RT S + C R A F T S S H O W | February 16–17 Spence Field, Moultrie, Georgia

calicocrafts.com Shop handmade items from 300-plus vendors including art, gifts, home and garden decor, tools, specialty foods, and more. Enjoy tasty treats from a variety of food and beverage vendors while you shop. Admission is $5 and parking is free. The Calico Arts & Crafts Show is held annually in March and November in Southwest Georgia.

Visit our interactive calendar at backroadportfolio.com for these events and more!

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Botany Bay at Edisto Island, South Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY RO B E RT C L A R K The Botany Bay Boneyard amasses large collections of driftwood and is a sought-after destination in Edisto Island.

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PORTFOLIO

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LANDSCAPE

The Southeast abounds with majestic views of mountain valleys, coastal vistas, historic structures, and preserved plantations.

BLUE CAT STUDIO – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

MCAFEE KNOB Bennett Springs, Virginia

roanokecountyva.gov/2935/mcafee-knob Named for an 18th Century Scotch-Irish settler, McAfee Knob offers expansive views of Catawba Valley, North Mountain, Tinker Cliffs, and the Roanoke Valley. The 4.5-mile hike up to Catawba Mountain’s summit makes for a good workout and is worth the effort. There’s nothing quite like McAfee Knob, which juts out 3,197 feet above sea level. Disclaimer: Hike to the knob’s edge at your own risk.

Photography by Blue Cat Studio

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LANDSCAPE

LI DRONE SHOTS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Take a backroad to one or more of these spots to capture unforgettable photos this winter.

D R I F T W O O D B E AC H Botany Bay at Edisto Island, South Carolina

edistoisland.com/things-to-do/driftwood-beach This coastal photo adventure begins with a drive to Botany Bay. Once you arrive, park at the Boneyard Beach parking lot (Google Maps is your friend here), then hike a half-mile through a saltwater marsh to Driftwood Beach, where you’ll encounter large pieces of driftwood that make for striking photographs against the pastel coastal backdrop. Keep an eye out for wildlife such as fiddler crabs, egrets, sea turtles—even alligators.

Photography by Jacob Rohrbach, Long Island Drone Shots

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LANDSCAPE

Be sure to wear the proper attire for your adventure—and bring the right gear.

JON BILOUS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

THE MILE HIGH SWINGING BRIDGE Grandfather Mountain • Linville, North Carolina

grandfather.com/swinging-bridge Since 1952, Grandfather Mountain’s famous Mile High Swinging Bridge has dared hikers to cross its wooden planks over the 80-foot chasm below. Spanning 228 feet, the suspension bridge is so named because it crosses over the gap between the parking lot and Grandfather Mountain’s Linville Peak, elevation 5,305 feet.

Photography by Jon Bilous

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Return during an opposite season for a uniquely different photography experience.

LANDSCAPE

W O R M S L O E S TAT E H I S T O R I C S I T E Wormsloe Plantation • Savannah, Georgia

gastateparks.org/wormsloe Just 12 miles south of downtown Savannah, enter a stunning 1.5-mile avenue of live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. This stately line of foliage makes for a beautiful photo backdrop any time of year.

The avenue leads to what’s left of the 822-acre Wormsloe Plantation, a Colonial estate belonging to Noble Jones, a carpenter who arrived in Georgia in 1733 with a group of English settlers that included James Oglethorp.

Photography by Robert Clark

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Boneyard Beach at Botany Bay, Edisto Island, South Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY RO B E RT C L A R K

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Columbia, South Carolina

With over 50 years of experience, South Carolina travel photographer Robert Clark explores the Southeast in search of dynamic imagery. Robert’s fine-art collection is available for purchase as custom-printed artwork for your home or business. To see more of Robert’s artistry, view his Instagram page at @robertclarkphotography. If you’re interested in attending Robert’s photography workshops, email him at rcphoto@yahoo.com for further information.

rcphoto@yahoo.com @robertclarkphotography

PORTFOLIO

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McCormick, South Carolina P H OTO G R A P H Y BY TO M P O L A N D This once-solid home stands on a red clay hill.

A tin roof overlays its shingles, and a fine red brick chimney flanks its western side.

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MARK ALAN HOWARD – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

P H OTOGRAPHY BY M ARK A LA N HOWA RD

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PHILOSOPHY

The Beauty of a Dry Dirt Road

BY TOM POLAND The creeks dribble. Shorelines drop. Leaves crunch. Colors fade. Birds queue up around my fountains.

The lack of rain robbed us of a lot of fall color. I drove through the countryside this week. Brown leaves everywhere. It’s so dry folks are spitting cotton as one old saying goes. Dry as a bone goes another.

Dry weather makes me think of dirt roads. As I made my way along South Carolina Highway 34 this week, I passed a dirt road that had been paved. I felt a pang, a twinge of regret. It’s an exaggeration to say dirt roads are an endangered species, but I believe they represent another aspect of the South that’s fading away. Seems we intend to pave them all.

There’s just something poetic about a dirt road, something beautiful about a dry dirt road. I don’t recall reading a description of a paved road in literature, though I’m sure they exist. I came across a book review of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. He didn’t title it The Dirt Road, and for that I’m grateful. The review, titled The Road Through Hell, Paved With Desperation, suits this tale of a boy and his father who cross a corpse-strewn, ashen landscape of a post-apocalyptic world. I just can’t see a dirt road in a world so cursed by technology that it destroys itself. Surely they would all be paved.

Future world or past, paved roads just aren’t interesting compared to dusty lanes with their washboard ridges. Hemingway painted a beautiful portrait of a dirt road in A Farewell to Arms. It’s a passage I love.

“In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains. In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.”

I go out of my way to drive dirt roads. Most are outliers. That is, I find them far from places crisscrossed and run over by asphalt. Drive a dirt road right now and a fine powder rises. The rearview mirror seems dusted over. It’s like seeing through fog. The steering wheel gets a case of jitters as tires skitter, rattling over those washboard ridges. Ahead the road curves, a beautiful scene edged as it is by powdered grass and leaves.

Come a summer storm when a blazing white anvil crowns an ink-black column, a thunderhead showers the land. When the blessed rains fall, a fertile fragrance rises as raindrops pelt dust. It’s a fragrant reminder of Earth’s fertility. A paved road? When the clouds break, steam boils up from asphalt. It smells like tar.

Dirt roads take me to old springhouses, forgotten cemeteries, abandoned churches, and collapsing barns. They take me somewhere else, too. Childhood, where road graders scour potholes and ridges away, and pickups and cars trail a fine mist of earth that powders leaves as Hemingway so eloquently described. I pray that progress leaves us a few dirt roads, reminders of how things once were in a land plastered over with solar farms, cell towers, and asphalt.

South Carolina Highway 34

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To join our growing list of contributors from all over the Southeast, submit your photography, visual art, or writing. Learn more at backroadportfolio.com.

CONTRIBUTORS

Elizabeth Poland Shugg

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

E DI TO R A N D C O - C R EATO R Born in Lincolnton, Georgia, Elizabeth grew up in nearby Athens exploring 200 acres of woods and farmland originally purchased by her great-greatgrandfather in 1910. At age 13, she moved to rural Botetourt County in Southwest Virginia after her mother remarried, but spent her summers in Columbia, South Carolina with her father. She now lives on three acres in rural Chatham County, North Carolina, and enjoys exploring the region’s backroads and small towns. Elizabeth has 28-plus years as a professional writer and editor, and has served as editor of seven magazines, four of which she helped launch.

She and her husband enjoy spending time with their three adult children; hiking with their Brittany, Luna; and traveling backroads to unique destinations.

Erica de Flamand

Olin, North Carolina A RT DI R E C TO R A N D CO - CREATO R Erica attended the School of Fine Arts at UCONN, and since graduating, has worked as a designer, photographer, and creative director for more than two decades in industries including adventure travel, conservation, finance, national security and defense, and signature event planning. She has been a featured artist in over a dozen gallery installations, received numerous industry awards, and spent four semesters as an adjunct college professor. In addition to cultivating her studio, The Summer House, she launched a nonprofit organization that provides nature-based mental health services and alternative therapies to an underserved area of North Carolina. Erica currently resides off a backroad in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, two dogs, and a herd full of horses and donkeys.

Tom Poland

Columbia, South Carolina W R I T E R A N D PH OTOGRA PHER Tom Poland writes about the South, its people, its culture, and its natural features. His interests include nature, music, writing, and photography. Tom’s weekly column appears in more than 65 newspapers and online journals, where he reaches 100,000 readers a week. His work also appears in magazines and literary journals. Among his traditionally published books are Georgialina, A Southland As We Knew It; South Carolina Country Roads; and Carolina Bays—Wild, Mysterious, and Majestic Landforms. Tom is an oft-requested speaker, and gives talks throughout Georgia and the Carolinas. In 2018, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster conferred upon Tom South Carolina’s highest civilian order, the Order of the Palmetto, and stated: “His work is exceptional to the state.” Learn more about Tom at tompoland.net.

Kathleen McIntyre

Davidson, North Carolina WRITER For the past 25 years, forest ecologist-turned-nature therapist Kathleen McIntyre has been leading therapeutic and life-enriching experiences in nature. After receiving a masters in forest resources, she began the journey of fusing her passion and knowledge of land conservation and restoration with nature’s wisdom for profound personal healing. In addition to completing a masters in social work, Kathleen is the co-founder and director of Mindfulness and Outdoor Leadership at the Davidson Green School in Davidson, North Carolina. She is also the author of The Nature Reset, which is set to be released in March 2024. Backpacking, trail running, traveling, gardening, spending time with friends, and spending time in nature keeps her fired stoked. Learn more about Kathleen at katmcintyre.com.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Robert Clark

Columbia, South Carolina

PH OTO G R A PH E R A resident of Columbia and native of Charlotte, Robert Clark’s photography has appeared in National Geographic books, Newsweek, Smithsonian, and photographic awards annuals such as Print and Communication Arts. He has specialties in architectural/interior photography, editorial, advertising and fine art photography. He has photographed seven books on South Carolina—the latest of which is Carolina Bays, published by the University of South Carolina Press in 2019—and is also a Professional Photographers of America (PPA) member. View Robert’s work on Instagram at @robertclarkphotography.

Grace Franklin

Germanton, North Carolina PH OTO G R A PH E R Grace Franklin is a passionate equestrian and professional photographer, graphic designer, and creative marketer of eight years. She and her husband live on a 16-acre farm in Germanton, North Carolina, after living in Alaska for four years. Grace fosters and rehabilitates horses with Red Feather Equine Sanctuary on her farm, and has two horses of her own. In her free time, Grace enjoys going West Coast Swing Dancing and line dancing, and expanding her creative skills with entrepreneurial projects. She hopes to inspire more people to explore ethical horsemanship, and support the reach of ethical equine rescue and sanctuary. Contact Grace at gracelmfranklin@gmail.com.

Bryce de Flamand

Charlotte, North Carolina PH OTO G R A PH E R Bryce de Flamand is an art director and designer working and living in the Queen City. She has a decade of design experience, including directing photo and video shoots, B2B campaign work, editorial and packaging design, managing seemingly unmanageable timelines, and coming up with creative solutions for complex problems. When she is not working, she can be found outside in nature, dreaming up new projects and ideas, traveling in real life or with her nose in a book, and spending time with her partner and pups.

Eifel Kreutz

Charlotte, North Carolina PH OTO G R A PH E R Eifel Kreutz is a landscape photographer and occasional real estate photographer based in Charlotte.

A resident of North Carolina since 2018, he loves exploring the region’s natural beauty, especially in the mountains of western North Carolina. Eifel enjoys hiking and other outdoor activities, as well as traveling, reading, and watching soccer. He also loves maps, and his full-time job is in the field of geographic information systems (GIS). View Eifel’s photography work and prints at eifelkreutz.myportfolio.com.

Sean Bryne

Raleigh, North Carolina

I L LU ST R ATO R Sean W. Byrne is a freelance illustrator and art director who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Sean has worked for major corporations such as Fujitsu and IBM, as well as design and marketing firms such as The Early Design Group. What he loves to do most, however, is write stories and draw pictures. He also loves Beagles. View more of Sean’s work at seanwbyrne.com.

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FINALE

“When snow falls, nature listens.”

Olin, North Carolina PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERICA DE FLAMAND

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// A N TO I N E T T E VA N K L E E F F

Durham, North Carolina P H OTO GR A P H Y BY BR U C E D E BO E R

Minutes from Downtown Durham and Research Triangle Park, a world-class distillery is hidden on a 22-acre farm. Mystic Farm & Distillery was crowned the winner of 2023’s Best Small Batch Bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its five-year-old Broken Oak bourbon. Like all of Mystic’s bourbons, Broken Oak is carefully crafted from grain Mystic grows nearby, water from the aquifer below the distillery, North Carolina oak, and the superior aging climate of the Piedmont. Mystic offers tours, tastings, and unforgettable experiences that delight bourbon enthusiasts and occasional drinkers alike. Learn more at WhatIsMystic.com.

®

F ARM

&

D I S TI L L E RY

WhatIsMystic.com @mysticfarmdistillery