Wandering on Purpose with Skye

16/06/2026

I expected Winston-Salem to be interesting. I didn’t expect to be so fascinated by the Moravians.

The city’s story begins with Moravian settlers, a Protestant religious community with roots in Central Europe. That immediately caught my attention because my husband’s mother’s family is Brethren. I went in curious, but the more I learned, the more layered the story became.

At Historic Bethabara Park, Old Salem Museums & Gardens, and the Moravian Archives, I started to understand Salem not just as a preserved historic place, but as a community built around faith, craft, education, music, food, and work.

The Moravians were skilled artisans, musicians, educators, and careful record keepers. They built communities with intention and created a highly organized social system that shaped everything from labor and worship to daily life.

What also stayed with me was their role during the American Revolution.

While so many founding-era stories are told through conflict and sides, the Moravians complicate that frame. They did not take up arms or align themselves neatly with one side. Instead, they tried to maintain their religious convictions while providing goods, care, and support as needed in a world increasingly shaped by war.

Part of my America 250 series exploring overlooked places, people, and stories.



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08/06/2026

Today, Ninety Six is a tiny town in South Carolina. But during the American Revolution, it was one of the most important crossroads in the South.

That history is preserved at Ninety Six National Historic Site, where visitors can walk the remains of a rare star fort and learn about one of the longest field sieges of the war.

But the historic site is not the only reason to linger.

Stop by 96 Pecan Company (.company), a family-run cracking, roasting, seasoning, and packaging business. While sneaking too many samples, I learned how the family business grew from one man’s passion project and got a glimpse of the cracking, seasoning, and packaging process behind their products. It gave Ninety Six a flavor and personality I wouldn’t have found at the historic site alone.

A short drive away, Lake Greenwood offers a completely different side of the region. After exploring the historic site, lunch at Break on the Lake (.net) comes with water views, patio chairs, and, if you’re lucky, a slice of berry cobbler worth saving room for. On a sunny day, the lake invites visitors to boat, fish, paddle, or simply slow down by the water.

Historic sites matter, of course they do. But so do the restaurants, shops, landscapes, and people that help visitors understand a place as more than a marker on a map.

Part of my America 250 series exploring overlooked places, people, and stories.



Old 96 District Tourism
Discover South Carolina

05/06/2026

At Ninety Six National Historic Site in South Carolina, the story unfolds along wooded trails, open fields, reconstructed earthworks, and quiet paths.

The American Revolution looked different here. Not cobblestone streets. Not crowded city squares. Not the familiar places most of us learned about in school.

Before visiting, I knew very little about the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. I certainly didn’t understand how much of the fight for independence played out in small communities far from the places that usually dominate the story.

One of the most striking parts of the site is the Star Fort, an earthen fortification that still rises from the landscape. In 1781, Patriot forces under Major General Nathanael Greene laid siege to the Loyalist-held post for nearly a month. But this isn’t a simple story of good guys, bad guys, and steady progress toward victory.

In the Carolina backcountry, the Revolution was gritty, messy, and deeply personal. Communities were divided. Control shifted back and forth. Victory was rarely clean or permanent.

Greene’s story reflects that complexity. He was someone who understood that survival, pressure, and persistence could matter as much as a single dramatic win. At Ninety Six, his forces ultimately withdrew, but the larger Southern Campaign continued to weaken British control in the region.

Standing there, it was easy to see how different the Revolution must have felt here, a conflict unfolding in real communities, among real people, with uncertain outcomes.

Part of my America 250 series exploring overlooked places, people, and stories ahead of the 250th anniversary.



Old 96 District Tourism
Discover South Carolina

04/06/2026

Before last year, I'd never heard of Ninety Six, South Carolina.

The name alone made me curious. Historians still debate its exact origin, but the most widely accepted theory is that early traders believed the settlement was 96 miles from a nearby Cherokee town. Whatever the truth, it's a name that's hard to forget.

What surprised me even more was discovering how important this little town once was. In the 18th century, Ninety Six was one of the most significant crossroads in the South and later played a key role in the Southern Campaign during the American Revolution.

Today, visitors will find a welcoming small town, a fascinating historic site, local businesses, and easy access to nearby Lake Greenwood—proof that the story of a place doesn't end with its history.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, I've found myself drawn to places like this—places that reveal important stories that aren't taught in school. Over the next few months, I'll be sharing some of the places that have changed the way I think about American history. Ninety Six seems like the perfect place to begin.



Old 96 District Tourism
Discover South Carolina

Photo credits:
By Donna Wells - An old hard drive used to store pictures of the town., CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=163789107
By Washuotaku - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27996727

01/06/2026

This isn't my usual travel story. There are no destination recommendations, hidden gems, or restaurant tips in this one.

Instead, it's the story of a 100-mile walk for the American Cancer Society, the people I carried with me along the way, and what I learned from a month spent putting one foot in front of the other.

Read the full story here: https://wanderwithskye.substack.com/p/what-100-miles-taught-me

20/05/2026

03/05/2026

Watching the excitement build in Tampa's Downtown for game 7 of the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadians NHL playoff series! I have a divided heart. As a Canadian, I'd love to see a Canadian team win. But, I'm also a Lightning fan, so...

01/05/2026

100 miles. Done. 🚶‍♀️
I set out this month to walk 100 miles to support the American Cancer Society.

Today, I finished—saving the final miles for May 1 so I could cross the finish line with my husband.

These final miles are for the people still in the fight.
I have two close family members facing cancer right now—one with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and one with lung cancer. Their stories aren’t mine to tell, but we witness their struggle. We try to stay strong for them, hide our fears, offer encouragement, and walk alongside them in whatever way we can.

It’s especially hard when there’s distance between us—when we can’t be there in person, can’t sit beside them, can’t help in the ways we wish we could. So we do what we can from where we are.

It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of something like this. But I’ve come to realize that showing up—however we can—matters. Whether it’s offering support, being present, or doing something like this challenge, it’s a way of standing alongside the people we love.

For me, this was one way to do that.

A special thank you to my husband, who walked so many of these miles with me and was there for the final steps to the finish.

If you’ve been following along, thank you—it truly means more than you know.

If you’d like to support the cause, there’s still time: https://www.facebook.com/donate/905440795457133

28/04/2026

I’m coming to the end of my 100 mile walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society this April with $74 left to meet my fundraising goal. These last miles have me thinking a lot about the reasons why I undertook this mission.

Day 28 of my 100-mile April challenge 🚶‍♀️
Miles today: 4.19; Miles yesterday: 3.2
Total miles: 89.91 / 100

Today I was thinking of my friend Zoe in high school. Her dad died from cancer, and she carried it with such quiet strength, always admiring her “dear old dad” as he fought his cancer with grace and love.

I also think of my close friend now, missing her mom as she finds her way through being both a mom and a grandma. Missing that loving and supportive shoulder to lean on.

And then there’s Danny and Donna.

Danny was a long-time friend and Eric’s work partner for a while. More recently, we watched him battle throat cancer and COPD with everything he had.

Donna was our crazy, loving, infuriating number-one-Steeler-fan friend who passed just last month from lung cancer. Finding her—and everything that came with that—was part of what pushed me to take on this challenge.

Those are just a few. Sometimes this walk feels like a small way to push back. To do something. To make even a small difference in a world that can feel so out of control.

Walking today with all of them on my mind.

Every mile still supports the work of the American Cancer Society and the families facing cancer.

If you’d like to follow along or support the cause, you can visit my fundraiser here:https://www.facebook.com/donate/905440795457133/

21/04/2026

“Sustainable travel” gets talked about a lot—especially around Earth Day. But what if we could leave a destination better than when we arrived?

While researching a USA TODAY 10Best article on volunteer tourism, I spent a lot of time thinking about travel that gives back. The kind that goes beyond seeing a place and actually helps restore it.

After the article was published, I had the chance to experience that idea firsthand in Aruba. I spent time at a donkey rescue and joined a beach cleanup, small, hands-on efforts that are part of something much bigger happening on the island.

Since then, has introduced a Volunteer Time Off (VTO) program, making it even easier for visitors to take part in conservation efforts, from wildlife care to marine and coastal restoration.

What stands out to me is that this isn’t just one program or one property. It’s an entire destination working to make responsible travel something you can actually participate in.

If you’d like to read the article, I’ll share that that link, along with a link to Aruba’s VTO program in the comments.