magazine

6 Welcome to Our State

On a Roll

By Vicky Jarrett

9 Our State quiz

Think Small

Check your knowledge about some of our state's smallest communities with this month's quiz on towns populated with less than 500 people.
By Alan Hodge

10 Letters From Our Readers

12 Tar Heel Treasures

Patriotic Papers

A Winston–Salem archive houses a rare first edition copy of star–spangled sheet music.
By Wanda Duncan

14 Tar Heel Literature

Silent Speedways of the Carolinas: The Grand National Histories of 29 Former Tracks; The Bridge Crew: Growing Up in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the 1940's and 50's; A Case of Imagination

18 Tar Heel Towns

Lumberton

Once a town of tobacco and textiles, Lumberton has capitalized on its location and attracted other industries, thanks to the warm spirit of its people
By Rosie Molinary

27 Tar Heel History

The Bambino in Asheville

Babe Ruth's two appearances at McCormick Field were met with the enthusiasm of thousands of fans — as well as their concern over reports that he died in the Land of the Sky.
By Bob Terrell

30 Tar Heel People

Fiddling Around

Scott Walker combines classical and folk music — not to mention yoga and swimming — at his annual Blowing Rock family music camp.
By Mary Ellen Hammond

34 Front Porch Stories

More Than a Store

You won’t find a Pierce & Company on every street corner
in America — which is all the more reason to appreciate it.
By Bill Thompson

36 Lured In

Standing on a fishing pier creates timeless summer memories.
By Jimmy Tomlin

44 Great Walks: Historic Edenton

Enjoy impressive architectural scenery by the Albemarle Sound.
By Lynn Setzer

50 Reader Photo Contest

See our 21 winners in five categories: nature, places, people, North Carolina life, and black–and–white photography.

68 Discover the Child Within

14 Ways to Have Fun in North Carolina:

70 Animal Attraction

Ride the Endangered Species Carousel at the N.C. Zoo.
By Molly Harrison

76 Get in the Zone

Learn hockey at Hurricanes U.
By Kathy Grant Westbrook

84 Full Steam Ahead

Celebrate 50 years at Tweetsie Railroad.
By Shannon Farlow

92 Out of This World

94 Rising Star

Explore the night sky at Ingram Planetarium.
By Eleanor Yates

96 Heaven's Gate

Listen to the universe at PARI in Rosman.
By R. Kelly Coffey

102 Teddy's Picnic

Hug a teddy at the High Hampton Inn.
By Katie Baer

110 Off–Roading

Ride off into the Nantahala on a Jeep safari with Wildwater Limited.
By Neal Thompson

118 Sundae School

Taste the goodness at Frozen Dessert University.
By Chris Gigley

126 All Aboard

Track some fun at the New Hope Valley Railway.
By L.A. Jackson

134 Senior Class

Looking for adventure? Try these 5 great ideas.
By Jimmy Tomlin

144 Thank Goodness

When Alan Bundy left a high–tech job to manage a pecan crop, he found an ally in a marketing program called Goodness Grows.
By Rosie Molinary

150 Harper House

The Catawba County Historical Association revived two local architectural treasures, ensuring their histories are preserved.
By Nathan Moehlmann

158 Perfect Weekend

Pleasure Cruise

Who wouldn't love an unobstructed view of the sunset on the Crystal Coast? Spending the night on a houseboat is like having your own private island.
By Lynn Seldon

168 Carolina Artists

Piece by Piece

Chapel Hill's Elaine O'Neil combines patches of fabric to create textile collages with vibrant colors, spiking trees, and whimsical buildings.
By D.G. Martin

176 B&Bs: Go with the Flow

Visit three riverfront inns — River House Country Inn and Restaurant, The River Lodge Bed and Breakfast, and Lois Jane's Riverview Inn — and feel the tensions of the outside world float away.
By L.A. Jackson

184 Tar Heel Memories

Girdle Duty

It's not easy looking beautiful — a lesson learned every Sunday by one Reidsville girl as she helped her grandmother dress for church.
By Terri Fabel

186 Tar Heel Gardening

Hot Plots

Don't let the sun go down on your greenery — take care to hydrate your plants as well as yourself.
By L.A. Jackson

188 Tar Heel Tastes

Going Green

You'll know you've reached Saluda when you catch an inviting whiff of Melanie Talbot's home–cooked barbecue at Green River Bar–B–Q.
By Marla Hardee Milling

192 Carolina Kitchen

Watching for Vegetables

When growing your own garden is out of the question, a roadside stand is the next best thing.
By Erica Derr

196 Agenda

Outdoor Summer Concerts; Lavender Festival; Southern Plays at Flat Rock Playhouse and Meroney Theatre; Peach Festival

By Lynne Gantz

198 Dates & Events

Compiled By Lynne Gantz

208 Tar Heel Images

The Apprentice

By Steve Hyman