With its deep, clear water and stunning mountain views, Lake Lure has long been a popular vacation destination for North Carolinians, especially those in the Charlotte area. Many people also know Lake Lure as the site of the beloved 1987 movie, Dirty Dancing. The year before Dirty Dancing was released, it was another film that brought Lake Lure to my attention. Early scenes from one of my favorite documentaries, Ross McElwee’s Sherman’s March, were shot at his family’s vacation home on Lake Lure.

It’s taken 37 years to make my way there but, with my sister Pam, I set out for Lake Lure on a beautiful Sunday in May, meandering along the back roads that I prefer. We packed our lunches and I held out the somewhat unrealistic hope of a picturesque picnic spot where we could stop and eat. That vision was realized when we came upon Richfield Park, a tranquil area that included picnic shelters alongside a fishing pond. It was an appreciated and impressive surprise for a town with a population of less than 600 people and a welcome introduction to Stanly County.

Leaving Stanly County and skirting past Charlotte, the road wound its way up to The 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Spa, looking out over the lake and nearby mountains. The highlight of our stay in Lake Lure was our visit to The Flowering Bridge, a historic bridge that was decommissioned in 2011 and then transformed into a community garden by local volunteers, a real testament to what can be accomplished when dedicated people come together.

From Lake Lure, we crossed the border into Tennessee for a reunion with our first cousins, Mary Ann and Shatzie. We had so much fun reconnecting and finding common bonds, including an agreement that no matter what the calendar or the mirror says, we are all young at heart!

Next on our itinerary was a stay in the small and charming mountain town of Burnsville, where the Carolina Country lnn was a nostalgic reminder of our childhood vacations. A practically ideal coffee shop, Appalachian Java, set us up nicely for an excursion to the top of nearby Mt. Mitchell, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. UNC professor Elisha Mitchell lost his life on this mountain attempting to verify its height, so it only seemed right for two UNC grads to go to the mountaintop and pay homage to his efforts.

There is so much negativity in our world and plenty of reason for anxiety. Stepping outside of our routine was a much-needed chance for Pam and me to remind ourselves of the good and beauty all around us. From a community park that provides a respite for people in Stanly County, a bridge in Rutherford County that was reconstituted into a garden full of surprises, a reunion that rekindled family bonds, and a view in Yancey County from our tallest mountain, we found a world full of reasons to celebrate.

May 7th – 9th, 2023 – Counties #50, 51, and 52 – Stanly, Rutherford, Yancey

My understanding of Scottish history is pretty much limited to what I’ve learned from reading the epic time-travel romance series, Outlander, which is to say there are probably plenty of gaps in my knowledge. I do know enough though to understand that when North Carolina’s colonial government in 1754 gave the name Cumberland to an area settled primarily by Scottish highlanders, in recognition of the man who had recently defeated the Scots at the Battle of Culloden, that was one intentionally snarky move! Apparently, there was an effort in 1784 to change the county’s name to Fayette County but nothing came of it and all these years later, our state is still honoring the Duke of Cumberland.

Cumberland County’s main claim to fame is as the home of Fort Bragg, which will become Fort Liberty on June 2, 2023. The name change doesn’t appear to be provoking much controversy, maybe because Braxton Bragg not only fought against the U.S. during the Civil War but is generally considered to have been an ineffective general as well.

When my daughter Katy and I explored Cumberland County on a pretty spring day, we weren’t focusing on name changes but simply looking for what the area had to offer. We were underwhelmed until we came upon revitalized Hay Street in the middle of downtown Fayetteville. Our spirits were lifted with a good cup of coffee from Rude Awakening Coffee Shop, time spent browsing in Reverie Goods and Gifts, and the discovery of street art in the form of woodpeckers. Woodpeckers because Cumberland County is home to the red-cockaded woodpecker, and endangered species that makes its home in long leaf pines and lends its name to Fayetteville’s baseball team. As long as we are considering changing names, I think that Woodpecker County has a nice ring to it.

May 28, 2022 – County #49 – Cumberland (for now)