In the years after the Civil War, as the Carolinas nursed wounds still raw from defeat and Reconstruction, federal law felt like a distant threat in the mountain country along the state line. The steep ridges and tight hollers held families who clung fiercely to their land, to their own labor, and—often—the hidden lifeblood of…
Author: Matt Swift
Southern Reads: Southern Stock
There’s a certain kind of book that doesn’t just land in your hands — it lands in your life at precisely the right moment. That’s what happened when I picked up Southern Stock by Gena Elliott this month for our Hidden Pine Lodge Book Club. What I thought would be a good Southern racing novel…
SBP Podcast Episode 11: The Rougarou-Beast Of Faith And Fear
In the swamps of Louisiana, where cypress trees rise from the water and fog clings to the Spanish moss, stories still whisper of a creature that walks between man and monster. They call it the Rougarou — part man, part beast, born of sin and superstition. The word comes from the French loup-garou, meaning “wolf-man.”…
The 13 Most Haunted Places in the South — Where History Still Walks at Night
From bayou mansions and lighthouse towers to decaying jails and Civil War homes, these places hum with the echoes of what came before. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there’s something undeniable about standing in a space where tragedy once unfolded, where whispers linger long after the living have gone. These are thirteen places…
The Ultimate 2025 Guide to Fall Festivals and Haunted Attractions in North Carolina
Autumn in North Carolina is more than a season — it’s a celebration. The first cool mornings bring the smell of woodsmoke, apple cider stands appear along mountain highways, and weekend calendars fill with small-town parades, barbecue cook-offs, and haunted forests that test your nerves. This guide is your one-stop plan for every festival and…
SBP Podcast Episode 10: The Hatfields and McCoys: The True Story Behind America’s Most Infamous Family Feud
Few stories in American history are as dramatic, violent, and enduring as the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. What began with Civil War bitterness and a dispute over a hog spiraled into a decades-long conflict filled with betrayal, gunfights, and tragedy along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River. In the latest episode…
SCarowinds at 25: The South’s Premier Haunt
When the sun dips below the Carolina horizon and the air begins to cool, Carowinds undergoes a transformation unlike anything else in the South. By day, it’s a family amusement park straddling the North Carolina–South Carolina border. By night on select fall evenings, fog rolls through the park, lights shift to crimson, and hundreds of…
‘Cue The South: Bullies BBQ- Hilton Head, SC
Bullies BBQ – Hilton Head, SC Located at 3 Regency Parkway, Hilton Head Island, Bullies BBQ has been serving up slow-smoked Southern classics since 2012. Originally founded by pitmaster Bob Sutton in a converted gas station, the restaurant quickly became a Lowcountry favorite thanks to its signature ribs, pulled pork, and brisket—all smoked low and…
SBP Podcast Episode 9: Oil, Power & Murder: The Cullen Davis Story
In the 1970s, the name Cullen Davis was synonymous with wealth, power, and scandal. At the time, Davis was the richest man in America ever to be tried for murder — and the story that unfolded in Fort Worth, Texas, would grip the nation. In this episode of The Southern Blueprint Podcast, we dig deep…
Southern Reads: The Lion and the Fox
Espionage, Ironclads, and the Quiet War That Decided a Nation History has a funny way of spotlighting the generals and forgetting the shadows behind them. But if you want to understand how wars are really won—or lost—you’ve got to look where the cannons weren’t firing. That’s where Alexander Rose takes us in The Lion and…