2023 Southern Road Trip Recap! A few stats: 17 days, 17 states, 4500 miles, 10,620 photos taken.
Places visited: Asheville, NC; Spartanburg and Charleston, SC; Savannah, GA; Talladega, Birmingham, Demopolis, and Eutaw, AL; Hattiesburg, Natchez, and Jackson, MS; New Orleans, Vacherie, and White Castle, LA; Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Bristol, TN; and two bonus Northern stops in Carlisle, PA and Newburgh, NY.
Andrew Wing of Saving Old Windows and his wife Rebeka were wonderful guides for Asheville’s Montford Historic District. Linda Bilanchone, a 30-year resident of the Hampton Heights Historic District in Spartanburg, gave me a gracious welcome and a copy of the wonderful book on the neighborhood by Vivian B. Fisher. The Window Preservation Alliance regional workshop in New Orleans was excellent. It was great reconnecting with WPA friends and meeting new ones at the workshop, which was held at the fantastic Historic BK House and Garden in the French Quarter. Carter Burns of the Historic Natchez Foundation was the best possible tour guide for that amazing town! I’m very grateful to Jeff Mansell from the National Park Service for giving me a tour of Melrose on a day they were closed. Finally meeting Laine and Kevin Berry of Our Preservation Nation was another trip highlight! The book signing at Auburn in Natchez was wonderful, as were the Spring Pilgrimage tours of private homes. Thanks to the homeowners!
Thank you to all who suggested stops for photos of great historic houses! I couldn’t take all your suggestions, but I’ve got them all on file for future trips South.
The weather was cooperative for most of the journey, with only one really rainy day. Unfortunately, that day made it difficult to get decent photos while in Birmingham and Chattanooga. A reason to return!
With a huge number of new photos in my files, you can look forward to lots of fresh content here in the months ahead!
Scott