Morganton includes restaurants, motels, and a wide choice of shopping.

You are on the correct route of the original march. Once you pass the North Carolina School for the Deaf and the Western Piedmont Community College, you'll quickly return to rural countryside. Notice Brindletown. This is another old community that existed in 1780.

You'll soon have mountains on both sides of the road. This low range is called the South Mountains and extends almost to Rutherfordton. Keep a lookout on your right for an attractive, conical mountain. It is called Pilot Mountain, not to be confused with the ship-shaped mountain of the same name farther north and east in North Carolina.

The original marchers took a roundabout route. Shortly after you cross into McDowell County, you'll come to North Carolina 226. This is our old friend we left at Marion. If you turn right, in fact, you'll be back in Marion in 20 minutes or so.

The hills on the right where U.S. 64 and NC 226 cross are called Bedford's Hill. This is where the marchers camped for two nights after a bad rain storm coming down from Morganton. This is where Charles McDowell graciously stepped aside as commander rather cause a ruckus that might have split the army.

On your right, you'll see the marker for the fight at Cane Creek. The modern road runs right over Cowans Ford where the battle took place. On your left, you can see Cane Creek. The army in 1780 followed the creek, crossing its waters time and again. One account says the road then crossed 17 times!

Oh, yes, there is another Cowans Ford where a battle took place. That's a crossing of the South Fork River near Charlotte. That Cowans Ford, however, is now under the waters of an impoundment on the river.

Look to your left as you pass the Cane Creek Community Club. This is where the original marchers camped the night of October 3rd and 4th. The distinctive mountain is Marlin's Knob. These South mountains are not as high as the Blue Ridge or Unakas, but the climb up from Cane Creek toward Rutherfordton is a steep one!

Rutherfordton is the county seat for Rutherford County. Named for the frontier soldier, Griffith Rutherford, the county was one of many carved from the old colonial-era Tryon County. Parts of Rutherford later went to form Polk and McDowell Counties. Ironically, Rutherford did not take part in the Kings Mountain campaign because he was captured at the fall of Charleston, South Carolina.

You'll find lots of shops and restaurants in Rutherfordton and the nearby Ruth, Spindale, and Forest City. Be sure to see the murals painted on the building across from the courthouse. The mural celebrates Rutherford's farming heritage.

There are always special activities going on at the Isothermal Community College. The whole area is called the Thermal Belt, since temperatures in the winter are more moderate than in the piedmont farther west and north.

Rutherford has another link to U.S. history in addition to Kings Mountain. The first gold rush took place here in the early 1800's. A man named Baechler also operated a mint here, turning local bouillon into gold coins.

Just before you reach the courthouse, notice the old Saint John's Church. This pleasing wooden structure now houses the Rutherford Historical Society. Ask at the courthouse how to contact the county historian to learn more about the county.

Head southwest out of Rutherfordton on NC 108 and you continue on the western edge of the piedmont. You're in the foothills, twisting and turning, going up hill and down. This is lumber country, so you may see trucks loaded with logs.

You're in the headwaters of the Broad River. Just above Rutherford, you crossed the Second Broad River. Now you'll cross the First Broad River. If you drove west to Asheville, you'd see the French Broad River! Oh, the French Broad flows west into the colonial French country, not into the Broad associated with Kings Mountain. Wonder why so many Broad Rivers? Did an explorer expect to write to Europe that this was a country of "broad rivers?"

You'll also cross the Green River. Just downstream from your crossing is the ford where the Patriot army camped the night of October 4th-5th. Early on the morning of the 5th, Edward Lacey rode into camp to tell the commanders they were headed away from Ferguson. The marathon march began. Picking the men with the best horses, they hurried to catch Ferguson before he could escape. But Ferguson had no intention of getting away. He waited on Kings Mountain.

On a clear day, you'll soon see a distinctive mountain ahead. This is Tryon Mountain located just outside Tryon, North Carolina. Like the palace at New Bern and the old colonial county, the mountain is named for North Carolina's royal governor. He later served in New York and New Jersey unsuccessfully attempting to preserve King George's empire here in the 13 colonies.

You turn left onto NC 9 at the little crossroads of Mill Spring. You turn east now, moving farther away from the mountains into the rolling hills of the piedmont. The first town you pass is Sandy Plain, a proper name, since the soil is sandy and the ground nearly flat. You still have views of the mountains behind you.

Keep your eye out for the fork in the road where NC 9 continues right to Spartanburg. You want to go left toward Chesnee. This country is rural, even though the Greenville-Spartanburg area is close by. This is called the sand hills or the pine hills country. The feel is slow and relaxed, with small businesses and houses scattered about next to fields. You'll cross from Polk County back into Rutherford County before slipping into South Carolina's Spartanburg County. This is peach country, so you'll pass several orchards.

The route changes names and numbers quite frequently. But don't worry, you can easily see how the main route goes. You may miss the turn onto a side road shortcut to SC 11. Don't worry, you'll get to SC 11 in almost the same time. If you get to the flashing light on SC 11, you know you missed the shortcut! Just turn left and follow SC 11 towards Chesnee. You'll be back on the route in a few minutes.

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