The Line That Held Us feels dragged out of the mud somewhere deep in the mountains of North Carolina and handed directly to the reader with dirt still on it. And this was an excellent addition to our Book Club—you can join us by heading over to Patreon (The Hidden Pine Lodge). It’s only $4…
The Hellbender: The River’s Last Secret
There are creatures in the South that feel like they belong to another time. Not folklore. Not exaggerated. Not misunderstood. Just old. The hellbender is one of them. If you’ve ever stood in a cold, fast-moving Appalachian stream—western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, north Georgia—and felt like the place itself had weight to it… like it…
Kentucky Derby 2026: The Southern Blueprint Guide to the 152nd Run for the Roses
The 2026 Kentucky Derby is not just another running of America’s most famous horse race. It is the 152nd Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown, and it arrives at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 2, 2026, with a full 20-horse field, four also-eligibles, a $5 million purse, a rail-drawn favorite, a deep…
Aviary: The Carolina Wren
The Carolina Wren is one of the most recognizable birds in the South and a year-round resident across much of the region. It is often heard before it is seen, known for its loud, ringing calls that carry far beyond what you would expect from such a small bird. States where the Carolina Wren is…
Southern Reads: The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster
I know, I know… this book is not a true “Southern” book, but we wanted to mix it up for our Book Club, and Bigfoot, well…Bigfoot is sort of awesome! But, at some point while reading The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster, it becomes clear that the book is…
SBP Podcast Episode 16: Rae Carruth: A Murder Plot, a 911 Call, and a Trunk in Tennessee
In November of 1999, a late-night shooting on a quiet road in Charlotte set off one of the most disturbing criminal cases tied to professional sports. At the center of it was Rae Carruth — a first-round draft pick for the Carolina Panthers — and Cherica Adams, a 24-year-old woman who, in her final moments,…
Aviary: The Cardinal
The Cardinal is one of the most recognizable birds in the South and a year-round resident across North Carolina and much of the region. It is often heard before it is seen, known for its clear, whistling calls. States where the Northern Cardinal is the official state bird:North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana,…
Venus Flytrap Facts, Habitat, and Care Guide | North Carolina Native Plant
The Venus flytrap: everyone’s seen it snap shut on a bug, but most folks don’t realize it’s a true Southern original. This isn’t some exotic curiosity from deep in the jungle, or a greenhouse novelty that wandered in from nowhere. It’s rooted in a very particular patch of the American South—wet, wild, and fire-shaped, right…
The Aviary
I made fun of birdwatching for most of my life. It sat in the same category as early dinners and talking about the weather—something you eventually drift into, not something you choose. The kind of thing you joke about becoming. And yet… here we are. I just started a birdwatching group. It’s called The Aviary,…
SBP Podcast Episode 15: The Zack Bowen & Addie Hall Case: Murder in the French Quarter
In October 2006, a crime unfolded in the French Quarter that would become one of the most disturbing cases in New Orleans history. It was not a crime committed in the shadows by strangers. The people involved were well known throughout the Quarter’s bar scene. Friends drank with them. Bartenders worked alongside them. Tourists passed…