Mitchell County, North Carolina

 On October 26, 2022, we had a fun time visiting Mitchell County, North Carolina. It was a bit of a stretch for a day trip, about four hours each way. It was worth it, though! The county was formed in 1861, and was named for Elisha Mitchell. His research led to the identification of Mount Mitchell (in nearby Yancey County) as the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River.

Mitchell County Courthouse

Our first stop was at the Mitchell County Courthouse in Bakersville, the county seat. We also visited the old county courthouse, which is across the street from the library (yay!) in the downtown area. Bakersville is a small town, less than 500 inhabitants. Long before the town was settled, Native Americans mined the area for mica. The town was named for David Baker, who owned a lot of land in the area.

 

One of the things Bakersville is known for is the NC Rhododendron Festival. The next one will be June 16-18, 2023, so we missed it this past June.

For lunch, we stopped at a roadside spot called Bonnie and Clyde's just outside of Bakersville in Loafer's Glory. We found this place because there was a geocache across the street, which we found! We enjoyed eating our lunch at a roadside picnic table nearby, before heading on.

Our next stop was in Spruce Pine, the largest town in Mitchell County. We didn't spend much time there, just long enough to find another geocache in the local Wal-Mart parking lot. (I know, so much else to see, but we were getting a little weary, and still had a four-hour drive back.) Of note here, though, is that Roy Williams, former UNC basketball coach, was born in Spruce Pine! Also, Spruce Pine is home of the NC Mineral and Gem Festival.

We hopped on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the pretty short drive to Little Switzerland, a small community in both Mitchell and McDowell Counties. (On the way, we drove through the Little Switzerland Tunnel.) There's a cluster of businesses, but nothing much was open when we stopped. I remember visited the bookstore there years ago, where I bought a used copy of The Two, by Irving Wallace and Amy Wallace. If we ever make it back to Little Switzerland, a list of things to do is found here.

The rest of my Mitchell County photos are here.

Cabarrus County, North Carolina

George and Lesley 

On December 4, 2021, George and I visited Cabarrus County, North Carolina, for my birthday. You're probably wondering why Cabarrus County, of all places, for my birthday! Well, it was a great choice, and we had a fun day! About two hours from home, it made for a good day trip, to boot. We didn't catch everything in Cabarrus County, but we got a solid snapshot of this interesting area.

 

Our first stop was the Reed Gold Mine, an NC State Historic Site in Midland. The first documented gold find in the United States was at the Reed Gold Mine in 1799, so it's also a National Historic Landmark. It has a nice Visitor Center, which was decorated for the holidays early in December. From the Visitor Center, we took a self-guided underground tour. (There are also guided tours for a fee, but we missed the timing.) The underground mine tour was very informative, with stops along the way. You can also pan for gold there from April through October, but we missed out on that. I hear that Reed Gold Mine is a popular field trip for schools in the area.

Downtown Concord

Our next stop was Concord, the county seat. Concord was settled around 1750 by Scots-Irish and German immigrants, and incorporated in 1806. The area was once known for its cotton farms, owned by white men and worked by enslaved African-Americans. Cotton mills became an important part of Cabarrus County's industrial growth. Coleman Manufacturing Company, in operation from 1897 to 1904, is believed to be the first cotton mill in the US that was owned and operated by African-Americans. Eventually, it became known as Franklin Cotton Mills, and later was a Fieldcrest Cannon plant. Now it's called Coleman-Franklin-Cannon Mill, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Old Cabarrus Co. Courthouse

In Concord, we found the old and current Cabarrus County Courthouses. I especially like the original courthouse, and am glad they've repurposed it. We had lunch at the yummy Village Corner Comfort Kitchen & Bar, which had nice outdoor seating. Our final stop in Cabarrus County was at the Southern Strain Brewing Company, which offered a nice brew and outdoor seating in the crisp late afternoon air.

On our way out, we drove by large and impressive Charlotte Motor Speedway. If following NASCAR is your thing, the Charlotte Motor Speedway seems like a place to visit. I don't follow car racing, myself, but it still intrigues me as an experience to take in at some point.

The rest of my Cabarrus County photos are uploaded onto Flickr, and are here.

 

Scotland County, North Carolina

Downtown Laurinburg

On July 23, a warm summer day, I visited Scotland County in southeastern North Carolina. Scotland County was formed in 1899, and its county seat is Laurinburg. Scotland County got its name from the influences in the area from early settlers from Scotland.

My first stop was Laurinburg, where I took my usual photo of the county courthouse. Settlers arrived in the area around 1785, and it was named after the McLaurins, an prominent family in the settlement. Laurinburg was incorporated in 1877, with a current population of around 15,000 people. Laurinburg is home to St. Andrews University and Laurinburg Institute. 

One of my favorite stops in Scotland was the John Blue House. The house is a unique example of Steamboat Gothic architecture, partly because most Steamboat Gothic homes are found in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. The John Blue House is home to a number of festivals throughout the year, including the John Blue Cotton Festival, the Scotland County Highland Games, and the Storytelling Festival of Carolina.

Since Scotland County shares a border with South Carolina, I decided to zip over the county and state line to do some geocaching, and found a geocache called Weird SC: Haunted School. It was a fun geocache to find!

I decided to explore Laurinburg again for a local (not a chain) place to eat, and found Fore's Family Restaurant in the downtown area. My cheeseburger was good, and the service was prompt. Tables and customers were spread out, important during the Covid-19 Pandemic. I was glad I stopped there before the drive back home.

The rest of my Scotland County photos are here.

Stanly County, North Carolina

 I took a day off from work on May 27, and headed west for Stanly County, North Carolina. I've whizzed past Stanly County before, but haven't actually stopped to visit before. It was a beautiful day for it! 

Stanly County was formed in 1841 from part of neighboring Montgomery County. Originally, the land of inhabited by hunter-gatherers and Mound Builders. The county was named after John Stanly, a U.S. Congressman from New Bern. One of the things Stanly was known for was "winning" a duel against Richard Dobbs Spaight, a U.S. Constitution signer and North Carolina's 8th governor. 

Morrow Mountain State Park

I started out at Morrow Mountain State Park, which is near the county seat of Albemarle. I'd never been to this state park, and was looking forward to spending some time outdoors after being cooped up during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Morrow Mountain State Park is very pretty, and one I'd recommend visiting. There are the usual hiking trails and campsites, as well as a scenic view (with plenty of picnic tables and parking) at the top of Morrow Mountain. There's also an Olympic size swimming pool (unusual for a state park!) and bathhouse, as well as the lovely Lake Tillery. (I LOVE a nice lake!) Boat rentals are

Lake Tillery

available with varying schedules, depending on the season, and fishing is allowed with a North Carolina fishing license. There's also a small museum about the history of the Uhwarrie Mountains, but it was closed during my visit because of Covid-19. Campers can enjoy camping on of us 106 campsites for tents or RVs.

Next, I visited Albemarle, the county seat of Stanly County. Albemarle was named after Albemarle County, the first county established in North Carolina, and for General George Monck, who was the first Duke of Albemarle, and was involved in establishing the colony of Carolina. Albemarle is a small city, estimated population (2010) of 15,903 people. I enjoyed driving around! (Albemarle isabout an hour from downtown Charlotte.)

Downtown Albemarle

My last stop was the town of Badin, on the south end of Badin Lake. Badin is a charming town, and I'd love to go back and explore it more. Badin Lake, created by damming the Yadkin-Pee Dee River, is so pretty! It lies within Stanly, Davidson, Rowan, and Montgomery counties. Badin was a company town, until ALCOA closed the local factory down.

Pfeiffer University is in Misenheimer, an unincorporated village in Stanly County. I like visiting college campuses, so I'm sorry I didn't make it by. 

The rest of my Stanly County photos are here.

Bertie County, North Carolina

On February 1, I had a fun daytrip to Bertie County. Earlier in the week, I posted a request on Facebook for ideas of things to see in Bertie County, and that added a lot to my trip!

Bertie County started as a Bertie Pricinct in 1722, and became Bertie County in 1739. It amazes me that this county was formed several decades before we became a country.

Bertie County Courthouse

I set my GPS for the Bertie County Courthouse in the county seat of Windsor, since I often include photos of the courthouse in my blog.It took roughly two hours to get from home to the courthouse in Windsor.

After I found the pretty courthouse, I found the quirky Livermon Park and Mini-Zoo nearby!  I was impressed by the animals in this small park, although I couldn't get too close. Still, it was fun to see them there. Since it had rained the day before, things were a little muddy, but it wasn't too bad.

Turkeys at the Livermon Zoo

After I walked around the park and zoo for a while, I found the nearby (and very pretty!) Cashie Wetlands Walk, a nice walk along the Cashie River wetlands. Things were still soggy and overcast from the overnight rain, but it was still a very pretty walk. I didn't walk the whole trail, but would like to return to finish it.

Cashie Wetlands Walk Sign

Later, I drove to the community of San Souci to ride the San Souci Ferry across the Cashie River. It's one of three cable ferries in North Carolina, and it was fun to take. If you're ever in the area, the San Souci Ferry is a fun ride, free and just takes a few minutes.


A friend told me about the documentary "Raising Bertie," a film about the lives of three young boys in Bertie County. I purchased it on Amazon, and look forward to finish watching it soon

I really enjoyed my trip to Bertie County, and would highly recommend exploring the area! If I make it back, one thing one my bucket list is the Historic Hope Plantation. I drove around the plantation, but didn't take time to get out and take the tour. .

Click on this link to see the rest of my Bertie County photos.

On the San Souci Ferry

Cashie Wetlands Boardwalk

Richmond County, North Carolina

George and I recently enjoyed a chilly Saturday in Richmond County, a rural county located on North Carolina's southern border. Richmond County has been around for a while, formed in 1779 from neighboring Anson County.

For such a rural county, Richmond County has several famous native sons, including musicians John Coltrane (born in Hamlet), Terius Youngdell Nash (born in Rockingham), and  Bucky Covington (born in Rockingham), NFL players Dannell Ellerbe and Melvin Ingram, Family Dollar founder Leon Levine, and former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Henry Frye (born in Ellerbe).

Richmond County Courthouse

One of our first stops was in Rockingham, the county seat. We found the lovely Richmond County Courthouse there. It's been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.

One of the biggest draws in Rockingham in the Rockingham Speedway, known now as the Rock.It used to be a NASCAR racetrack until 2004. It's being redone as an entertainment venue. Nothing was going on when George and I stopped by, but it was still fun to see in person. I've never been into car racing, but growing up in the South, I can appreciate the fandom and enormity of the race track.

Hamlet Public Library

George and I also stopped in the city of Hamlet. Hamlet has a history as a railroad hub, and is home to the National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame. George and I didn't get to visit it this time, but maybe next time we're in Hamlet.

The rest of my Richmond County photos are in an album on Flickr. Click on this sentence to view. 

Cakedy Cakes Mural in Hamlet

Duplin County, North Carolina

Duplin County Courthouse

I drove down to Duplin County to explore over the winter break, and had a fun time! Duplin County is a very rural county, and a pretty one. Duplin County was formed in 1750 from New Hanover County. (Later, Sampson County was created from part of Duplin County.) The county seat is Kenansville, named after State Senator James Kenan, a brigadier general in the Revolutionary War.

After a nice drive through the town of Warsaw, I found the town of Magnolia next. I enjoyed looking around Magnolia, and even found the library (which shouldn't be a surprise to those who
know me! Speaking of libraries and books, there's a book by a Magnolia native, Clara Baker McGrath, called Magnolia Girl's Adventures. After graduating from high school, she left Magnolia for Washington, DC, to work for the FBI.

Magnolia Cemetery

I also visited the Magnolia Cemetery, where I found a geocache.

Next, I visited the unincorporated community of Chinquapin. It's a small town with a rich history. It also has a couple of notable former residents. Caleb Bradham, inventor of Pepsi, was born there. Also, American author Randall Kenan spent time on the family farm in Chinquapin as a young child.

My last stop in Duplin County was in the town of Rose Hill. I stopped at the Duplin Winery, the largest winery in North Carolina. I didn't have take time for a tour that day, but I enjoyed a late lunch at the Bistro there. After lunch, I went down the street to visit The World's Largest [Operational] Frying Pan. It was covered up the day I was there. It would be interesting to see the frying pan in action!

World's Largest Frying Pan in Rose Hill

The rest of my Duplin County photos are here.