The Line That Shaped America: How One Man’s Telescope Drew the Southern Border

Historical marker for Ellicott’s Observatory near the Chattahoochee River, describing Andrew Ellicott’s 1790s astronomical survey that helped establish the 31st parallel as the southern boundary of the United States.

A Wrong Turn with a Long Shadow We weren’t looking for a border. Dusty and I were trying to find a park—one she remembered visiting years ago with her mom, back when memories still came with voices attached to them. The GPS sent us to an RV resort that definitely wasn’t it. But instead of … Read more

Cherry Street AME Church: The Church That Defied Dothan

Front view of Cherry Street AME Church in Dothan, Alabama, showing the historic red-brick exterior and wide front steps beneath a clear morning sky.

Some stops don’t call ahead — they just wait quietly until you stumble into their orbit. On the last morning of Alabama Road Trip #2, Dusty and I found ourselves with a little time to kill before the Dothan Visitor’s Center opened. So we did what any good backroad wanderers do: we followed the trail … Read more

Echoes in the Piney Dark: Sadler Plantation’s Civil War Secrets

Sadler Plantation House in McCalla, Alabama

An Unplanned Stop Worth the U-Turn We weren’t even supposed to be here. Dusty and I were rolling toward Tannehill Historic State Park when a weathered wooden sign caught my eye: Sadler Plantation Home, Circa 1838. Before my brain caught up with my hands, I’d whipped the truck into an illegal U-turn. Murph laughed the … Read more