The Distracted Wanderer

While wandering across North Carolina from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Raleigh via Interstate 40 in the not-so-distant past, a sign caught my eye - “Bunker Hill Covered Bridge - This Exit.” Wait. What?  A covered bridge? ... In  the middle of North Carolina? ... On my route of travel?  Well, anyone who knows this Distracted Wanderer at all knows that covered bridges are quite high on my “List of Must-Sees” so it came as no surprise to my distracted sidekick (aka cousin Amy) that we were going to be taking a brief detour as I slowed and took Exit 138 off of the highway then followed the signs pointing us tin the direction of the bridge located two miles east of Claremont off Highway 70 inside Connor Recreational Park. One of Catawba County’s most historic structures as well as one of only two remaining covered bridges in North Carolina, the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge is the only remaining wooden example of the “Improved Lattice Truss” design that was patented by ...

As we're in the second year of the American Civil War Sesquicentennial, I thought it might be a good idea to add in a post or two about the Civil War. As much as I'd like to be writing a post following a recent trip down to Gettysburg or Antietam, for now I'm sticking close to home and a couple places practically in my own backyard beginning with the Buckingham Memorial also known as Segdwick Post #1 of the G.A.R. The G.A.R., or Grand Army of the Republic, was a fraternal organization established in 1866 that was comprised of veterans of the Union Army who served in the Civil War. They not only wielded great political clout (no Republican was nominated to the Presidency between 1868 and 1908 without first receiving an endorsement from the G.A.R.) but they were also very active in pension legislation, supporting voting rights for black veterans, establishing retirement homes for soldiers, and many other areas which concerned Union veterans including the establishment of...

Two weeks ago today myself, Amanda, and her friend Darci spent the day touring one of my very favorite places in the country - the Gettysburg National Military Park. As I've previously mentioned, I've been to Gettysburg a pretty good number of times but no matter how many times I go I am in awe of the history that occurred in the fields and streets of this small town in Pennsylvania. It's been called hallowed ground on more than on occasion and it most certainly is that. The girls and I spent the night at the Quality Inn at General Lee's Headquarters which is located adjacent to a house that was built in 1833 and owned by the noted statesman Thaddeus Stevens at the time of the Civil War. During the three days of battle from July 1st to 3rd 1863, the house was used as the personal headquarters of the South's most beloved general - Robert E. Lee. In addition, the Lutheran Theological Seminary, site of some of the fighting on the first day of the battle, is in v...