Cleveland County: NC Liver Mush Festival

On October 19, 2024, I visited Shelby, North Carolina, for the NC Liver Mush Festival. I'd driven through Cleveland County before, but this was my first experience visiting more of the county, and I really enjoyed it!

I spent most of my time in Shelby, exploring the Liver Mush Festival, and I'm here to tell you that it was a fabulous festival! There were a lot of vendors (including food trucks), and there was a great crowd. A number of people brought their dogs (which was encouraged). I tried my first ever liver mush sandwich, which took a little bit of courage, but I did it! I enjoyed it--but not well enough to make it at home. :-) It was a fun experience, and I'd love to return to this awesome festival sometime!

While I was in the county, I visited Garner-Webb University in Boiling Springs. It's a small but pretty campus in a small town. I ran into a couple of alumni, who spoke fondly of their time on campus and in town. 

Cleveland County sits on the southern border of North Carolina, with South Carolina to the south. It was formed in 1841 from parts of Lincoln and Rutherford Counties, and was named for Benjamin Cleveland, who fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain during the Revolutionary War. 

The rest of my Cleveland County photos are here. 

 

Tyrrell County, North Carolina

On Saturday, October 12, I drove to Columbia, Tyrrell County, NC, for the Scuppernong River Festival. Columbia, the county seat of Tyrrell County, had a population of 610 people in the 2020 Census. It sits on the Scuppernong River, hence the festival. 

Tyrrell County was created in 1729, and became a county in 1739. The

2020 census tells us the county population was 3,245, making it the least populous county in the state! It's a rural county, for sure, but very pretty.

While walking the length of the festival, I enjoyed finding the Scuppernong River waterfront (pretty!), the Tyrrell County Courthouse (built in 1903, it's on the National Register of Historic Places), the Blue Juniper Inn, and the Tyrrell County Public Library (which is usually opened on Saturdays, but was closed for the festival).

After I finished up at the Scuppernong River Festival, I drove to the Alligator River Marina to find a geocache. It seems to be a nice marina! After finding the geocache, I drove across the Alligator River Bridge, a swing bridge the connects Tyrrell and Dare counties. I love a good bridge, and it was a fun and peaceful drive over to Dare County and back to Tyrrell County. 

I enjoyed my daytrip to Tyrrell County, and would definitely recommend it if you enjoy exploring the state! The rest of my Tyrrell County photos 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.