PBS NC
Bell Bottoms, Wagons & Travel Grit: My 2025 Year in Review
Whew. Well, that was a barn burner of a year. They say time speeds up the older we get, but it should be mentioned that it gets richer, too, if you’re lucky. By that metric, my wife Julia and I have been bonkers lucky in 2025. From filming a PBS NC documentary and sailing North Carolina’s Pamlico Sound to launching my new website TravelGrit.com, this year delivered adventures that’ll keep us smiling well into the New Year.
From Snowstorm to Screen: PBS NC Director Morgan Potts Describes the Making of Swan Song
During a snowy winter storm that buried eastern North Carolina in a once-in-twenty-years storm, my mule Polly and I set off in a hundred year old covered wagon to explore Hyde County and Lake Mattamuskeet.
Joining us was a film crew from PBS North Carolina. Mule Polly got snowed in in our covered wagon, the film crew struggled to keep their cameras rolling in the icy conditions… Continue reading
Photo of the Day – Preparing for the PBS NC Shoot
Photo of the Day – Getting Ready to Roll
Photo of the Day – Butterbread
You can stream Swan Song here.
Photo of the Day – Wagon Entertainment
I’m breathless, thrilled and ecstatic how well “Swan Song”, the hour-long PBS documentary about mule Polly’s and my wintry ramble along Lake Mattamuskeet, came out. You can stream it here.
Photo of the Day – Snowed In
How We Made Swan Song: A Winter Mule Journey Documentary
UPDATE: Great news! You can now stream “Swan Song” for free on PBS and YouTube.
Enjoy this behind the scenes look at Swan Song, the hour-long PBS NC documentary about my wintry mule ramble along Lake Mattamuskeet with my mule Polly.
Swan Song is the season finale of the PBS series My Home, NC and you can watch it Thursday night at 8pm on PBS NC.
Stream Swan Song
Photo of the Day – Grafting Mattamuskeet Apples
Snowed In by Wagon at Lake Mattamuskeet: Thanking Hyde County
(Note: This is the letter I wrote to the folks of Hyde County and Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina, thanking them for the generosity they showed mule Polly and me on my latest mule ramble. Lots more pics from our ramble at the bottom of this post. Bernie / RiverEarth.com)
My mule Polly and I, Bernie Harberts, want to thank all the folks… Continue reading
Winter Wanderings: A PBS NC Wagon Adventure at Lake Mattamuskeet
Phew. That was a doozie. I never expected to get snowed in my covered wagon, breast a pintail duck, meet so many amazing people and witness tens of thousands of waterfowl navigating ice instead of water. Stunning.
Mule Polly and the Covered Wagon Head to Lake Mattamuskeet for PBS NC
Mule Polly and I are ready to start our PBS NC wagon ramble! Here are a few pics of moving my gear from here in western North Carolina to Lake Mattamuskeet, on the coast of North Carolina.
Lake Mattamuskeet Covered Wagon Ramble with PBS NC
Let’s get ramblin’! I’m super excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with PBS North Carolina (PBS NC) for my next wagon ramble, a slow roll of Lake Mattamuskeet.
Lake Mattamuskeet is the largest natural fresh water lake in North Carolina (and the second largest east of the Mississippi) and, despite its huge size, is relatively unknown.
It Started With a Lake
Lake… Continue reading
