“On the Trail of Grist Mills” Mills have anchored human communities around the globe for over 2,000 years. We are fortunate in the Blue Ridge to have a number of water-powered grist mills grinding fresh grains today and preserving the memories of yesterday.
by Angela Minor
“John James Audubon Walked Here” Birding trail carries on the tradition of the great 19th century naturalist.
by Angela Minor
“Point of View” Hiding in plain sight, massive arrows— about fifty to seventy feet long and made of concrete—lie across the country, slowly succumbing to the ravages of time.
by Angela Minor
“Nanyehi – Nancy Ward” Warrior. Peacemaker. Beloved woman of the Cherokee.
by Angela Minor
“Pearl Rush on the Clinch River? Yes.” Barefoot and pushing against the swift currents of the mountain waters, Joseph Gossett reads the bottom of the Clinch River with his toes, searching for treasure— freshwater pearls.
by Angela Minor
“WWII Storage Bunkers at a Nature Preserve?” The Chattanooga preserve offers an odd combination of great birding and wildlife watching with 100 tree-topped bunkers.
by Angela Minor
“Where We Went – Ham for Hamlet: Barter Theatre” A look at the past and present of this historic theater.
by Angela Minor
“The Little State Park that Burns Bright” The 263-acre Tennessee park has a history that goes back to 1830, and which, in 1984, completed a re-linking of Cherokee history.
by Angela Minor
“Books of the Earth. Virginia’s Soapstone Legacy” It is said that rocks are the history books of the Earth. If so, the Blue Ridge region has a geo-library of favorite reading material for humans—soapstone.
by Angela Minor
“Strange Arrows Upon the Land” They’re oftentimes visible only from the sky. They point in seemingly random directions. They’re about 70 feet long and made of deeply sun-bleached concrete. What are they?
by Angela Minor