The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol TN/VA

Birthplace of Country Music Museum - Outside

While Nashville may be considered the home of country music today, many experts consider Bristol TN/VA to be the birthplace of the genre. After all, it was in Bristol where the earliest recordings of country music took place. To my pleasant surprise, rather than being a museum focused on modern music, The Birthplace of Country … Read more

The 7 Best Restaurants in Winston-Salem NC to Visit

Best Restaurants in Winston Salem NC

My wife Emma and I are foodies, so for us an outing to the big city simply must involve getting something special to eat. We love living rural life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for many reasons, but the diversity of restaurants isn’t typically one of the major benefits. Thankfully, a recent … Read more

What is Bluegrass? The History & Evolution of Appalachian Music

What is Bluegrass

[Updated on September 18, 2023] The Appalachian Mountains encompass a massive portion of the United States. They span 420 counties in 13 states, with foothills as far south as Alabama and all the up into New York State. Before the arrival of Europeans, the region was home to numerous indigenous tribes, including the Cherokee, Iroquois, Powhatan, … Read more

The 25 Best North Carolina Music Festivals in 2023

Music festivals in North Carolina

[Updated September 15, 2023] The state of North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Appalachian Mountains are all well-known for their considerable musical influence. The music that took root in the Southeast– including bluegrass, blues, country, gospel, and old-time music– historically served as one of the foundations for popular culture in the United States. … Read more

The 55 Best North Carolina Waterfalls to Visit

Crabtree Falls, NC

[Updated September 13, 2023] Chasing waterfalls in North Carolina is serious business. Transylvania County (which rightfully bill itself as “the Land of Waterfalls”) alone has an estimated 250+ NC waterfalls within its boundaries. The massive Pisgah National Forest and Nantahala National Forest are both chock full of alluring cascades. Great Smoky Mountains National Park and … Read more

The 7 Best Restaurants in Bristol TN/VA to Visit

restaurants in Bristol Tennessee

Having worked in restaurants for 9 years through college and grad school (including everything from a casual café to fine dining), I’m always curious what eateries will be offering where I travel. In recent years I’ve become a homesteader in North Carolina, which puts me in touch with food in a different way and makes me appreciate … Read more

The 10 Best Fairs in TN to Visit

fair in Tennessee

Late Summer and early Autumn are among the most popular times to be outdoors in Tennessee, particularly in the mountains, where the temperatures turn downright pleasant and the leaves start to change. It’s also the best time to find a fair in Tennessee, and Tennessee fairs are huge fun! They’re typically full of funky food, … Read more

The 10 Best Things to Do in Winston Salem NC

Things to do in Winston Salem North Carolina - Mural

The city of Winston-Salem is centrally located in North Carolina’s Piedmont region, between the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and the NC low country. It’s about an hour west of Durham, an hour north of Charlotte, and 2 hours east of Asheville.   Salem has been a settlement since the mid-1700s, before the state of … Read more

The 15 Best Virginia Music Festivals to Visit

east coast music festivals

The state of Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Southern Appalachia and are all widely recognized for their musical influence, both historically and currently. On a personal level I’ve been equally blown away by regional talent at the Blue Ridge Music Center’s amphitheater and British post-punk shows in Richmond’s awesome venue, The National. I’ve traveled up and down … Read more