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Folly Beach, South Carolina
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT CLARK
The autumn marshlands in Folly Beach, South Carolina.
By the 1870s, more than 10,000 covered bridges existed in America. Today, about 750 remain. Most are in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Vermont, and Oregon—in that order. But the Southeast claims a handsome collection of these treasured connectors, too. The earliest covered bridges consisted of logs stretched across timbers over creeks that were then covered with roofs made of either timber, iron, or steel. Today, covered bridges exist as reminders of how—and what roads—our predecessors traveled. Explore them with us in “Bridge to the Past.”
One of the most beautiful ways to view our region’s backroads comes perhaps from the skies above. In “The Air Up There,” explore why hot air ballooning is more of a culture than hobby, and discover how North Carolina’s community of balloonists are making aerial vistas possible for those who wish to elevate their view of the world.
Over the years, farmers have–often unintentionally–forsaken native savannas. These savannas exist only as remnants now. Tom Poland explored a savanna in South Carolina with Georgia landscape artist and author Philip Juras, whose mission is to explore, understand, and conserve healthy natural environments. Upon finding just the right spot, Juras set up his canvas and began painting the habitat before him. Learn more about Juras’ artwork and efforts to preserve America’s savannas in “A Longing for Fire and Sunlight.”
Our fall “There and Back Again” journey travels from Charleston, South Carolina, to Savannah, Georgia, and back. Along the way, explore magnificent gardens, preserved ruins, a Civil War battlefield, and one of America’s most famous and historic cemeteries.
We also introduce you to Georgia artist Leonard Jones, visit a mule cemetery, and share some of the best places to see fall leaves across the Southeast.
We wish you many hours of beautiful weather and colors as autumn expands across the region. Please share your fall views with us by emailing photos of them to hello@backroadportfolio.com.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUCE D E BOER
Coastal birds keep the barren trees of South Carolina’s Boneyard Beach company.
Boneyard Beach, South Carolina
Southern backroads are filled with secret mysteries, sightings, spirits, and cities. Here, we share a few with you.
MYSTERY
Corolla, North Carolina
North Carolina’s jagged coast is considered one of America’s most dangerous for ships. Consequently, seven lighthouses have been built on the state’s coastline since 1817. The Currituck Lighthouse, first lit on December 1, 1875, filled a remaining dark spot between two lighthouses: Cape Henry in Virginia and Bodie Island in North Carolina.
Lighthouse second assistant keeper George C. Johnson and his wife, Lucy Bertha, moved into the Currituack Lighthouse cottage in 1912 with their four sons and a young girl named Sadie. Some say Sadie was the Johnsons’ daughter; others say she was their niece. She would have been 7 or 8 years old when she went missing after playing on the beach. Sadly, her lifeless body washed ashore the next day.
Soon after Sadie’s death, people began reporting sightings of her ghost, triggering rumors that the keeper’s cottage was cursed, and that illness, misery, and death would fall on anyone who slept in the north bedroom—where Sadie slept.
A friend of the lighthouse keeper’s wife reportedly died from a mysterious illness days after sleeping in the north bedroom. Then, Lucy Bertha was quarantined in the north bedroom after contracting tuberculosis. She subsequently died in that room as well.
Others who slept in Sadie’s room reported seeing the ghost of a young girl in the room and other areas around the cottage and lighthouse. Many people say Sadie’s spirit is still present at the Currituck Lighthouse—something to keep in mind next time you visit. Learn more at visitcurrituck.com.
SIGHTINGS
Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina is home to several famous celebrities. Singer Darius Rucker owns a lavish Charleston mansion (and recently built another home in Nashville).
Actor Bill Murray owns a house just 9 miles away on Sullivan’s Island. Murray also co-owns two Charleston establishments: Harold’s Cabin, a fresh market cafe; and The Container Bar, which is uniquely constructed out of old, converted shipping containers and hosts five rotating food trucks on site.
Late night show host Stephen Colbert grew up in Charleston and owns a 3,040-square-foot house on Sullivan Island close to the beach.
John Mellencamp fell in love with Daufuskie Island, and hired an architect to design a southern-style home there, which he has reportedly filled with art by Walt Kuhn, Marvin Cherny, and Jack Levin.
SPIRITS
Jackson, Georgia
Spotting old moonshine still ruins happens more often than you’d think here in the Southeast. Reader Mark Alling sent us these photos of a rusty boiler—possibly made of steel—found on his property in Jackson, Georgia. Alling found it in a wet-weather creek, deep enough to be below the water table.
Likely taken sometime after 1920, the photo below shows government workers posing in front of a still setup they had destroyed in accordance with the rules of Prohibition. Copper served as the preferred material for making stills in the early 1900s, but moonshiners sometimes made the necessary parts with whatever materials they could scrounge up. Boilers could also be made from wooden barrels used for mixing mash and storing whiskey. You can learn more about the South’s moonshining history at georgiaencyclopedia. org/articles/arts-culture/moonshine.
CITY
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK ALLING AND THE GEORGE GRANTHAM BAIN COLLECTION FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Under a veil of secrecy in 1942, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bought 60,000 acres of rural farmland in East Tennessee to construct a “temporary” city and three facilities. They surrounded the site with a large, protective fence and 24/7 security. These measures were necessary because the United States government had chosen this site for developing the world’s first atomic weapons—an undertaking more commonly referred to as the Manhattan Project.
Families who originally lived and worked in Oak Ridge had to promise not to discuss their jobs with anyone—even other residents— to prevent project news from leaking out to the enemy. Other than top scientists working at Oak Ridge, most employees didn’t realize they were actually helping build the atomic bombs that would be used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. After the war, Oak Ridge transitioned into an independent city that became self-governing in 1959. Learn more about the original residents of Oak Ridge and the types of jobs they were given at tnmuseum.org/junior-curators/posts/the-secret-city.
BELOW: PHOTOS TAKEN IN NOVEMBER 2021 COURTESY OF CAROL HIGHSMITH, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
BOTTOM LEFT: WORLD WAR II-ERA ALERT BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE THE FORMER K-25 URANIUM-ENRICHMENT PLANT, WHICH IS NOW A HISTORY MUSEUM IN OAK RIDGE.
BOTTOM RIGHT: THE CHAPEL ON THE HILL IN OAK RIDGE
PHOTO BY ROBERT CLARK
The Red Horse Inn is consistently ranked as a top ten leaf-peeping destination for travelers. Gowensville, South Carolina
No matter what time of year you venture out, picturesque southeastern backroads will transport you to these evergreen destinations.
MABRY MILL
Take a trip back in time to the early 1900s, when Southwest Virginia’s Mabry Mill churned away and owners Ed and Lizzy Mabry’s operation included sawmilling, woodworking, and blacksmithing, in addition to operating the gristmill. The Mabrys also ran a wheelwright shop. While you’re there, hike the Mountain Industry Trail, a 0.5-mile easy trail that offers excellent views of the property’s historic buildings. Explore the grounds year-round, but if you want to experience a cultural demonstration, the visitor center is only open early May through early November. Mountain music concerts are also presented during select summer and fall weekends.
Meadows of Dan, Virginia
266 Mabry Mill Road
Blue Ridge Parkway Mile Post 176 nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/mabry-mill-mp-176.htm
APPALACHIAN QUILT TRAIL
Creators of the Appalachian Quilt Trail describe it as a “genuine backroads adventure among a patchwork of blue mountains and green hills, rolling farmland, lakes, and meandering rivers, rocky ridges and fastmoving streams.” Discover artisan treasures, locally grown produce, quilt fabrics, and more along a network of century farms and barns extending from the Great Smoky Mountains into the Cumberland Plateau. It’s a scenic experience year-round.
A dramatic stone outcropping perched above South Carolina’s Blue Ridge escarpment offers an expansive view of the surrounding mountains any time of year, but it’s most beautiful during fall. The overlook, known as Caesars Head, is located atop an outcropping of granitic gneiss comprising metamorphic rock layers. The 4-mile, roundtrip Raven Cliff Falls trail leads to the overlook, where you can also view the 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls.
LAKE WACCAMAW
Cleveland, South Carolina Caesars Head State Park 8155 Geer Highway, Cleveland
North Carolina’s Lake Waccamaw measures 5.2 by 3.5 miles. It’s not actually a lake, but a Carolina Bay—and the largest in both Carolinas. Lake Waccamaw covers 8,938 acres and enjoys two other distinctions: it’s spring-fed and forms the headwaters of the Waccamaw River. Local American Indian legend says a bright ball falling from the heavens created Lake Waccamaw, but no one truly knows how this and other Carolina bays formed. Each one has a distinct elliptical shape and is a beautiful sight to behold anytime of year. Learn more about these geographical phenomena in Carolina Bays—Wild, Mysterious, and Majestic Landforms, by Tom Poland and Robert Clark.
Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina 1866 State Park Drive ncparks.gov/state-parks/ lake-waccamaw-state-park
JILL
PHOTO BY ROBERT CLARK
During October, the cotton fields display their beauty on backroads across the South. Orangeburg County, South Carolina
NOSTALGIA
Backroads transport us to places and landmarks that commemorate our country’s history. Here are some from southeastern autumns of the past.
THE BATTLE OF BLUE SPRINGS
October 10, 1863
Soon after Union General Ambrose Burnside arrived in Knoxville on September 3, 1863, he began creating a plan to run the Confederate Army out of Northeast Tennessee so he could take possession of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad. First, Burnside sent General Samuel Perry Carter and his cavalry to clear the roads and byways from Virginia. Then, on the morning of October 10, he and his troops arrived at Blue Springs.
It didn’t take long for Union troops to penetrate enemy lines. But the Confederates fought back with heavy cannon and musket fire that drove Union soldiers back. Burnside initiated three more assaults on the main Confederate line, forcing Williams’ troops to eventually withdraw after dark. Union soldiers were on their heels the next day. Both sides met up again in Rheatown, but this time, the exhausted Confederate soldiers made their escape toward Jonesborough. This was considered the last major Civil War battle in Upper East Tennessee.
Mosheim, Tennessee americancivilwar.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
October 10, 1902
Exactly thirty-nine years later in 1902, a young educator transformed an old, run-down blacksmith shed into a school for African American students. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, the granddaughter of former slaves, was born in Henderson, North Carolina, in 1883, but later moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her family. While there, she attended Cambridge English High School and Salem State Normal School. During her time at Salem State, the 18-year-old was offered a teaching position in North Carolina by the American Missionary Association. She accepted the job and returned to her home state in 1901 to teach rural African American children at Bethany Congregational Church in Sedalia.
The school closed after one term, so on October 10, 1902, Hawkins opened her own school in the old blacksmith shed. She named it Palmer Memorial Institute after her benefactor and friend, Alice Freedman Palmer. The school focused on industrial and agricultural education, and also encompassed a farm, which enabled agricultural learning experiences and provided a way for students who couldn’t afford tuition to work their way through school.
Palmer Memorial Institute was fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1922. It consisted of more than 300 acres and fourteen buildings at its height, and developed a national reputation as a finishing school. Several years after Brown’s death in 1961 the school began to decline. It eventually closed in 1971. The former campus is now part of the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, which is a North Carolina state historic site.
Gibsonville, North Carolina historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/charlotte-hawkins-brown-museum
CENTER RIGHT PHOTO IS OF CHARLOTTE HAWKINS BROWN; PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE
WYLIE MILL
November 1908
Wylie Mill in Chester, South Carolina, was just one of many textile mills that employed children during the early 1900s, defying child labor laws. Oftentimes entire families were hired to ensure access to additional laborers, with children as young as 5 being put to work. Thankfully, changes within the textile industry led to the gradual disappearance of child labor during the 1920s and 1930s.
This photo taken in November 1908 shows Pamento Benson standing behind a calf he was raising for beef after working at Wylie Mill for two years, according to the Library of Congress. Ray Benson, likely his brother, is standing next to him, and a boy named Clarence Rost stands next to Ray. As soon as boys were old enough to handle a plow, they would often return to their family’s farm. The other children’s names were not available.
Chester, South Carolina scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/chester
‘SALVAGE FOR VICTORY’
October 1942
A month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States government launched “Salvage for Victory,” a campaign designed to encourage Americans to collect, save, conserve, and recycle materials that could be repurposed for military use. From school groups to neighborhood scrap drives, countless Americans—like these children in Roanoke, Virginia—did their part to support the new effort. Paper, rubber, metal, rags—even waste fats and grease—were among the materials collected and repurposed for the war.
Roanoke, Virginia nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/salvage-for-victory-world-war-ii
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
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 onceessential 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.
Take something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read on your next backroad journey.
This sturdy travel duffel doubles as a work of art made by 2024 Haywood Community College graduate Melissa Ezelle as part of the school’s Professional Crafts Program. The fabric consists of handwoven twill lined with dyed denim, and the strap is made from hemp. The duffel, which measures 20 inches high and 13 by 13 inches in diameter, is just one of many creative projects previously on display at the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s Folk Art Center.
Asheville, North Carolina
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SOUTHERN HIGHLAND CRAFT GUILD
Tail Waggin’ Knacks offers customized products “designed to make tails wag, purrs echo, and hearts smile.” This custom vegan leather phone wallet features an adhesive backing that sticks to your phone case or the back of your phone, making it easier to stow ID and credit cards while you’re out and about. Best of all, since a photo of your beloved pet is printed on the front, you’ll be able to take your furry friend with you wherever you go.
Holly Springs, North Carolina
SOMETHING TO WEAR
FITS Medium Ski Mountain Top Socks, $26.99 fitssock.com
These medium-weight socks crafted by third- and fourth-generation textile manufacturers in Tennessee are perfect for hiking, running, skiing, and other recreational activities. Made with super-fine Merino wool, they stretch over the calf and offer cozy cushioning and extra warmth—perfect for cooler season pursuits. The socks are also contoured to hug toes and heels, therefore preventing blisters.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
SOMETHING TO READ
Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South by Diane Flynt, $14.92
foggyridgecider.com/dianes-book-wild-tamed-lost-revived Apple grower and cidermaker Diane Flynt, owner of Foggy Ridge Cider in Dugspur, Virginia, writes about the shift in southern apple farming over the past 400 years, tracing its complex history of cultivating over 2,000 apple varieties—from Virginia to Mississippi. She shares stories about seedling orchards grown by indigenous people, the flowering of 1,800 apple varieties unique to the region, and more.
Dugspur, Virginia
PHOTOS ARE PROVIDED BY THE VENDORS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
BY TOM POLAND
BRIDGE TO THE PAST
My mother talked often about covered bridges when I was a boy. She told me how picturesque they were. I write “were,” because in her youth she saw several firsthand. Since then, many have burned. Today’s survivors are relicts, just as gristmills, standpipe water tanks, and smokehouses are.
I saw my first covered bridge in The Bridges of Madison County starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, but that was on the silver screen—the bridge itself afar, in Winterset, Iowa. That changed one fall afternoon in northern Greenville County, South Carolina. It was late afternoon when sunlight comes in so low everything turns gold and lustrous, but driving is hard. A bit blinded as I rounded a curve, I got a shock as my eyes adjusted. It was the bridge in a Robert Clark photograph, framed and hanging in my house: Campbell’s Covered Bridge
I walked into the old bridge. Through the wooden flooring, I could see Beaverdam Creek running cold and swift over rocks. Everything was peaceful. I stayed a while thinking about the years when wagons and vintage cars rolled through and no one gave a second thought to the bridge’s uniqueness. Serene, it made for a nice spot for couples. Sure enough, as I walked out, a young couple drove up. I was glad to see the old bridge still had its pull on romantic souls.
Campbell’s Covered Bridge, South Carolina’s last, sits near the town of Gowensville. Greenville County owns the bridge and closed it to traffic in the early 1980s. It joined the National Register of Historic Places July 1, 2009.
OPPOSITE PAGE: CAMPBELL’S COVERED BRIDGE IN GREENVILLE COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA.
PHOTO BY ROBERT CLARK.
COVERED BRIDGES OF THE SOUTH
The history of the covered bridge is fairly straightforward. Early bridges in this country were not much more than logs stretched across timbers over creeks. As bridge construction evolved, builders created longer spans using trusses, arches, and joined stringers. Like most structures early in this country’s history, bridges were almost entirely made of wood. The joints of a wooden truss bridge would rot if exposed to the weather. Building a roof solved that problem, and that blessed our culture with a charming edifice: the covered bridge.
Why not visit a covered bridge? In Meriwether County, Georgia, you’ll find the Red Oak Creek Bridge built in 1840 by freed slave and noted bridge builder, Horace King. At 391 feet including approaches, this structure is the oldest and longest wood-covered bridge still in use in Georgia. All these years later, it’s stout. The “Kissing Bridge,” as it’s known, is open to traffic.
The movie, Lawless, featured it. Sometimes called the Imlac Covered Bridge since it spans Red Oak Creek in the small community of Imlac, the bridge is 4 miles north of Woodbury, just 12 miles north of Warm Springs where President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sought therapy for polio.
Oconee County, Georgia, claims the Elder Mill Covered Bridge. Built in 1897, it was moved to its current location just south of Watkinsville off State Road 15 in the 1920s. The bridge benefitted from restoration during Jimmy Carter’s governorship. The Elder Mill Covered Bridge, one of thirteen functioning covered bridges in Georgia, is the only covered bridge along the Georgia Antebellum Trail. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
TOP PHOTO: RED OAK CREEK BRIDGE IN MERIWEATHER COUNTY, GEORGIA. PHOTO BY JASON–STOCK.ADOBE.COM.
BOTTOM PHOTO: THE ELDER MILL COVERED BRIDGE IN OCONEE COUNTY, GEORGIA. PHOTO BY RICK KEENEY/ WIRESTOCK CREATORS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM.
Near Comer, Georgia, not far from the South Carolina state line, the Watson Mill Bridge pulls people back again and again. Washington W. King, son of freed slave and covered bridge builder Horace King, built the 229-foot bridge in 1885, the longest, not including approaches as Red Oak does. Watson Mill Bridge replaced an earlier structure that Gabriel Watson, owner of the original mill here, built near the site of the present bridge. A rising south fork of the Broad River washed the old bridge away. An early owner of the Watson Mill land put up a hydroelectric plant that generated energy from the south fork of the Broad River. That power ran a mill complex, blacksmith shop, store, and hotel. Rural electrification brought an end to the generation of power there.
People drive to Watson Mill Bridge State Park to enjoy the peaceful setting. The bridge and Broad River’s white water create a scene akin to an extraordinary setting in a movie. To see the bridge is to see the past, when roads were narrow and times simpler.
In the Volunteer State the Harrisburg Covered Bridge in Sevierville, Tennessee, spans the Little Pigeon River’s east fork and something else—years of attrition and fallen comrades. The Volunteer State has but six covered bridges left. A tip of the hat to Sevier County. Over the years, the county maintained the bridge as other covered bridges fell to progress. In 1975, the Harrisburg Covered Bridge joined the National Register of Historic Places as a rare covered timber truss bridge. In 1983, the deteriorated bridge faced closure, but the county gave it new flooring and beam replacements, yet again breathing life into this classic survivor. And the classy red survivor speeding out of this one-way time passage? Difficult to identify.
TOP PHOTO: WATSON MILL BRIDGE NEAR COMER, GEORGIA. PHOTO BY TOM POLAND. BOTTOM PHOTO: HARRISBURG COVERED BRIDGE IN SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE. PHOTO BY ROBERT CLARK.
“What made this scene so unusual was the classic red car,” said Robert C. Clark. “I was photographing the bridge interior when I saw this car coming from the other side. I ran to my position and got three shots of the car passing by ... one of those ‘right place at the right time’ moments. What were the odds of all this coming together?”
E.A. Bible had a covered bridge built in Greenville, Tennessee in 1923 so he could cross Little Chuckey Creek to gain better access to Warrensburg Road. A.A. McLean, a noted Tennessee bridgebuilder of the day, built it. In 1948, Bible Covered Bridge was deeded to Greene County. In 1975, it became an historical structure through the efforts of the Greene County Heritage Trust. The Greene County Highway Department completed the bridge’s restoration in 2004 with a grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Historic Pisgah Covered Bridge, one of North Carolina’s two remaining covered bridges, went up in 1911 at a cost of $40. The 54-foot bridge crosses the West Fork Branch of Little River within the Uwharrie National Forest. It brings to mind the county’s past when horse and wagon were common and automobile travel was in its infancy.
TOP PHOTO: BIBLE COVERED BRIDGE IN GREENVILLE, TENNESSEE. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIPADVISOR.COM. BOTTOM PHOTO: PISGAH COVERED BRIDGE IN NORTH CAROLINA. PHOTO BY JILL LANG – STOCK.ADOBE.COM.
FIND A COVERED BRIDGE NEAR YOU
Google “Wikipedia List Covered Bridges” for a state-by-state rundown of bridges, their names, photos, locations, years built, lengths, waterways crossed, designs, and historical notes.
HISTORIC CAMPBELL’S COVERED BRIDGE
NEAR GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA
PHOTO BY KEVIN RUCK – STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Fourth Time’s a Charm MEEMS BOTTOM COVERED BRIDGE
WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY
JENNIFER LINNEY
Turn west off U.S. Route 11 onto State Route 720 in Virginia’s Shenandoah County, and you’ll find yourself instantly removed from the low-key hustle of the Valley Turnpike. A peaceful, half-mile stretch of a straight country lane passes through a leaf tunnel in spring and summer, courtesy of trees lining both sides. Up ahead—large, yet unassuming—stands Meems Bottom Covered Bridge. It links the floodplain as you traverse through Strathmoor—the farm of late Civil War General Gilbert Simrall Meems—over the north fork of the Shenandoah River to a craggy hill that winds steeply up toward Interstate 81.
The 204-foot truss bridge is the fourth to stand in this place. The first bridge, built in 1867, fell victim to floodwaters in March 1871. Then again, in November 1867, floods wiped out the second bridge, which had been built in 1871. A third bridge, built in 1878, spanned the river until 1894, when the current bridge replaced it. The addition of steel I-beams in 1937 reinforced the bridge, and the original roadway was resurfaced. It stood without incident until 1976, when fire damaged it, causing only charring to the bridge’s structural timbers. Repairs to the frame, roof, and weatherboard after the fire further strengthened the bridge. Local traffic has crossed the bridge daily ever since.
Noted as the longest of Virginia’s few remaining covered bridges, Meems Bottom Covered Bridge features Burr arch-trusses (also called the “king-post arch system”)—two wooden arches spanning the full distance between the bridge’s stone abutments. The abutments, made of rectangular-cut limestone blocks from a local quarry, extend about 10 feet under the riverbed. The bridge’s roughsawn pine timber was harvested from Strathmoor.
Meems Bottom Covered Bridge earned recognition from the Virginia Landmarks Register in April 1975 and the National Register of Historic Places in June 1975 for its high-quality timber and masonry construction, as well as for its scenic setting. The day I visited, a mom, grandmother, and preschool boy waded and splashed in the waters passing below the bridge.
Source: Virginia Department of Historic Resources
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
PHOTO BY DANIEL SASSER
Pilots Drew Egerton in his balloon JALLAO and Marc Klinger in his balloon OOCHIE 7 fly over Iredell County, North Carolina. Cool Spring, North Carolina
“The saying goes that your first ride costs the price of the ride, but your second ride costs the price of buying a balloon.”
—Drew Egerton, Chief Pilot and Co-Owner of Air-Olina Aviation in Statesville, North Carolina
elevate your view in a hot air balloon
BY ELIZABETH POLAND SHUGG
Any aeronaut will tell you: Floating peacefully above the world isn’t just about chasing sunsets and defying gravity. It’s a culture. Way of life. Adventure in the sky.
Ballooning provides what many believe is the most magnificent view of our world—its backroads, mountains, valleys, and oceans. And … fall in North Carolina may just be the best time and place to try it.
“I would argue that some of the best flying in the world is in North Carolina in October. When the leaves are changing colors, it’s a magical sight from above,” says Drew Egerton, chief pilot and co-owner of Air-Olina in Statesville, North Carolina.
Mark Twain’s words in Roughing It sum up the feeling many balloonists experience while soaring across the sky. “The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn’t it be? It is the same the angels breathe.”
William Shakespeare wrote in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “My soul is in the sky.” And Brazilian aeronaut and sportsman Alberto Santos Dumant once said, “the balloon seems to stand still in the air while the earth flies past underneath.”
There are, of course, more pragmatic descriptions. “My two recollections are that the trees looked like broccoli and the cars looked like Micro Machines,” Egerton recalls of his first ride as a 4-year-old. “Eighties kids will remember those.”
OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTO BY TAYLOR EGERTON. IN THE FOREGROUND, PILOT DANIEL SASSER ASCENDS IN HIS BALLOON NOT COMMON . IN THE BACKGROUND, PILOT DREW EGERTON ASCENDS IN HIS BALLOON HOT-N-HEAVY
“I knew right then, this was for me.”
—Charles Page, Pilot-in-Command at Big Oh! Balloons in Cleveland, North Carolina bigohballoons.com
The first time Charles Page heard about the National Balloon Rally—before it was renamed Carolina BalloonFest—he made plans to attend with no preconceptions of how it might impact his life. “I remember getting there in the dark. It was really cold, my feet were wet, and I had no idea what to expect,” Page recalls. “Then, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, several dozen pilots and crew rolled out of their tents, dragged out their equipment, and inflated those glorious balloons. We watched them launch into the morning haze and I knew right then, this was for me!”
That was the day Page met Tracy Barnes, an integral member of a triumvirate of ballooning pioneers that also included Don Piccard and Ed Yost. Yost worked with Raven Industries in partnership with the United States Air Force to standardize hot air balloon design for the Federal Aviation Administration. Together, Barnes, Piccard, and Yost effectively launched America’s hot air balloon industry.
ABOVE PHOTO BY
PILOTS SHOWN ARE DAVID LITTON (BALLOON: ALMOST HEAVEN ), DUNCAN DUNAVENT (BALLOON: SPREEBIRD ), CHARLES PAGE (BALLOON: BIG OH! ), MARC KLINGER (BALLOON: OOCHIE 7 ), AND KEN DRAUGHN (BALLOON: XTREMELY CONTAGIOUS ).
OPPOSITE PAGE, AT BOTTOM: A STATIC DISPLAY AT THE HISTORIC FORT DOBBS IN STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. PILOTS SHOWN ARE CHARLES PAGE ( BIG OH! ), DAVID LITTON ( ALMOST HEAVEN ), AND TAYLOR EGERTON ( MERCAPTAN, MY CAPTAIN ).
DREW EGERTON.
Page married Kristie Darling in 1986 at their home in Cool Spring, North Carolina. After the reception, they floated away with eight friends in a hot air balloon. It was the beginning of two love stories: theirs, and their love for ballooning.
In 1988, Page trained Darling to fly. Together they now operate Big Oh! Balloons, the region’s longestrunning ride business. The couple credits their balloon beginnings to a maiden voyage with local pilot Jim Thompson. “Jim is the most extraordinary pilot I’ve ever flown with,” Page says. “He could do amazing things with a balloon.”
Page remembers that first flight was “awesome, a little bit foggy, and the most expensive flight ever because, upon landing, we told Jim we were going to buy his balloon.” That was 1981. Page and Darling named the balloon Big Oh!
The original Big Oh! balloon was recently recreated at Firefly Balloons. “We’ve come full circle with that first pink and purple beauty,” Darling says. “The factory still had the original pattern, and this new one is very special to us.”
A thrilling flight at Biltmore House in 1983 tops Page’s list as one of his most exciting accomplishments. “Launching from the Biltmore lawn is spectacular, but it’s surrounded by about ten miles of forest. We flew at dawn to take advantage of forecasted increasing speed to get us to clear terrain,” Page remembers. When the forecast didn’t pan out, Page decided to land in the Biltmore Forest. “There wasn’t even a wisp of breeze up to 6,000 feet—I checked.” Fortunately, he says, the voyage ended safely.
THE BIG OH! BALLOON
Page has flown as high as 24,000 feet, from Greensboro to Raleigh with his brother, Steve. He has also participated in balloon cluster flights over Charlotte and Davidson with two, three, even four balloons tied together.
Above all, Page says he’ll never forget his 1999 New Year’s Eve flight. “I launched solo at midnight—end of the 20th Century, pitch dark, with 100 gallons of fuel—70 more than usual,” Page remembers. “After a dark night and 105 miles, I landed on Jack’s Mountain, Virginia, at 6:41 a.m. New Year’s Day, 2000—still in the dark, an hour before sunrise. My adrenaline was off the chart the whole time. Pretty sure it’s the first—and last—time I’ll get to do that!”
BELOW: PHOTO BY DAVID STROUD TAKEN AT A 2023 BENEFIT BALLOON GLOW FOR EQUUVATION THERAPY + EDUCATION CENTER IN STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: DAVID LITTON AND ALMOST HEAVEN , CHARLES PAGE AND BIG OH! , DANIEL SASSER AND NOT COMMON , MARC KLINGER AND OOCHIE 7 , MARSHA LAMBERTSON AND WIZARD OF OZ , AND TONY COLBURN AND DREAM ON
OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTO BY DAVID LITTON TAKEN AT A 2021 CLUB GATHERING OF THE
CAROLINAS BALLOON ASSOCIATION IN COOL SPRING, NORTH CAROLINA.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off that balloon.”
—Marsha Lambertson, Owner of AeroSports Inc. in Statesville, North Carolina aerosportballoons.com
Marsha Lambertson fell in love with ballooning in her hometown of Mason, Michigan upon spotting a hot air balloon flying in the distance. “I had never seen one before, so I chased it down,” she recalls. “I couldn’t take my eyes off that balloon. I knew then and there that I had to do this.”
Lambertson earned her commercial pilot license in 1983 at age 24. During ground school and flight training, she and other students piled into their instructor’s converted bread truck and journeyed to Albuquerque, New Mexico for Balloon Fiesta.
“It’s the Mecca for hot air balloonists, and that trip opened my eyes to an amazing business potential— using balloons to advertise for major companies,” Lambertson says. “Little did I know then that modern day hot air ballooning—an exciting new branch of sport aviation—would change the direction of my life.”
Back in Michigan, Lambertson and her associates brainstormed their way into the offices of General Motors’ Oldsmobile Division, where marketing executives accepted their proposal to fly a balloon emblazoned with the GM Oldsmobile logo in cities across the country. “Flying billboards,” Lambertson calls them. “That one balloon I had seen flying over my hometown really had changed my life.”
She opened AeroSports, Inc. in 1984 and expanded her client list to include Cadillac, the NFL, Coca-Cola, Warner Brothers, Time Warner Cable, and other Fortune 100 companies. She flew in 42 states, Canada, Mexico, and Europe, and learned about different countries’ unique geographic and weather-related challenges. “Flying in the mountains or desert can be much different than flying locally in North Carolina,” she says.
Lambertson made Statesville her home in 1987 and, along with her then-husband, purchased a rock quarry and 50 acres from ballooning legend Tracy Barnes. “We were flying balloons that were built at the original The Balloon Works when it was located in Love Valley, and Tracy made us a great deal,” she recalls. “He told us, ‘We need to grow our ballooning community here in Statesville, and I’d like you to be a part of it.’”
Lambertson continued flying outside of the state as well. She participated in a gas balloon race out of Colorado Springs that ended in central Kansas, and later flew over the Austrian Alps. After landing in Croatia, she says, “we were escorted to a jailhouse while the local authorities sorted out just why and how we came to be there.”
Lambertson’s longest flight was a RE/MAX-sponsored gas balloon race in 1999 involving 20 teams that launched in Denver. Sixty-seven hours later, she had traveled 1,667 miles to Randolph, Vermont.
“My business is making people happy and sharing memorable experiences,” Lambertson says. “After 40 years, what I love most of all is being part of such a connected community— feeling like family with other local pilots, crew, and ballooning friends.”
“We do this as a family.”
—David and Candice Litton, owners of Almost Heaven Balloon in Statesville, North Carolina almostheavenballoon.com
David and Candice Litton’s ballooning adventures began when they joined their Sunday School class to crew for a pilot at the Carolina Balloon Festival. They caught the fever and purchased their own balloon in 2016.
Dave completed pilot training in 2017 and earned his commercial license in 2020. Today, he and Candice run Almost Heaven Balloon in Statesville, with bookings four to six weeks in advance— especially during April through November.
Dave says his customers are “amazed at how quickly the balloon can be assembled and inflated. We can usually be in the air in 20 to 30 minutes once getting started—and packed up in about the same amount of time.”
ABOVE: PHOTO BY CANDACE LITTON. PILOT DAVID LITTON AND BALLON ALMOST HEAVEN ASCEND ABOVE THE SUNFLOWERS IN COOL SPRING, NORTH CAROLINA.
OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTO BY CANDACE LITTON. PILOT DAVID LITTON AND BALLON ALMOST HEAVEN TOUCH DOWN ON LAKE NORMAN IN THE GREATER CHARLOTTE AREA OF NORTH CAROLINA.
Likewise, they’re intrigued by how pilots steer balloons to a target. “They’re always amazed about the amount of control you really have of the balloon using the wind blowing at different altitudes to steer yourself to the desired location,” Dave says. “They are also always interested in how the chase crew navigates to find the balloon. The chase crew is usually there at landing and sometimes helps the pilot land, either by using a drop line or catching the basket as it lands.”
In addition to flying paying passengers year-round, the Littons fly as a family. Dave pilots, Candice serves as crew-and-chief, and their three teens make up the chase crew. “One of our favorite parts of ballooning is the fact that we do this as a family,” Candice says. “Our daughter is actually a student pilot right now. She began training as a 16-year-old and hopes to have her license soon. As a commercial pilot, Dave is able to provide her with flight training.”
Each year, the Littons participate in seven balloon festivals and two balloon glows. “We love being able to fly in Statesville and share the air with so many other area pilots,” Dave says. “It’s nothing unusual for five or six balloons to take off together during the weekends.”
The Littons see familiar faces from around the country at balloon festivals and summer camps for aspiring balloonists. “One of our biggest surprises was how small and close-knit the ballooning community actually is,” Candice says. “It’s been fun watching our kids get to know balloon kids from around the country.”
The Littons offer tethered rides at birthday parties, wedding receptions, and church events. An annual highlight for them is taking their balloon to Victory Junction, a camp for children with disabilities in Randleman owned by former stock car driver Kyle Petty.
The Littons enjoy aerial views of budding trees, flowers, and canola fields during spring, and crisp views of Pilot Mountain, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and the Blue Ridge Mountains during winter. “Winter is actually a great time to fly because, due to the cold temperatures, balloons can fly longer and use less propane,” Dave says.
A summer flight over Lake Norman offers another rare treat. “It’s always fun, and beautiful, when wind direction and speed cooperates and we can launch and fly over Lake Norman,” Candice says. “And possibly even glide across the water in what we call a splash and dash!”
PILOT DREW EGERTON AND HIS BALLOON HOT-N-HEAVY TOUCH DOWN ON LAKE NORMAN IN MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AIR-OLINA AVIATION.
“Most of us do it purely for the love of the sport.”
—Drew and Taylor Egerton, Pilots and Owners of Air-Olina Aviation in Statesville, North Carolina airolinaaviation.com
In 1986, Drew Egerton’s parents took him to Freedom Weekend Aloft in Greenville, South Carolina when the festival was in its fifth year and Drew was 1 year old. “Not long after, they both went on their first flights during the Bele Chere Festival in Asheville,” Egerton says.
Drew attended hot air balloon events across the country with his parents, and knew someday he’d pilot a balloon as well. “It wasn’t until college that I started getting more interested in actually taking that next step seriously,” he says. After graduating from Western Carolina University in 2007, Drew went to work with a balloon ride company in Asheville, where he completed training and earned a private pilot license. In 2008, he earned a commercial license.
“Most of us do it purely for the love of the sport,” he says. “However, it’s common to sell passenger flights as a way of offsetting the expenses incurred throughout the year. Because ballooning is so weather-dependent, it’s really difficult to rely on for making a living.”
Drew’s first date with his wife and Air-Olina Aviation co-owner, Taylor, took place on a balloon. “I found myself in the basket for a quick flight with him, and the rest is history!” Taylor says. “I originally had no interest in becoming a pilot, so I dedicated myself to being the best crew chief. At some point I decided I needed to know how everything worked, and it turned out I was pretty good at it!”
Taylor earned her private pilot’s license in June 2020, a few weeks after flying her first solo flight.
“I’ve had so many amazing flights and met so many wonderful people since then,” she says. “It truly is a dream come true to be able to fly hot air balloons and share the sport with Drew and so many of my closest friends.”
DREW EGERTON, AGE 1 (1986), AT FREEDOM WEEKEND ALOFT WITH HIS PARENTS, BUCK AND LOUISE, AND SISTER KRISTIN. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EGERTON FAMILY.
DREW AND TAYLOR EGERTON WITH MERCAPTAN, MY CAPTAIN . PHOTO BY DANIEL SASSER.
Most hot air balloon pilots have full-time jobs outside of ballooning, and average four or five weekend events a year. In addition to festivals, some pilots participate in ballooning competitions, which require excellent steering skills. Pilots steer, Drew says, by going up and down to gauge different wind currents.
“Some days, the wind is all pretty much the same, but other days we can have a lot of variety in the wind directions available,” he says. “Competitions are based on using those wind currents to accurately steer your balloon to a target. The most common example would be a fabric X set out in a field, and the pilots are told they must launch at least 1 mile away.”
Typical launch sites include a school, church, or someone’s private property—providing they permit pilots to use the land.
Competition winners were once chosen based on where they landed their balloon, but improved piloting skills led to the use of small, weighted fabric streamers to mark landing spots. “The markers weigh about 80 grams and have a 6-foot fabric tail on them so you can’t throw them all that far horizontally,” Drew says.
ABOVE LEFT: SELF-PORTRAIT BY TAYLOR EGERTON AND HER BALLOON MERCAPTAN, MY CAPTAIN OVER STATESVILLE.
ABOVE RIGHT: PHOTO BY DREW EGERTON OF PILOT TAYLOR EGERTON AND HER BALLOON MERCAPTAN, MY CAPTAIN.
Pilots fly as low to the target as they can without hitting the ground, which is considered a penalty, and drop their marker right in the center of the X.
“These days we utilize additional technology such as GPS and specifically design tracking apps to fly more advanced tasks such as 3D shapes in the sky, or dropping virtual marks at a coordinate rather than a physical marker,” Drew says.
When it comes to setting expectations for first-time riders, Egerton advises them to ask the pilot about their experience level. “It’s always funny how many people ask how long I have been doing this when we are already in the air,” he jokes.
When it comes to weather, “a good pilot will cancel your flight before putting your safety at risk. We hate to disappoint you,” Egerton says, “but the old saying goes, ‘it’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground!’”
For a list of companies offering balloon rides, visit airolinaaviation.com.
PHOTOS AT TOP: PILOT DREW EGERTON AND HIS BALLOON JALLAO IN STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. PHOTO AT BOTTOM: PILOT DREW EGERTON AND BALLOON HOT-N-HEAVY FLOAT ABOVE COTTON FIELDS. ALL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE WERE TAKEN BY TAYLOR EGERTON.
PHOTO BY DREW EGERTON
Balloon pilots David Litton in his balloon ALMOST HEAVEN and Marc Klinger in his balloon OOCHIE 7 embark on an early morning flight.
Cool Spring, North Carolina
BECOME A PILOT
Ballooning is regulated through the Federal Aviation Administration, just like all other forms of flight. An introductory lesson typically covers how to assemble the balloon, what the different parts of the balloon are, and demonstrations showing flight maneuvers.
“When you start to actually control the balloon, we start with basic level flight and contour flying along the treetops to get used to the controls,” says Drew Egerton, chief pilot and co-owner of AirOlina Aviation.
Delays in inputs can be challenging for newcomers, due to the size of a hot air balloon, which is typically 77,000-90,000 cubic feet of volume and 70 feet tall.
“They have a lot of mass and momentum,” Egerton says. “Adding heat from the burners can have a delay of 5 to 10 seconds before you will notice the result. Most students will ‘yo-yo’ across the sky at first because they are a few seconds behind in judging the reaction of the balloon.”
In order to obtain a private piloting license, the FAA requires all students to have at least 10 hours of flight instruction, to complete at least one instructor-approved solo flight, to pass a written exam with 60 questions, and to pass an oral and flight test with an approved examiner. A private certificate allows the pilot to fly solo or with passengers, but not for compensation. A commercial certificate requires at least 35 hours of instruction, a 100-question written test, and more advanced oral and flight tests.
Learn more at faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/design_approvals/balloons.
STORY BY TOM POLAND FINE ART PAINTINGS BY PHILIP JURAS
Imagine an unsullied Southland with vast tracts of sun-filled, grassy woodlands, open glades, and even the occasional prairie sweeping from horizon to horizon. Accustomed as we are to shady forests, farm fields, and urban sprawl, that’s not an easy thing to do. Native grasslands once existed in the Southeast, yet, like other natural systems, humans destroyed them out of necessity and ignorance. But those folks might have been a bit less voracious if they had better understood nature.
The next time aloft over the Southeast, note the crazy quilt below of croplands, forests, fields, and pastures. You’ll see towns and cities connected by linear deserts we call highways. You’ll see black wastelands we call parking lots. Grasslands’ demise began when European settlers stepped ashore with their fire suppression ways, axes, and plows. Manifest Destiny and something called progress began to bite, chew, then gobble native grasslands. The appetite was insatiable and today native grasslands are a ghost of what they once were. Think of them as remnants. Until the colonists set foot here, however, flower-filled grasslands had long staged a show. Witness this majesty through the eyes of another.
POST OAK SAVANNA , SUMTER NATIONAL FOREST, SOUTH CAROLINA.
FIRE-MANAGED OAK SAVANNA, REPRESENTATIVE OF PRE-EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT PIEDMONT UPLANDS. PAINTED ON LOCATION, SEPTEMBER 2018.
“It would be difficult to imagine anything more beautiful,” Tennessee settler Reuben Ross wrote in 1812 of the once vast Pennyroyal Plain Prairie of southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee. “Far as the eye could reach, they seemed one vast deep-green meadow, adorned with countless numbers of bright flowers springing up in all directions.” YaleEnvironment360 published that passage in “Forgotten Landscapes: Bringing Back the Rich Grasslands of the Southeast.”
YaleEnvironment360 again: “At a fine scale (less than 100 square meters), Southeastern grasslands have some of the highest plant richness in the world. A prime example is North Carolina’s Green Swamp Preserve, home to rare species of conservation concern, like the Venus flytrap and the Grasshopper Sparrow.”
And what kept those grasslands and savannas healthy and intact? Two things you might consider adversaries: fire and herbivores. Fire and grazers share a relationship and American Indians knew this. They burned grasslands knowing fire encouraged new growth, which attracted herbivores such as deer, elk, and bison, and that pleased Indians who saw grasslands as a source of food, fiber, and medicine.
Native Americans and native grasslands made a fine pairing. Indians set grasslands afire when infrequent lightning did not. Grasslands began shrinking as shady forests emerged, and agriculture and much later urban sprawl consumed it.
A BOTANICALLY-RICH
SHOESTRING SAVANNA , GREEN SWAMP PRESERVE, NORTH CAROLINA.
COASTAL PLAIN OF LONGLEAF PINE SAVANNA OWNED BY THE NATURE CONSERVANCY.
Friend or Foe?
Eastern red cedars were the only Christmas tree I knew as a boy. (It’s a juniper, not a cedar, if truth be told.) Dad’s saw spat fine bits of wood and an aromatic fragrance perfumed the cool November air. Imagine my dismay to learn that the eastern red cedar has the potential to grow into an enemy of grasslands.
The next time you make a country drive, pay attention to fence lines. Note the cedars along the fence line, planted by seed-eating birds who found a good perch for taking care of business.
The absence of fire creates the perfect environment for eastern red cedars. Like Birnam Wood in Macbeth, the cedars advance. Orion magazine’s August 27, 2024, feature “Protecting the Prairie,” refers to the eastern red cedar as a “scourge of our region’s native prairie ecosystem.” Eastern red cedars are native, but they’re restricted to rock outcrops, which are fire-resistant, and to sunny places, which don’t do well in shade. In the Carolinas cedars are not as big a threat as they are elsewhere, although they’re one of the many trees that shade out grasslands.
In 2024 an eminent landscape artist and I began an email correspondence. Of Philip Juras, it’s said he has “the savvy of a naturalist and the soul of a poet.” When you see a Philip Juras landscape you ache for what was. His remarkable art and words reveal native habitats in a way that’s sublime and transcendent— gloriously consequential.
He understands grasslands and practices what he preaches. For fifteen years Philip has volunteered as a Wildland Firefighter Type 2, or “Ecoburner,” with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and The Nature Conservancy.
And so it was we met late one afternoon to discuss native grasslands and their remnants in the Southeast. We planned to visit an oak savanna that happened to be just off the route I take to my Georgia homeland.
BOTTOM: SWITCHCANE , CHATTAHOOCHEE FALL LINE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA, GEORGIA.
A PRESCRIBED FIRE SET BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY MAINTAINS AN OPEN CANEBRAKE ALONG THE FALL LINE OF GEORGIA.
THREE YOUNG BULLS STRAY FROM THE HERD AT THE NATURE CONSERVANCY’S 4,000-ACRE RESTORED TALLGRASS PRAIRIE IN ILLINOIS.
Eager to see it, I almost found it on an August Sunday. The air was heavy and still. Muggy. After a considerable hike I mistook a new forest service road to left as the path to take. It wasn’t but I found myself standing before the strangely beautiful rattlesnake master, a vestige of grasslands destroyed by changing land use and fire suppression.
And how did rattlesnake master, a plant of the prairie, get its name? Native Americans used it as preventive medicine when handling rattlesnakes in ceremonies. It did not help if you were bitten, as settlers learned, to their dismay.
More grassland loss occurred thanks to the Great Wagon Road. Settlers migrating south found the largely treeless landscapes accessible, easier to settle, and easier to convert to fields and range lands. And settlers could better spot hostile Indians who were right to be more than a bit riled up. Settlers’ plows disrupted soil, destroyed grass species’ deep root systems, and disrupted the bacteria, fungi, and animals that make soil fertile. And then their fear of fire added to grasslands’ misery. Over ninety percent of southern grasslands declined from their former distribution. It would be my good fortune to see a survivor.
Walking Through a Savanna With Philip Juras
August 21, 6:15 p.m. Philip Juras and I are walking through an oak savanna. We’re seeking a rare place, a place I hope, where the whip-poor-will calls come sundown. Philip shows me where I made a wrong turn two weeks earlier, and we make our way to the oak savanna.
When colonists arrived, they suppressed fire and took plow and axe to the land. Their cattle’s grazing did somewhat what buffalo had done: keep out invasive plants. In a blessing, the plows and axes missed a place here and there … a rare here and there …. A place where we walk.
“A botanist,” said Philip, “would take forever walking through here. So many plants to see. A few post oaks here could predate settlements.” The post oaks were large and the sunny spaces between their canopies let grasses flourish, but so can invasive trees. Lightning strikes and American Indians burned grasslands across the South, ridding them of fire-intolerant shade trees like maples and poplars. In Florida and much of the coastal plain lightning alone was frequent enough to keep grasslands open.
PRAIRIE SHORTLEAF , ANNE SPRINGS CLOSE GREENWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA. SHORTLEAF PINE IN A PIEDMONT PRAIRIE RESTORATION. PAINTED ON LOCATION.
My field khakis sport stripes of soot. Soot, dead tree seedlings, and charred wood speak, “A U.S. Forest Service prescribed burn passed through here.”
We slog through brush and briars to an open area and go our separate ways. Light sparkles upon leaves and the tips of blades of grass. I photograph trees and grasses in gold light. Very fortunate, these survivors.
Some thirty minutes later I see Philip painting. I make my way to him. I hesitate to talk to break the spell but I do. “Something special’s going on here,” he says.
I knew to be quiet.
I watched Philip watch the light. It moved fast and angles changed as the sun dropped. I sat at the base of a post oak and used my camera bag as a desk. I make notes. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but light, trees, and remnant prairie. And two UGA guys in a South Carolina forest. It’s quiet. Then, from the northeast, a whisper becomes a roar. An airliner. Other than that, there’s no sign of civilization. No traffic. It’s so quiet I half expect to hear bison thunder through. This savanna. It’s evocative of what was. You will never lay eyes on it except as you do here, thanks to Philip’s vision.
Philip backs away five yards. He looks at his painting. I do too. The savanna materializes right before my eyes. He resumes. His brushwork is swift yet delicate. His brush’s handle reflects a glint of dying light.
PHILIP JURAS PAINTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SAVANNA. PHOTO BY TOM POLAND.
All is quiet again. The airliner took its roar west over the horizon. I hear cricket chitter, wind in treetops, and birdsong. I ease up to the easel. Philip’s painting is as one with the savanna. Remove its frame and it blends right into the scene.
He glances at the western light as if it will die any second now. His brush makes soft thumps. He leans in and touches color. Deft strokes as his eyes continually gauge light, color, dimension, and intangibles known only to the artist. I watch as he signs his name to a most special painting.
Dark Closes In
As we walked to our cars, not one, but two whip-poor-wills called out their melancholy song. It was fitting. Large-scale agriculture and urban sprawl ate our grasslands. In places where the great Southern grasslands once existed, highways roll to cities and their bleak strip malls, condominiums, deteriorating malls, and tangled spaghetti-like overpasses. The grasses, wildflowers, and oaks here outweigh that urban clutter by a million bison. And, I’ll add, two whip-poor-wills that face their own battle in a world we continue to ravage.
YaleEnvironment360 a final time: “According to Johnny Randall, director of conservation programs at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, a regional partner of the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative (SGI), as many as 50 plant species have been found in some 1-square-meter plots of the preserve’s wet pine savanna. At the 10-square-meter scale, Randall says, ‘it’s upwards of 80 plant species.’”
PHILIP JURAS CREATES A PAINTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SAVANA. PHOTOS BY TOM POLAND.
The foreword in my book, Carolina Bays—Wild, Mysterious, and Majestic Landforms, quotes James Dickey who quotes Philip Wylie: “The sum total of human works, the artifacts of savages, barbarians, medieval men and modern, all cities and towns, every hut, hovel, skyscraper and temple, all steel bridges, everything man has made to use since the first stone tool or wooden club—does not equal, in all parts put together, the achievements of the life forms of plant and insect in a square foot of grass.”
Imagine what our vanquished Southeastern grasslands meant to natural systems. But then the settlers brought change. And their fear of fire added to grasslands’ misery. The loss of Southern grasslands helps explain the decline of bobwhite quail, monarch butterflies, and other species.
Centuries of change later about all we see are pines, houses, highways, and commercial enterprises. But amid all the clutter hides something marvelous worth repeating—hope.
Remnants of former grasslands survive in some pastures, in powerline right-of-ways, and along some roads. As these remnants pine for fire and sunlight, I long to see grasslands make a comeback. The Southeastern Grasslands Institute hopes to transform grassland conservation. Let’s hope something good can take place down the road. If nothing else, we have Philip Juras’s fine art—an act of preservation.
SAVANNA STUDY , SUMTER NATIONAL FOREST, SOUTH CAROLINA. PAINTED BY PHILIP JURAS ON LOCATION, AUGUST 21, 2024.
A PAINTING INSPIRED BY SHUFFLETON PRAIRIE
It is hard to imagine this scene in today’s densely forested landscape, but in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, European explorers described vast grasslands in the upper Piedmont of Virginia and the Carolinas. Among them, 225 years ago, John Lawson wrote about the area south of Charlotte: “We travell’d, this day, about 25 Miles, over pleasant Savanna Ground, high, and dry, having very few Trees upon it, and those standing at a great distance. The Land was very good, and free from Grubs or Underwood.”
This painting is based on such accounts as well as my recent visit to Shuffletown Prairie: a small, degraded prairie remnant on the northwest side of Charlotte. The remnant lies in a narrow corridor beneath high-tension power lines with dense forest on either side. The soil on this hilltop site is thin and rocky. The exposed boulders appear to be of mafic or ultramafic origin, as I’ve seen elsewhere in the Carolina Slate Belt, so the soil chemistry is probably restrictive for plants. Useless for agriculture, I imagine this poor, rocky, grassland site was used for pasture in previous centuries. This would have kept shade trees at bay and allowed sun-loving prairie plants to persist.
— Philip Juras
INSPIRED BY SHUFFLETOWN PRAIRIE , CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA. AN IMAGINED VIEW OF THE ORIGINAL PRAIRIES IN THE CHARLOTTE AREA, BEFORE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT.
Backroad Portfolio’s exclusive guide to getting there the long way
CREATED BY THE BACKROAD PORTFOLIO STAFF
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 historic ruins, captivating landscapes, preserved homeplaces and, in this particular journey, haunted destinations. Take one route there and another back for two unique experiences.
Our fall excursion follows coastal highway U.S. 17 from Charleston to Savannah, offering intriguing stops along the way. You’ll travel west then southwest into Savannah, passing through small towns and, at times, edging close enough to the coastline to see the ocean. Peel off side roads to explore some of the area’s hidden gems and historic treasures.
Discover magnificent gardens, preserved ruins, a Civil War battlefield, and one of America’s most famous cemeteries. Walk through prominent homes, hotels, and other establishments rumored to be haunted. Tour a U.S. Marines museum, hike through a wildlife refuge, and stand under a famous oak tree. This journey has it all.
The drive from Charleston to Savannah is slightly longer than the trip back: 3 hours, 19 minutes, and 146 miles, compared to 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 122 miles. We recommend booking an overnight stay at one of the haunted hotels profiled in our sidebar for a spiritually enlightening experience.
NOTE: Upon publication of this issue, we’ll share the link to both Google Maps routes online.
GET THERE
Charleston to Savannah
BACKROAD ROUTE:
3 hours 19 minutes; 146 miles • 5 stops Charleston to Yemassee to Thunderbolt to Savannah
STARTING POINT:
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
3550 Ashley River Road; Charleston, South Carolina magnoliaplantation.com
South Carolina’s oldest plantation also claims the country’s oldest estate garden. Original owner Thomas Drayton Jr. founded Magnolia Plantation in 1676, and his descendents still own it. The property’s beautiful gardens have been open to the public since the early 1870s. In 2009, the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures team investigated Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. While inside one of the slave cabins, the crew heard chanting and tapping noises. Meanwhile, Syfy’s Ghost Hunters also sent out a team in 2012 to investigate and heard unexplained music, coughing, and a disembodied female voice.
Fort Lamar Historic Preserve
Fort Lamar Road; Charleston, South Carolina battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/fort-lamar-historic-preserve Fort Lamar was originally referred to as the Tower Battery because of its 75-foot observation tower, but it was renamed after Col. Thomas G. Lamar successfully commanded Confederate troops there during the Battle of Secessionville on June 16, 1862. Lamar’s soldiers outnumbered Union troops, despite losing many in his unit, including Captain Samuel J. Reed of Blackville, South Carolina (pictured at right). At least 150 soldiers died during the Battle of Secessionville. Some say its grisly scenes replay in the muddy creeks and remnants of Confederate earthworks. Stroll across the battlefield to see if you hear—or see—anything unusual.
Boneyard Beach
Bulls Island, South Carolina
Consider a side trip north up U.S. 17 through Mount Pleasant and Awendaw to Boneyard Beach on Bulls Island. It’s so remote, you’ll have to take a ferry from Garris Landing to get there. Garris Landing is located at 498 Bulls Island Road in Awendaw. Named for the sun-bleached trees that wash ashore due to erosion, the limbs take on an eerie bone-like appearance. Bulls Island is the largest of four barrier islands found within the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. More than 275 species of birds and a variety of wildlife—including some endangered species—call this 6.5-mile uninhabited island their home. Learn more at discoversouthcarolina.com (search for “Boneyard Beach”).
Stop here for lunch or dinner on the way to Savannah. Established in 1973, Harold’s Country Club is “in the middle of nowhere but close to everywhere.”
Near the Colleton and Jasper County line, this homestyle restaurant serves mouthwatering southern cuisine in what many consider the heart of the Lowcountry. Choose from burgers, steak, seafood, wings, and more, with side dishes ranging from onion rings to jalapeño peppers. A gathering place for local celebrities and pretty much everyone else, Harold’s Country Club also offers a jukebox, billiards area, and NASCAR on TV.
Old Sheldon Church Ruins
Old Sheldon Church Road; Yemassee, South Carolina beaufortsc.org/things-to-do/attractions/old-sheldon-church-ruins
After your meal, take a backroad over to what was originally known as Prince William’s Parish Church. Old Sheldon Church was built in Greek Revival style between 1745 and 1753. The British burned it in 1779 during the Revolutionary War but it was rebuilt in 1826. Another war took its aim when General Tecumsah Sherman set the church on fire in 1865. What remains provides a backdrop for weddings, photography sessions, an annual worship service on the second Sunday after Easter, and, of course, paranormal investigations. Visitors have reported hearing footsteps and seeing a woman named Ann Bull Heyward, who is buried in the graveyard, mourning over a child’s tomb.
Just 3 miles from downtown Savannah, Bonaventure Cemetery is considered one of America’s most beloved and beautiful resting places. The historic site gained additional fame when author John Berendt released his 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was made into a movie in 1997. Bonaventure Cemetery covers 103 acres of what was once a 600-acre plantation originally settled by English Colonel John Mullryne in 1760. Mullryne built his home atop a bluff overlooking the Wilmington River and named it “Bonaventure”—the Italian word for “good fortune.”
Live oaks dripping with Spanish moss set the scene for a peaceful kind of paranormal activity here. Stories of haunted sculptures and statues adorning gravesites circulate throughout Savannah. One of the more famous hauntings involves the daughter of a hotel manager, Gracie Watson, who died of pneumonia at the young age of 6.
TOM POLAND
CHRIS SHUGG
TOM POLAND
AND BACK AGAIN
Savannah to Charleston
BACKROAD ROUTE:
2 hours 52 minutes; 122 miles • 6 stops Savannah to Beaufort to Hollywood to John’s Island STARTING POINT: Accommodations of your choice
Sorrel-Weed House
6 W. Harris Street; Savannah, Georgia
sorrelweedhouse.com
One of the finest examples of Greek Revival and Regency architecture in Savannah is also considered one of the world’s most haunted houses. Constructed between 1835 and 1840 by Charles Cluskey for Francis Sorrel, a prominent merchant to the West Indies, the Sorrel-Weed House is marred with tragedy. After Sorrel’s first wife died, he married her younger sister, Matilda, who later committed suicide after catching Francis in an affair with Molly, an enslaved woman who lived there. A few weeks later, Molly was also found dead, apparently from suicide.
Matilda’s and Molly’s spirits are rumored to haunt the property. Visitors have seen their silhouettes walking the halls—some have even captured photos of them. Other visitors claim to have seen spirits’ reflections in a large mirror original to the home. The Sorrel-Weed House’s basement is also rumored to be haunted by former American Revolutionary War soldiers, since it was built in the same spot where British militia built fortresses in preparation for the 1779 Siege of Savannah.
Mercer-Williams House
429 Bull Street; Savannah, Georgia
mercerhouse.com
This Renaissance Revival home designed by New York architect John S. Norris for General Hugh W. Mercer is located in the southwest corner of Savannah’s Monterey Square. Construction began in 1860 but the Civil War interrupted its progress, so Mercer, great-grandfather of songwriter Johnny Mercer, sold the unfinished structure to John R. Wilder. Ironically, no one in the Mercer family ever actually lived in the home. In 1969, Savannah preservationist Jim Williams bought the estate and spent two years restoring it. Williams threw extravagant parties at the home, but everything changed in 1981 after a tragic murder took place within its walls. Williams shot and killed his assistant and lover, Danny Hansford, claiming self defense. After four trials, Williams was found not guilty. Just eight months after his acquittal, Williams unexpectedly died from pneumonia and heart failure. Today, Williams’ niece, Susan Kingery, continues what her mother—Williams’ sister, Dorothy Williams Kingery—started by running the house as a museum and shop. Guests report seeing apparitions, hearing disembodied voices and footsteps, and experiencing other paranormal activity believed to be the spirit of Hansford and a young boy named Tommy Downs who died at the age of 11 after entering the house to chase birds. Tommy is believed to have either fallen off the roof or the second story balcony.
Pirates’ House Restaurant
20 E. Broad Street; Savannah, Georgia
thepirateshouse.com
Extend your haunted adventures by having a meal at the Pirates’ House Restaurant, originally constructed in 1753 as an inn and tavern for visiting sailors. From she-crab soup to honey-pecan fried chicken and shrimp gumbo, there are plenty of delicious entrees to choose from. Multiple tunnels were reportedly constructed under the inn that led back to the Savannah River. They were used to dump intoxicated sailors onto ships for service. Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson is said to have stayed at the inn. He published Treasure Island in 1883 and mentioned the Pirates’ House and a pirate named Captain John Flint, who supposedly buried a considerable amount of loot on a deserted island. Many people have noticed paranormal activity attributed to the seamen, criminals, and other unsavory characters who inhabited the inn and tavern back in the day. Diners often take pictures during their meal and later see orbs floating throughout them.
Parris Island Museum
676 Panama Street; Beaufort, South Carolina
parrisislandmuseum.org
Parris Island Museum takes visitors through the local and regional history of the U.S. Marines. Housed in the War Memorial building on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, the museum offers 10,000 square feet of exhibit space that includes a library, historical archives, and manuscript collections. Free to the public, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday (except during graduation week, when it opens at 8 a.m. on Thursdays and Fridays). Parris Island Museum claims a ghost story as well. While the year is unknown, a group of marines were rumored to have drowned in a marsh near the base that later triggered sightings of their spirits there.
Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge
Speaking of marshes, the ACE (Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto) Basin
National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1990 as a wetland and habitat protection area, then renamed the Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge after the South Carolina retired U.S. senator of the same name. Located within the larger 350,000-acre ACE basin system, this area provides a unique and critical environment for a wide range of wildlife and plants. The Grove Plantation is located within the basin on the Edisto River, and has been converted into offices to serve as the refuge’s headquarters.
Continue to the next page for the final stop on our route—and a list of haunted accommodations.
Angel Oak
3688 Angel Oak Road, Johns Island, South Carolina charleston-sc.gov/153/angel-oak
For your last stop, drive over to Johns Island to see a true lowcountry treasure that attracts 400,000 visitors each year. At 65 feet high with a 28-foot circumference, Angel Oak is considered the largest live oak tree east of the Mississippi, and estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old. Named after Justus Angel and his wife, Martha Waight Tucker Angel, the tree is located on property that originally belonged to Martha’s family. It was transferred to Justus as part of their marriage settlement.
Some claim Angel Oak is haunted by the spirits of Native Americans who protect a burial site rumored to be located under the tree. Others attribute paranormal activity to the spirits of enslaved people who once lived on the property.
Angel Oak is located in what has become a public park and historic site for the City of Charleston. Admission is free, but you’ll need a permit to host a wedding, photo shoot, or other special event there. Call 843.724.7327 for more information.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL — STOCK.ADOBE.COM
HAUNTED HOTELS
Looking for a ghostly overnight experience? If you start your journey in Charleston and end up in Savannah, consider The Marshall House or East Bay Inn. If you reverse the trip and travel from Savannah to Charleston, check into the Embassy Suites Hilton, which is located in an old Citadel Building. Here are the details.
The Marshall House
123 E. Broughton Street; Savannah, Georgia marshallhouse.com
An iconic symbol of Savannah since 1851, the Marshall House is surrounded by antebellum architecture in the center of Savannah’s historic district, with plentiful shopping and dining options nearby. Guest rooms feature unique architecture, tall ceilings, and original floors and doors. The Marshall House was used as a hospital during the Civil War and endured two yellow fever epidemics. The hotel is proud of its ghostly activity and has dedicated a web page to it. Guests have reported paranormal activity such as seeing apparitions in the hallways and foyers, and hearing children running down the hallways at night. There are also reports of faucets turning on and off by themselves. Check in and experience it for yourself!
East Bay Inn
225 E. Bay Street; Savannah, Georgia 31401 eastbayinn.com
The East Bay Inn, located in downtown Savannah’s historic district, was built on land once granted to John Tucker in 1762 by the Crown of England. The property changed hands several times before landing with Edward Paddeford, who constructed what would become the inn in 1852. The building stood vacant from 1965 until 1983, when a renewed interest in historic preservation led to another purchase and immediate renovation. Pet-friendly rooms are available, including two that feature an enclosed private patio for your four-legger to enjoy. Want to experience a haunting at the inn? Check into room 325, where the hotel’s resident ghost Charlie is rumored to hang out. Guests have also heard Charlie walking the hallways and jiggling door knobs at night. Other guests have heard phantom gunshots.
Embassy Suites by Hilton
337 Meeting Street; Charleston, South Carolina hilton.com/en/hotels/chseses-embassy-suitescharleston-historic-district
The Embassy Suites Hotel is located at the site of the Old Citadel on what is now Marion Square. Built in 1829, the building began as a state arsenal. Federal troops from Fort Moultrie guarded it, but after a disagreement with the federal government over tariffs in 1832, South Carolina replaced the federal troops with South Carolina militia. In 2005, a local team conducted a paranormal investigation there that collected high EMF spikes in rooms 105, 231, and M113, and a photo with a moving orb in room M113. The atrium also proved to be one of the most active areas. The Embassy Suites by Hilton is pet-friendly, and provides free made-to-order breakfast and a complimentary evening reception.
PORTFOLIO
PHOTO BY ROBERT CLARK Jones Lake State Park is located near Elizabethtown, North Carolina. Jones Lake is also a Carolina Bay. Elizabethtown, North Carolina
Folk Artist Leonard Jones Preserves the Rural South on Old Tin
BY TOM POLAND
Rusting tin makes for a good canvas, and for Leonard Jones it’s the perfect medium for portraying life in rural Lincoln County, Georgia. A woman mixes flour for biscuits. A man milks a cow. A woman bends over picking collards. A boy fishes for bream. Barns, horses in pastures, cane-pole fishing, farm life, and a staple of the South, Coca-Colas (what some rural southerners call co-cola). Hunting dogs, dairy cattle, a pickup bed filled with watermelons, chickens pecking at corn. You get the picture. All of it resides on what might have been the roof of a barn, shed, tenant shack, or chicken house.
On a sultry afternoon in Lincoln County, Georgia, Leonard and I talked about his life and art. He’s a storyteller and a true folk artist. He doesn’t fret over making things look realistic. He doesn’t get tangled up with rules about perspective or proportion. He just opens our eyes.
How did you and art get started?
I grew up drawing. I might not have even been two. I had a piece of cardboard and a pencil. I was sitting on the porch and I heard my dad tell my mama, ‘I dreamt I was flying last night.’ When I heard him say that I drew someone flying. I had never seen Superman before but I had him in the air with his hands out like Superman, out like an airplane. I didn’t have some cape on. I put some trees under a man flying in the air. You know he’s in the air then. I even drew on the ground.
The rural South has been your home all your life.
That’s the source of inspiration, isn’t it?
Just here and a short time in Elbert County. I worked in pulpwood my seventeenth summer. I lived in Elberton for a while where I worked for a chicken farmer. My art comes out of my head. I put hills in my pictures because everyone loves hills.”
You didn’t particularly enjoy school did you?
If it was up to me I wouldn’t have gone to school one day. All the while I was going to school I was trying to come up with some way to not go. If a book didn’t have pictures in it I didn’t even want to look at it.
How did you come to use tin as your canvas?
I met a man who had art and antiques in his house, and some art on a large piece of tin. I said, “Do people buy that?” and when he said “Yeah,” I started laughing cause I thought he was joking. Whoever did it, it looked like someone in kindergarten did it, but he was serious so I began going to the city dump to scavenge tin.
How do you describe your style?
If you make a picture look just like a photograph, I ain’t ever liked that, and so I have what I call my cartoon style. That’s what I do now. I paint some details with my fingers. A lady from Colorado told me the paint could get in my system and be bad for me but I like to paint with my fingers.
You told me all of your hours each day go to your work. What’s your schedule like?
I paint most every day, every hour. I’ve done thousands of paintings.
You don’t use traditional art supplies do you?
I use my fingers, brushes, and sticks. I use house paint. Some folks give me buckets of paint. Folks give me old tin, too.
You tend to portray all your subjects smiling. Why is that?
Why do I want to paint people frowning? I even give chickens a happy look. I don’t want them to look scared like someone’s going to eat them. Most everyone likes chickens.
Have you been in art shows?
Flying’s kept me from a lot of art shows. I went to New York City with a man who had a cookie company. It was a trade show we rode to. I hadn’t started flying yet. He set up his cookies and all, and I was out front painting. I got to sell some small pieces and a few larger ones. I went up there twentytwo times and the twenty-second time was as scary as the first time. I never flew regular enough to get used to it. I had to stop that.
How’d you like New York City?
It was all right. I didn’t go out or nothing. I don’t even go out down here. You know, I’m a country boy. I just went to sell paintings. To make money. I did that and was ready to come back to Georgia.
Looking ahead, what are your plans?
I aim to keep painting on tin. On my porch and outside.
ABOVE: Folk artist Leonard Jones uses house paint to create colorful paintings on scrap pieces of tin.
Poinsett Bridge South Carolina’s oldest surviving stone bridge
STORY BY TOM POLAND
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT CLARK
Like the covered bridges we feature in this issue, this beauty of a stone bridge deserves coverage because it, too, is a relict. With its stone arch, it looks a bit like the entrance to a fortress. Poinsett Bridge is a 204-year-old arched stone bridge considered the oldest surviving stone bridge in South Carolina. It could be the oldest stone bridge in the southeastern United States.
Poinsett Bridge was part of the State Road from Charleston through Columbia to North Carolina. It was built between 1817 and 1819 when Joel Poinsett was director of the South Carolina Board of Public Works, thus the bridge’s name. It’s believed Robert Mills, architect of the Washington Monument and many significant South Carolina buildings, designed Poinsett Bridge.
A South Carolina politician, Poinsett served as a member of Congress and as the first United States ambassador to Mexico. The poinsettia, a floral favorite during the Christmas season, takes its name from Poinsett, who introduced the Mexican flower to the United States.
In addition to its beauty and history, Poinsett Bridge is notorious for paranormal experiences. When the bridge was being built, many workers fell ill with what might have been malaria. Though never confirmed, the body of a worker who became sick and died is said to be buried within the bridge. Another legend claims the headless body of a man who was shot on the bridge in 1861 returns on rainy nights, precisely at midnight.
Visitors have reported ghostly encounters, odd sights and sounds, orbs and floating lights. Others hear screams from beneath the bridge. Visitors report sudden and inexplicable car trouble when they try to leave. Over the years, the haunting tales and local legends surrounding the bridge have drawn paranormal investigators to the area. In 2019, Poinsett Bridge was named one of the 30 most haunted places in America by Condé Nast Traveler.
In June 2024, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources added 283 acres to the Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve thanks to a partnership with The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina, South Carolina Conservation Bank, Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust, Boy Scouts of America, and SCDNR’s Heritage Trust program. The additional acreage brings the preserve’s total to 396 acres, more than three times its original footprint. Poinsett Bridge is not far off Interstate 26. To find it, put 580 Callahan Mountain Road in Landrum, South Carolina in your GPS.
Landrum, South Carolina
PHOTO BY ROBERT CLARK
A surf fisherman casts his fate in the waters of Folly Beach along the South Carolina coast. Folly Beach, South Carolina
SWEET POTATO SOUFFLÉ
Athens, Georgia
Intro by Elizabeth Poland Shugg
Recipe by Debbie Ross
This quintessential fall recipe will win over all ages—and taste buds— among your holiday dinner guests. Who doesn’t love sweet potatoes blended with brown sugar, creamy milk, and softened butter—then topped with crunchy sugared pecans?
My talented Aunt Debbie Ross in Georgia shared this recipe with me decades ago, and I’ve made it for Thanksgiving and Easter dinners ever since. (Works well for Christmas dinner, too.) It’s my family’s number one request for holiday meals and I’d be willing to bet it will be your family’s too, once you serve it!
The only change I’ve made (reflected in the recipe) is to double the amount of pecan topping, a tasty addition the youngest guests at your table will surely approve of.
CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS
4 sweet potatoes
¾ cup of whole milk
1 stick (or ½ cup) of salted butter (softened)
2 eggs
1½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
½ cup of brown sugar
TOPPING INGREDIENTS
1 stick (or ½ cup) of salted butter (softened)
1 cup of brown sugar
1½ cups of flour
2 cups of pecan halves
Option: You can also crush the pecans if you’d like a finer topping.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CASSEROLE
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake your sweet potatoes for 60 minutes, then allow them to cool for 15 minutes.
• Peel the sweet potatoes and either mash them by hand with a potato masher, or blend them with a mixer. Add in the milk, butter, eggs, vanilla, and brown sugar. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
• Spray a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with the cooking spray of your choice, then pour the casserole mixture in and level it out with the back of a spoon. Set the dish aside.
• You can make and refrigerate the casserole the day before to save time. Just cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TOPPING
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put all topping ingredients into one bowl and either mix them by hand or blend them until you have a consistency that resembles cookie dough.
• Spread the topping across the top of the casserole mixture and bake it for 45 minutes.
• Allow it to cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Boneyard Beach at Bulls Island, South Carolina
RIP, Faithful Ones
STORY AND
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM POLAND
It was up North Carolina way, and with the aid of my son-in-law’s Garmin GPS we found it, the resting place of mules and horses. To see this important cemetery is to see how urban encroachment chews up farmland. To see it is to witness a changing Southland.
Granite tombstones stand in a ridge of woods overlooking Interstate 540. To their back sits a large apartment complex. Farmland no more. Mules and horses no more. A man who loved and appreciated the hardworking animals that kept his farm and his life going buried them with dignity. That was a ways back before combustible engines put mules and horses out to pasture for good.
We parked and walked up a wooded ridge, a backroad locale that is no more. We began to see the stones.
“LULU, BAY MULE, VERY SWIFT, 1902, AGE 28”
“BESSIE, DRIVING MARE, BROWN, WHITE FACE, 4 WHITE FEET, 1903–1937”
You’ll find eight other graves here, the resting place of a farmer’s beloved farm animals.
Back then locals knew the man who buried his animals with dignity as Fab Page. It’s said Fab intended his cemetery to be a perpetual memorial, and so far it is. It’s not far from the Research Triangle Park. You can stand on this wooded ridge, close your eyes, and imagine what Page’s farm might have looked like. Perhaps a sweep of green pastures stood where the apartment complex and all its cars sit. Over there, perhaps, stood a handsome barn. As for I-540 with all its speeding traffic, we know this. It used to be a dirt road. Every Fourth of July locals would host a horse race there.
You can stand on that ridge with your eyes closed and imagine cattle lowing. You have to concentrate hard, however, to block out the commercial air flights roaring low overhead. You can imagine rows of corn standing green in the sun, but that takes focus, too. Asphalt and buildings dominate the land. Wholesale change has arrived in full force.
A reporter for the Athens Banner Herald, Wayne Ford, wrote something about me I hold dear. “Tom Poland is an inquisitive man who keeps an eye out for extravagant chunks of nature, disappearing cultures, and people who are salt of the earth. Change is what Poland touches upon frequently.”
Indeed I do, and this mule and horse cemetery represents change in a way I have not seen. If you drive the land as much as I do you will see junkyards filled with twisted, crushed, rusting vehicles. You will see, too, forsaken tractors overtaken by vines and weeds here and there. I suppose these are cemeteries, too. But none have gravestones like Fab Page’s mules and horses. The closest I have come to such a magnificent place are the handmade monuments at the graves of dogs and cats that were beloved members of the family.
I have no doubt these faithful beasts of burden were members of Fab Page’s family, and it touches me that he erected monuments to them. I hope no one or nothing ever disturbs this resting place. As much as anything, it is a memorial to a South the likes of which we will never see again. Each day the land surrounding us dies a little, but some of us fail to take notice.
Thank you, Fab Page. Long may your faithful ones rest in peace.
THIS HALLOWED CEMETERY REMAINS A MONUMENT TO A FARMER’S LOVE FOR HIS BELOVED ANIMALS.
PHOTO BY ROBERT CLARK Chatooga Belle Farm welcomes a brilliant autumn morning. In the distance lie the states of Georgia and North Carolina. Long Creek, South Carolina
Challenging hikes, glistening waterfalls, and marshy grasslands offer the promise of exquisite fall vignettes across the Southeast.
DRAGON’S TOOTH
Catawba, Virginia Highway 311 (latitude 37.3787, longitude -80.1563) fs.usda.gov (search for “Dragon’s Tooth”)
Sometimes the best views require a challenging hike. Such is the case with Dragon’s Tooth in Southwest Virginia—a unique rock formation that rises dramatically from the Appalachian Trail. You’ll hike 2.3 miles one way for a 4.6-mile roundtrip experience that qualifies as “difficult” thanks to steep ascents and descents. This trail is also a popular birding destination. March through October is typically the best time to experience Dragon’s Tooth.
Photography by Brian Jade Cortez
Visit a shimmering waterfall that takes no time—or effort—to view.
LOOKING GLASS FALLS
Brevard, North Carolina US-276 fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc
This popular waterfall in Western North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest takes its name from the Looking Glass Rock upon which water freezes on its sides in winter, then glistens in the sunlight— like a mirror. The falls measure 60 feet in height to add to their grandeur, and feed into Looking Glass Creek. Easy to access, you can take in a nice view from the parking lot or even from the road. A short walk takes you closer to the action.
by Sean Pavone
Photography
LANDSCAPE See the beauty of Lowcountry waters and wildlife like never before.
Johns Island, South Carolina 1880 Andell Bluff Boulevard bohicket.com
This popular boating and fishing destination offers mesmerizing views of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Anglers can catch redfish, trout, brim, largemouth bass, and sheepshead. Bohicket Creek’s waters gently cut through marsh grasses where ospreys and egrets flock. Various vantage points offer unique views, but your safest bet is to start at the Bohicket Creek Marina.
by Jeff
BOHICKET CREEK
Photography
JEFF
Climb atop rock formations that provide a view of seven states.
SEE ROCK CITY
Lookout Mountain, Georgia 1214 Lula Lake Road exploregeorgia.org/city/lookout-mountain
Known to many as the home of See Rock City, Lookout Mountain’s historic rock formations and gardens stay open year-round and offer expansive views of surrounding states. To reach the top, take the Enchanted Trail through towering rock walls and across a swinging bridge. You’ll enter a fairy tale garden that, on a clear day, offers views of Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
Photography by Sean Pavone
PHOTO BY ROBERT CLARK
A grove of live oaks, backlit by a brilliant sun, decorate the landscape in Charleston County, South Carolina. Charleston, South Carolina
As fall arrives, we have another beautiful Designed for Joy giveaway. Through December 1, fill out the online form at backroadportfolio.com for a chance to win a coordinating Louise purse and Penny wallet, along with an Acorn Bell Ornament—just in time for the holidays.
Penny Wallet
Louise Purse
Louise, a deceivingly large bag, is more like a stylish tote. It features two beautiful resin handles, sueded interiors, and a floral-printed double pocket perfectly sized for a phone and wallet. Louise is made with a robust cowhide featuring a distressed look that has a slight pull-up effect and waxy finish. The hide will naturally scratch and crease, developing a vintage patina over time. A Designed for Joy logo is imprinted on the front and center of the purse, which is structured to sit upright when put down.
Penny is a must-have wallet that goes perfectly with any Designed for Joy bag. Secure your cash and cards with a snap. The Penny wallet also features a Designed For Joy imprinted logo on the flap. Penny is made with robust cowhide featuring a distressed look that also features a slight pull-up effect and waxy finish. The hide will naturally scratch and crease, developing a vintage patina over time.
This shiny brass acorn-shaped bell set against a genuine leather leaf is a Designed for Joy bestseller, due in large part to the company’s Raleigh, North Carolina location. Raleigh is known as the “City of Oaks,” thanks to its plentiful supply of oak trees. Choose from a classic leather oak-shaped leaf, or one that has “Raleigh, NC” imprinted on it. The acorn bell also features a suede leather hanger, making it a perfect Christmas tree ornament.
Measurements: This ornament drops 4.5 inches | Value = $15
Three winners will be chosen. The purse and wallet are available in baltic blue, aqua, evergreen, tan, gray, black, and raspberry.* All items are subject to availability but are in regular production rotation. Enter to win by December 1 at backroadportfolio.com. designedforjoy.com
From seasonal curios to rare masterpieces, these artisanal creations make perfect gifts and add beauty to your environment.
CORNHUSK CREATIONS
Knoxville, Tennessee
East Tennessee artist Anne Freels crafts whimsical corn husk dolls that include angels, witches, sage herbal ladies, woodswomen, and more. Browse them in her Etsy shop, called Wingshuck, or via The Southern Highland Craft Guild in Asheville, North Carolina. Prices range from $18.50 to $115. Find these and other dolls at etsy.com/shop/wingshuck and southernhighlandguild.org.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNE FREELS
WOVEN CHARM
Abingdon, Virginia
This vibrant pumpkin basket, priced at $67, was meticulously woven by artist Tamara Neo, daughter of western landscape artist Willard Louden. Neo sells her coiled fiber creations through ’Round the Mountain, a Southwest Virginia nonprofit that works to promote and assist local artisans with marketing, educational, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Learn more at shop.swvaculturalcenter.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMARA NEO AND ‘ROUND THE MOUNTAIN
METALLIC MASTERY
Clayton, Georgia
Metal artist Dietrich Hoecht emigrated to the United States from Fuessen, Germany in 1968, and was educated in metals as a journeyman mechanic and mechanical engineer. These days he crafts exquisite jewelry, framed art, trivets, and other masterpieces, then sells them in his Etsy shop, Bigbangforge. This avant garde silver lobe pendant with malachite is a rare find. Available for $180, the pendant boldly measures 3.5 inches wide and 4 inches high. Visit etsy.com/shop/bigbangforge and dietrichhoecht.com to learn more.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DIETRICH HOECHT
SCENIC STATIONERY
Boulder, Colorado
OK, we went outside of the Southeast for this one, but we think you’ll forgive us. Cavallini & Co.’s National Parks Stationery Set, sold by Boulder-based Two Hands Paperie for $16 per box, is beautifully printed on the company’s signature Italian paper. Each set contains eight notecards, envelopes, and sticker sheets with different national park designs that are perfect for sending thank you notes, gift cards, or everyday greeting cards that celebrate America’s natural beauty. Learn more at twohandspaperie.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.
Stanley, Virginia
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON CAVE
From Oktoberfest to Halloween celebrations, there are plenty of ways to savor fall across the Southeast.
HELEN OKTOBERFEST | September 5–October 27, 2024
Helen, Georgia helenchamber.com/oktoberfest
Experience the longest-running Oktoberfest in the United States. The 2024 Oktoberfest Parade begins at noon September 7, and is followed by the tapping of the first keg at the Fussen Biergarten.
MAGNOLIA PLANTATION & GARDENS
OCTOBER SPEAKER SERIES
Wednesdays In October; 5:45-7 p.m. Charleston, South Carolina magnoliaplantation.com/magnolia-events/speakers-fall Renowned local speakers and authors discuss the Charleston community, offering insight on topics ranging from the history of Charleston to Lowcountry traditions. Speakers include Ron Daise, Margaret Seidler, the Right Reverend Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, and Pete Candler.
NORTH CAROLINA SEAFOOD FESTIVAL | October 4–6, 2024
Morehead City, North Carolina ncseafoodfestival.org
Since 1987, this free festival has attracted more than 200,000 attendees. It honors North Carolina’s fishing fleet with delicious seafood, entertainment, kids’ activities, vendors, artisans, cooking demonstrations, and education about the state’s seafood industry.
Experience regional cuisine, culture, and music in every state.
Enjoy a month of seasonal activities that includes a two-day fall festival October 27–28 featuring SkyPark rides, face painting, balloon art, games, and giveaways. Ride the SkyLift across downtown Gatlinburg from 3–6 p.m. both days.
SHENANDOAH AUTUMNFEST | October 5, 2024; 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m
Woodstock, Virginia shenandoahcountychamber.com/autumnfest
Enjoy food trucks and whole hog barbecue; more than 35 craft brews, ciders, wines, and spirits; live music; crafters and demonstrations; a log-splitting competition; a Flippin’ Chicken contest; and harness racing during this annual fall festival.
FALL FOR GREENVILLE
October 11–13, 2024
Greenville, South Carolina fallforgreenville.net
Enjoy a full-flavor weekend on Main Street in Greenville. Taste food from more than 60 restaurants, six stages of tunes, and 50-plus beer and wine vendors at this annual fall event in upstate South Carolina.
Check out our calendar at backroadportfolio.com for these events and more!
Head out to a state fair for fried food, fun, and amusement.
BLUE RIDGE FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL | October 26, 2024; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
China Grove, North Carolina blueridgeinstitute.org/blue-ridge-folklife-festival
Enjoy musicians, moonshiners, crafters, cooks, motorheads, mule jumpers, horse pullers, coon dog racers, antique tractor buffs, and more. The 50-year-old festival also features live performances.
NORTH CAROLINA WHIRLIGIG FESTIVAL
November 3, 2024
Wilson, North Carolina whirligigfestivalnc.org
More than 50,000 people attend this event each year that showcases North Carolina folk art, including its namesake Whirligigs created by local artist Vollis Simpson. Enjoy more than 100 food vendors, live music, and inflatables for the kids.
EDISTO MUSIC FESTIVAL
November 29, 2024; 3:30–9 p.m.
Edisto Island, South Carolina unation.com/event/edisto-music-festival-2024-47205968
Enjoy dancing to live music ranging from motown to country to beach music, with a hat tip to Jimmy Buffett. The event also features food trucks, beer, wine, and other spirits.
STATE FAIRS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST
Georgia State Fair | September 27–October 6, 2024
Hampton, Georgia georgiastatefair.com
Virginia State Fair | September 27–October 6, 2024
Doswell, Virginia statefairva.org
South Carolina State Fair | October 9–20, 2024
Columbia, South Carolina scstatefair.org
North Carolina State Fair | October 17–27, 2024
Raleigh, North Carolina ncagr.gov/divisions/ncstatefair
The Tennessee State Fair takes place in August.
PHOTO BY KATIE SHUGG
Meet the people behind the stories, photography, and art featured in this issue.
Elizabeth Poland Shugg Chapel Hill, North Carolina
EDITOR AND CO-CREATOR
Born in Lincolnton, Georgia, Elizabeth grew up in nearby Athens exploring 200 acres of woods and farmland originally purchased by her great-great-grandfather 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 3 acres in rural Chatham County, North Carolina, and enjoys exploring the region’s backroads and small towns. Elizabeth has thirty years of experience 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
ART DIRECTOR AND CO-CREATOR
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
WRITER AND PHOTOGRAPHER
Columbia, South Carolina
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 at tompoland.net.
Robert Clark
PHOTOGRAPHER
Columbia, South Carolina
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 he is also a Professional Photographers of America (PPA) member. View Robert’s work on Instagram at @robertclarkphotography.
Jennifer Linney
PHOTOGRAPHER
Prince William County, Virginia
Jennifer Linney has always enjoyed taking the long way home. Before she started photographing old barns and farmhouses, she’d make mental notes while driving by would-be photo opportunities, intending to return. One afternoon, after passing an abandoned tavern, she mused her usual, “I need to photograph that one day.” Moments later, she declared, “I have to stop that ‘one day’ bit and take photos when I see them.” “Yup, you do,” her son agreed. The next weekend, Jennifer began roaming backroads, scouting rusted roofs, and peering up country roads. The rush she gets when a barn comes into view or winter reveals an abandoned farmhouse previously shrouded behind summer’s leaves, is pure bliss. Jennifer is a writer and editor in Prince William County, Virginia, who shares her photos on Instagram @alwaystakethebackroads.
Bruce DeBoer
PHOTOGRAPHER
Raleigh, North Carolina
Bruce has over 40 years of experience directing people, managing brands, and creating visual stories through photography and digital filmmaking. After discovering photography at age 12 on Long Island, New York, Bruce went on to earn a bachelors of science in advertising photography at Rochester Institute of Technology. He has worked in Boston, Kansas City, Chicago, and now Raleigh, and logged time at Hallmark Cards, Erickson Productions, Synthesis Creative, and Torque, Ltd. He’s a founding partner at Stone Soup Productions and, currently, his commercial studio, DeBoerWorks Photographic Productions. Additionally, Bruce creates fine art photography and abstract painting for DeBoerFineArt.com and galleries.
Join Us and Share Your Story
Would you like your photography, art, or writing to be featured in an upcoming issue Backroad Portfolio? Do you have an amazing story about a historical structure, roadtrip, or small business you’d like us to cover? If so, contact us via email or one of our social media accounts and we’ll check it out!
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“A beauty lights the fading year...”
// PHEBE A. HOLDER, “A SONG OF OCTOBER,” 1890
Lake Fog Sunrise at Table Rock State Park, South Carolina PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT CLARK
