Claim a quiet strip of beach in Corolla.  Photography courtesy of The Northern Outer Banks

For anglers, Lake Junaluska provides a similar lesson in patience. photograph by Robert Stephens

photograph by Roman Samokhin/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Deep in the Great Smoky Mountains, Fontana Lake boasts 238 miles of shoreline in an unspoiled landscape. photograph by Marje/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Massive creatures glide over Jockey’s Ridge during the Outer Banks Kite Festival. Photography courtesy of KITTY HAWK KITES

Take a scenic paddle down the Yadkin River. photograph by Paul Patrick/iStock/Getty Images Plus

After the U.S. Navy laid the first paved road in 1942, more roads — and cars — followed. Drivers now follow NC Highway 12 to ferry docks at either end of the island. But the best way to get around Ocracoke is still by bike, golf cart, or your own two feet. photograph by Emily Chaplin and Chris Council

Our State contributor Drew Perry and his family at Sliding Rock.  photograph by Tita Ramirez

Line up at the drive-in theater with plenty of snacks.  photograph by State Archives of North Carolina

With Pamlico Sound to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, NC Highway 12 extends north of Buxton toward Avon, just visible in the distance. photograph by Chris Hannant

photograph by Drew Perry

Do you recognize your favorite North Carolina team’s mascot? illustration by Ed Fotheringham

illustration by Patrick Faricy

Members of the Clara Craven Book Club can appreciate the meaning of the Japanese word tsundoku: “to stack up books to read in the future.” photograph by Anna Routh Barzin

Foothills Brewing has been offering flights of craft beer in Winston-Salem for nearly 20 years. photograph by J. Sinclair Photography

The legendary restaurants of Calabash turned this small fishing village into the “Seafood Capital of the World.” Often imitated beyond our borders, their fried fare is a North Carolina original. Photography courtesy of NC’S BRUNSWICK ISLANDS

Hopefully, you’re watching from somewhere dry and warm. photograph by Andrew Taylor/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Early in the morning or right after a storm is the best time to find beach treasures. photograph by Renato Arap/iStock/Getty Images Plus

At Mount Mitchell State Park, it’s mountains as far as the eye can see. photograph by Tom Moors

Whether you stoke up the fire at a campsite or rely on the broiler at home, a gooey, toasty s’mores is a summertime must. photograph by MundusImages/E+/Getty Images

photograph by Drew Perry

Southern white rhinoceros Linda and her daughter, Nandi, graze on the Watani Grasslands. photograph by Nathan Burns

An observation deck at Clingmans Dome, located about half a mile from the Appalachian Trail, gives visitors a 360-degree view of the landscape. photograph by Tom Moors

Bask in golden hour while boating on Bogue Sound near Emerald Isle. photograph by J. SILKSTONE PHOTOGRAPHY

Beat the heat this summer at Cone Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock. photograph by Tim Robison

photograph by pjohnson1/E+/Getty Images

Gain a new appreciation for the land where grapes grow, like at Junius Lindsay Vineyard in Lexington. Photography courtesy of NORTH CAROLINA WINE AND GRAPE COUNCIL

Loggerhead sea turtles hatch on the beach before scurrying quickly to the surf. photograph by Rebecca Mack/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The Steep Canyon Rangers are a Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band from North Carolina. photograph by Sara Brennan

Dip your toes in the water at Lower Cascade Falls in Hanging Rock State Park in Stokes County. photograph by Joey Seawell

Fried shrimp, tartar sauce, slaw, and ketchup on a steamed bun — the shrimpburger is a North Carolina icon. photograph by Baxter Miller

An overlook at the Linville Gorge, along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. photograph by Justin Costner

photograph by Anagram Photo

The view from the Opera Box is Chimney Rock State Park’s most recognizable: an American flag on top of the rock, billowing above Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge. photograph by Tom Moors

Which will you choose, watermelon Arnold Palmer or bourbon-rosemary lemonade? photograph by Matt Hulsman

Find a quiet spot along the French Broad to secure your hammock. photograph by huePhotography/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Don’t miss the Fair Bluff Watermelon Festival happening July 27. illustration by JAMES OLSTEIN

Get our recipe for homemade strawberry ice cream. photograph by Elena Brent Rosemond-Hoerr

A segment of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the Neuse River Greenway extends from Falls Lake to the Wake/Johnston County line. photograph by Michael Robson/visitRaleigh.com

The Carolina Beach Boardwalk hosts live music and fireworks on Thursday nights from Memorial Day to Labor Day. photograph by Eric Alter Photography

photograph by Tim Robison

Spot wild horses along the Shackleford Banks near Cape Lookout. photograph by Charles Harris

Summer nights mean the return of stirring productions of The Lost Colony on Roanoke Island. photograph by Chris Hannant

Take in the beauty in bloom at Latham Garden at Tryon Palace. photograph by Tryon Palace

In the evening, family members and friends can gather by the fire together at Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins. photograph by JOE BALCKEN AND STEVEN FREEDMAN, COURTESY OF WRONG WAY ASHEVILLE

In the “Terror of the South” exhibit at the Museum of Natural Sciences, an Acrocanthosaurus (left) battles a sauropod while pterosaurs circle overhead. photograph by Karen Swain/visitRaleigh.com

Whether you bake with ’em or eat ’em straight from the bush, fresh blueberries are sweet with the taste of summer.  photograph by Hispanolistic/E+/Getty Images Plus

Cape Lookout Lighthouse was built in 1859 to help mariners find their way through the darkness of the southern Outer Banks. Today, that darkness draws stargazers who marvel at the Milky Way and other cosmic wonders. photograph by Alex Gu/National Park Service