History Trails: Time Traveling in Hillsborough NC

Nestled in the heart of North Carolina’s Piedmont, Hillsborough is a town where each step along the downtown streets whispers stories from its fascinating past. Its history spans centuries, from Native American roots and the Colonial era, through its pivotal role in the American Revolution and founding of the nation, to the horrors of the […]

Virginia’s Best Kept Secret: Exploring Charming Mountain Towns This Fall

The first chill of crisp fall air, the rustling of leaves as they begin to turn into a canvas of color—that’s fall in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. It’s the perfect opportunity to meander country backroads, explore small towns, and go apple picking in search of the perfect pumpkin. Fall in western Virginia invites you to ‘take […]

History Trails: Discovering Hillsborough’s Moorefields

On our latest American Nomad Historical Adventure, we’re traveling through time to a true North Carolina treasure: the 1785 Federal-style estate of Moorefields in Hillsborough. Nestled on seventy-five acres, adjacent to the protected wilderness of Seven-Mile Creek, the story of Moorefields spans centuries. Before European settlement, Native American tribes like the Occaneechi lived in this […]

Reckoning With The Regulators -A Deeper Look at the Battle of Alamance

In today’s American Nomad historical adventure, we’re time-traveling to a pivotal, yet often overlooked, part of North Carolina history: the Regulator Movement. From around 1760 to May 1771, this group of backcountry farmers—mostly from Anson, Rowan, and Orange counties—formed associations to protest corruption among local officials. The movement began with peaceful petitions and protests, but […]

Blue Ridge Rising: Beautiful Burnsville

Today, our American Nomad adventure meanders the scenic backroads of Yancey County, a detour well worth taking. Just forty minutes north of Asheville, this beautiful region invites you into the heart of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where stories of hope, resilience, and community echo through these old mountains. Yancey County is home to Mount […]

Music Detours: October Music Festivals in North Carolina

One of the reasons I started American Nomad was to highlight small towns and community events that bring people together. As a singer-songwriter by trade one of my favorite things to do is a ‘music detour’ where you drive to music festivals, community art fairs and check out shows at iconic concert venues. My home […]

America 250 -Liberty Trails: Third Provincial Congress in Hillsborough NC

On Saturday, September 6th I had the privilege to travel back in time 250 years to one of the pivotal events in North Carolina’s movement towards independence during the American Revolution: The 3rd Provincial Congress. Held in Hillsborough NC from August to September 1775, this Congress featured a now ‘who’s who’ of Hall of Fame […]

Blue Ridge Rising: Fall Fun from Asheville NC to Cherokee and Beyond

Cool crisp autumn air, enjoying pumpkin spiced or maple lattes, while cozying up in your favorite flannel before heading to pick apples and find the perfect pumpkin…Fall is when we come together to celebrate the season, while also taking time to reflect in the natural beauty of as the leaves paint the landscape with the […]

Autumn Fun in North Carolina’s High Country

While I cherish summer’s long, sun-soaked days, the first crisp chill of fall air ignites a quiet peace in the soul. The leaves, once verdant, surrender to a brilliant transformation, painting the mountainsides in fiery reds and burnt oranges. This is fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains—where heaven touches earth, and the cool air brings […]

Battle of Charlotte: A Revolutionary Reenactment Weekend

This Labor Day weekend, I had the pleasure of traveling back in time to circa September 1780, when the Carolina region of the Waxhaws to Charlotte was cracking with musket fire and battles against tyranny and shouts of liberty. Charlotte and the Carolina backcountry was dubbed as a hornets nest, as local loyalists battled impassioned […]