Biltmore: An insider's tour of North Carolina's favorite house
PHOTO ESSAY
Historic Cemeteries of Eastern North Carolina by Michael Graff
Photography by Geoff Wood
More than books, more than oral history, cemeteries provide an actual place for the past. In the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, grave markers symbolize the lives of some of our earliest settlers. And the designs and sizes of those markers can offer glimpses into a person’s religious beliefs, economic status, or family history. They are logs of time, and they are pieces of art. Four cemeteries in Tarboro, Beaufort, Bath, and Wilmington have arranged them all in plots of spacious land filled with plants and trees, giving the art a canvas and the stones a setting and the past a place.
FEATURES
Biltmore Insider’s Tour by Leigh Ann Henion
Photography by Stacey Haines
A behind-the-scenes visit to North Carolina’s grandest home reveals more than the inner workings of a mansion. Four tours illuminate the inner beauty of a bachelor turned family man.
The Women of Reynolda by Phoebe Zerwick
Photography by Stacey Haines/Historical images provided by Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Reynolda House was the realization of Katherine Smith Reynolds’s vision. But as the care of the home passed into her daughter’s and then granddaughter’s hands, each woman added her indelible mark to the iconic estate.
Tarboro Tradition by Brandon Sneed
Photography by Geoff Wood
Coolmore Plantation is both a mansion and a museum. But to Joe Spiers, who lives here with his wife, Janet, it is both a connection to his family history and a structure that symbolizes his own endurance and strength.
One Foot in the Past by Josh Shaffer
Photography by Geoff Wood
Defying the retail odds, Whitley Furniture Galleries still resides in the redbrick building where it started more than 100 years ago. And it’s still reason enough to visit Zebulon and enjoy the charms of our state’s small towns.
DEPARTMENTS
Welcome to Our State
A house filled by Elizabeth Hudson
Photography by Whitebox Weddings
Our State Quiz
Over, Under, and Through by Alan Hodge
Photography courtesy of Hunter Library, Western Carolina University
In the past, settlers seeking adventure traveled North Carolina’s mountain gaps and passes in search of unclaimed territory. Today, citizens seeking relaxation traverse those same pathways in search of breathtaking scenery and crisp, refreshing air.
Tar Heel Books & Music
The People’s Poet by Eric Seeger
Photography by Matt Rose
North Carolina Poet Laureate Cathy Smith Bowers travels the state as our literary ambassador.
Book Reviews
- Like Shining from Shook Foil by Cathy Smith Bowers
- A History of North Carolina Wine: From Scuppernong to Syrah by Alexia Jones Helsley
- Unfinished Desires by Gail Godwin
- Web Exclusive Giveaways: Win a book! Enter to win a copy of A History of North Carolina Wine: From Scuppernong to Syrah or a copy of Unfinished Desires.
CD Review
- Small Town Gossip by Small Town Gossip
- Web Exclusive: Enjoy a video by the band Small Town Gossip, as they tell their stories by way of acoustic-driven alternative music.
Playing by Heart by David Menconi
Photography by Taylor Mathis
Jim Avett’s life is a song with many verses, but it always returns to the chorus – a hard-working father with a passion for music.
- Web Exclusive: Enjoy the two songs from Jim Avett, including “It’s Me” from the gospel album Jim Avett and Family, and “Fight with a Bottle of Booze” from his CD, Tribes.
Tar Heel Humor
Fudging on the Facts by Daniel Wallace
Illustration by Daniel Wallace
As many people reading this completely factual-in-every-way column know, my main gig is fiction.
Tar Heel Towns
Hot Springs by Lori K. Tate
Photography by Steven McBride
In the mountains, a town gives off a peaceful feeling that’s as healing as its waters.
Tar Heel History
The Rise and Fall of a Moonshine Capital by Jay Barnes
Illustration by Andrew Pinkham
A chance detour leads to one man’s discovery of a once-thriving mill town long lost to the swamplands of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
Tar Heel People
Call of the Cabin by Jeri Rowe
Photography by Matt Rose
On their small mountain in Haywood County, Dan and Betsy Boyd put special care into every piece of wood that makes up their Boyd Mountain Cabins.
Carolina Arts
Sacred Space by Craig Jarvis
Photography by Lissa Gotwals and courtesy of North Carolina Museum of Art
The North Carolina Museum of Art’s Judaic Art Gallery is the most visible expression of Jewish cultural heritage in the South, largely because of one man and the commitment he inspired in others.
Tar Heel Tastes
Like Momma Made by Kelly Alexander
Photography by Travis Dove
David and Angie Poindexter didn’t plan to open a restaurant. But when they found themselves responsible for the Flat River Cafe in Hurdle Mills, trusted family recipes pulled them through.
Carolina Cooking
A Part of Our Story by Diane Summerville
Photography by Matt Hulsman
Most of this month’s cookbooks are no longer available, the last ones sold long ago to support a ministry or buy a bus. Their value now is in the memories they hold.
Recipes
- German Potato Salad
- Devil’s Food Cake
- Corn Pudding
- Seafood Bisque
- Angel Biscuits
- Lemon Chess Pie
- Barbecued Spareribs
- Pecan Dream Cookies
Carolina Gardening
Moments that Matter by Amy Hotz
Photography by Millie Holloman
When a bride walks down the aisle, flowers say,”Congratulations.” When a widower loses his love, flowers say, “I’m sorry.” Since 1872, Wilmington residents have relied on Rehder Florist to accent life’s most important occasions.
Dates & Events
King of the Mountain by Leah Hughes
Photography by Matt Rose
Chef Nicholas Figel has culinary skill, creativity, and understanding – and he’ll need it all when defending his title on March 5.
Tar Heel Images
A Time to Sow by Chelsea Beaty of Garner
Long shadows fall across a freshly plowed field in Garner. Soon, a new crop of soybeans will sprout from the rows where tobacco once grew.
