Remember Sunday Drives? One of North Carolina's favorite writers takes us back. Hiking and horses in Dupont State Forest. The Golden State: The history of gold in N.C.
PHOTO ESSAY
A Place of Solitude
Photography by Emily Chaplin
Quiet when life is too loud, remote when life is too crowded, and wild when life is too refined, the forest is a reflection of our limits. A massive chemical company bought 7,000 acres in southwestern North Carolina in the 1950s and built a plant to expand its business. The plant boomed for years, employing thousands at its peak. But then it slowed. And then it closed, and then all that remained, once again, was the forest.
FEATURES
The Civil War: First, Do No Harm by Philip Gerard
Photo courtesy of University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Thomas Fanning Wood achieves a dream of becoming a doctor much sooner than he could have imagined. There is no time for an apprenticeship, not during the height of war. (Volume two, part three)
To Ride by Michael Parker
Photography by Joey & Jessica Seawell
Where we go isn’t important. All that matters is that we go.
- Web Exclusive: The photo shoot for this month’s cover and feature stories involved a ’72 Chevelle station wagon, two photographers, two children, and author Michael Parker. Clikc here to view additional images from the shoot and learn more about the car that stole the show.
What if by John Ramsey
Photography by Lissa Gotwals
What if: You could not see Biltmore? You could not walk to the top of Grandfather Mountain? You could not hear the waves at Nags Head? Would you still go? This deaf man thinks you should.
Sandburg’s Mountain Sanctuary by Bronwen Dickey
Photography by Amy Kalyn Sims
Carl Sandburg called himself the Eternal Hobo, and his writing career soared while he drifted. But in his final years, the People’s Poet settled into a quiet, North Carolina mountain paradise in Flat Rock and began producing his best work. The place, called Connemara, remains open today as a source of inspiration.
“These animals survived. Mine can to.” by Josh Shaffer
Photography by Lissa Gotwals
It’s not the transplants and artificial legs offered at the world-renowned vet school in Raleigh that give most pet owners hope for a miracle or a cure – it’s the portraits of the survivors that line the walls.
- Web Exclusive: Inspired by this story and the work of North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, we invite you to share your pet photos with us in our North Carolina Pet Photo Gallery. Click here to share your photo.
DEPARTMENTS
Welcome
This Road by Elizabeth Hudson
Photography by Whitebox Weddings
Our State Quiz
North Carolina in Print by Alan Hodge
Photography provided by the N.C. Archive
Local newspapers tell us what’s happening around us. After more than 250 years, we wouldn’t know what to do without them.
Humor
Our Canine Companions by Daniel Wallace
Illustrated by Daniel Wallace
Carolina Culture
A Musical Revolution by David Menconi
Photography by Cheryl Zibisky
American music inspired two brothers in Europe to pick up their guitars and banjos, and seek out the sound of Appalachia.
- Web Exclusive Video: Watch the Kruger Brothers play Appalachian Concerto and Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 on banjo. Click here to view video.
One-Stop Success by Katie Baer
Photography by Matt Rose
At Highland Books in Brevard, one couple encourages community members to explore the world around them – whether they travel far away or decide to stick around.
Seriously Funny by Jack Claiborne
Photography provided by UNCC
An Army veteran found his talent in art, and a chance meeting led to an award-winning second career drawing newspaper comics in Charlotte. Through his cartoons, Eugene Payne forced the nation to rethink key political issues.
Tall Takes in a Small Town by Abbey Dean
Photography courtesy of Jan Schmidt
Professional orators and eager listeners gather in Laurinburg for a festival that honors the storytelling tradition.
Book Reviews
- Transylvania Memories by Peggy Hansen
- In Summons to the Past by Christopher T. Yarbrough
- The Ballad of Tom Dooley by Sharyn McCrumb
- The Man From Mount Gilead by Ned Cline
Tar Heel Town
Calabash by Jason Frye
Photography by Leslie Koehn
As far southeast as you can go in North Carolina, a little town with a lot of seafood has a legendary allure that will draw you in, wherever you are.
Tar Heel History
North Carolina the Golden State by Caron Myers
Photography by Travis Dave
Two centuries ago, a young boy’s accidental discovery in Cabarrus County led to the first gold rush in the United States. For 50 years, North Carolina led the nation in gold production and gave a young country a new kind of wealth.
Good Food
The Cleanest Cut by Jeffrey Turner
Photography by Lissa Gotwals
Inside Elias’ Butcher Shoppe in Roanoke Rapids, one butcher gives his customers his absolute best.
Catch and Cook by Jeffrey Turner
Photography by Matt Hulsman
At a young age, Kevin McCabe learned that good meals come from the water on the Outer Banks.
Drugstore Staple by Hannah Mitchell
Photography by Joey & Jessica Seawell
The soda fountain at a Yanceyville drugstore brings a community together and preserves a classic institution.
South ‘n France by Abbey Dean
Photography by Millie Holloman
Foreign sweets gain Southern flair at a shop in Wilmington.
Recipes
Carolina Gardening
The Governor’s Garden by Mandy Locke
Photography by Jessie Gladin-Kramer
At the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, one man and a team of prisoners take responsibility for the grounds. With each simple, physical task, they work to heal complex, emotional wounds.
Dates & Events
5 Things Every North Carolinian Should Do This Month by Jeri Rowe
Take in a five-hour, three-part play at Triad Stage, enjoy one of the more than 100 events of the Palustris Festival, visit an art exhibit focusing on Southern culture at the Ackland Art Museum, learn about mummies at Discovery Place, and satisfy your carb craving at the eighth annual Asheville Artisan Bread Bakers Festival.
Tar Heel Image
Nature’s Hint by Reagan Bowman of Columbus
On the calendar, seasons swap in one day. But in this yard in Polk County, winter and spring cross paths.
