Route 1776: Celebrating America 250 at the NC First in Freedom Festival

In the early morning, fog often rises over the dense web of tangled pines and swampland as you walk through 250 years of history at Moores Creek National Battlefield, about twenty miles north of Wilmington. It was here, on February 27, 1776, that the first major Patriot victory of the American Revolution took place. It […]

Revolutionary Road Trip: Cowpens – Devil of a Whipping

A Revolutionary Living History Weekend… Walking the grounds of Cowpens National Battlefield during the 245th anniversary of this pivotal battle, the biting cold, dry air, and snow flurries made it easy to imagine the drama of 1781. The weather felt like a bridge to the past; as a living historian at the event explained to […]

Exploring The Cape Fear: A Revolutionary Road Trip

A Revolutionary Road Trip to the Cape Fear In today’s American Nomad adventure, we’re embarking on a Revolutionary Road Trip through North Carolina’s Cape Fear region. From the Stamp Act Crisis of 1765 through the American Revolution, Wilmington, Brunswick Town, and the greater Cape Fear area stood at ground zero for patriot resistance and the […]

Buried History: Raleigh’s City Cemetery (Part 1)

Welcome to Buried History, where we visit historic cemeteries to dig into the rich and fascinating lives of those who came before us. This isn’t about ghosts; it’s about people. Each life mattered, and by taking a moment to pause and contemplate their struggles and joys, we keep their memory alive. It’s this connection to […]

History Trails: North Carolina’s Oldest Town – Bath

Today on American Nomad’s History Trails, we’re time-traveling through over 300 years of history as we visit North Carolina’s oldest established town: Bath, North Carolina. Today Bath is a quiet riverfront community where the past feels ever present. As you stroll its historic streets, you can hear voices of the past whisper in the rustle […]

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 […]

Blue Ridge Back Roads: Beautiful Banner Elk, NC

Welcome back to American Nomad Traveler! Our journey through North Carolina’s High Country continues today in Banner Elk. This heavenly town, surrounded by the towering Blue Ridge Mountains, lies in the shadow of two major ski resorts, Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain. Banner Elk is more than just a mountain town; it’s a base camp […]

Mountain Back Roads: Radiant Roan Mountain

Today on American Nomad, we’re taking to the backroads of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains to explore one of my favorite retreats: Roan Mountain. Straddling the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, Roan Mountain is a wonderland of majestic scenery and diverse ecosystems. Here, you’ll find everything from rich Fraser Fir and mixed forests to […]

Elizabethton, TN: A Historic Gem in the Appalachian Highlands

Sheltered by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and cut by the Doe and Watauga Rivers, Elizabethton, Tennessee, is a charming mountain community with a deep history. From the prehistoric Native American tribes that lived and hunted here to being home to the first permanent settlement in Tennessee and the first constitutional American government […]

America 250: Overmountain Victory Trail – It Starts in Abingdon VA

Get ready for a Revolutionary Adventure! We’re tracing the legendary journey of the Overmountain Men, a band of frontier patriots who, in September and October 1780, decided to take a stand against British tyranny. Traveling from the rugged frontier lands of Southwestern Virginia, eastern Tennessee, and the Carolinas, their epic march culminated in a decisive […]