Located on a street corner at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains here in Morganton, this…read moremarker points out the spot where a structure used to be, four miles from here. I'm sure if they put the marker at the spot, no one would see it so it's here. This is well before the English colonies were here so quite old! The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Fort San Juan. Built by Juan Pardo in 1567 at native town of Joara. Served as Spanish outpost until razed by Indians, 1568. Northeast 4 miles." Online, there is more information. "Columbus' landfall in the Bahamas in October 1492 initiated what was perhaps the most dramatic century of cultural exchange in human history. Over two continents, the native peoples of the Americas--from Tierra del Fuego to the St. Lawrence River--withstood waves of explorers, settlers, proselytizers, and profiteers from Spain, England, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, and other distant centers of European colonial aspiration. Of these nations, Spain was the most ambitious in its early efforts at exploration and conquest." "Archaeological research at the Berry site in Burke County has shed significant light on the process and practice of colonialism in the Americas, as its borderland setting was the northern frontier of Spain's long reach. There, in January 1567 at a native village named Joara, Captain Juan Pardo founded a garrison, Fort San Juan, and manned it with thirty soldiers. Occupied for nearly a year and a half, it was the first European settlement in the interior of what is now the United States. The Berry site witnessed one of the longest periods of sustained contact between Europeans and the peoples of North America's interior until the seventeenth century." [Review 20121 overall - 3473 in North Carolina - 1097 of 2023.]

Amazing tour!!! Wonderful history! I highly recommend coming here to learn THE TRUTH!read more

Extremely interesting and educational exhibit in Valdese! My family has a distant connection to…read morethe Waldensian faith, so we took a field trip to the Trail of Faith to learn more about it. The staff was very sweet and helpful. The layout of the trail is interactive and engaging. They have an amphitheater for their outdoor drama which shows in August. There is Christmas light display, but we have yet to see it. Every time we drive over to drive through, it's been closed!

You might drive right past this pedestrian bridge and not think much about it. But this relic from…read morethe past built in 1928 once carried Highway 70 over the Stones River, one of America's longest roads designated in 1926 connecting Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean! It's also one of the world's last surviving fusions of a K-truss design (at the center) and a Parker truss design (outer panels). The k-truss, debuting in 1918, is exceptionally strong and supports tremendous weight, even fully loaded trains! This design features a framework that branches off a central vertical post, connected to the top and bottom in a pattern that resembles the letter "K." The Parker truss, first patented in 1870, features the top of a bridge sloping upward to its central pinnacle instead of approaching it perpendicular to the street below.

The Bob Sheehan Memorial Bridge sits alongside Lebanon Pike and is now part of the Stones River…read moreGreenway, and is easily accessible via Lebanon Pike or the Kohl's Greenway entrance. What once was an iconic bridge for travelers is now a historic pedestrian bridge that passes over top of Stones River and connects portions of the ever expanding Greenway. The bridge is small, but mighty with the large steel overhead and wide pathway. On one side you have river views and the other is Lebanon Pike, so one is definitely nicer than the other! The bridge is kept clean and for the most part is kept up by the city. It's a nice landmark, and a great part of the Greenway!

Beautiful hikes and mountains views. Nice picnic area with restrooms available. Several people…read morefishing or playing in the stream. Good place for families.

Amazing views!!!…read more Came here on a group hike and it did not disappoint! We did the 4 something mile loop from the upper parking lot to the waterfall and back to the parking lot. It is hard! The amount of incline is enough but going up the stairs after resting at the waterfall was dreadful. We survived! The views are OMG!!!!! Wow! Breathtaking at each lookout. The stone is so smooth it almost looks painted. It rained a little at one of our lookout stops and it was such a refreshing experience. Cellphone reception here is super limited and so I want to come back in hopes I'll be able to actually track my hike .