This natural retreat in Robbinsville is named in honor of the poet Joyce Kilmer, best known for his ode to the inimitable beauty of nature. Photography courtesy of VisitNC.com
Sunlight streams through the canopy to the floor of Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. Many of the giant trees on this 3,800-acre woodland are more than 400 years old. Its famed tulip trees surpass more than 100 neighboring species in height and circumference, enticing hikers to link arms around the 20-plus-foot trunks.
Most of the produce and herbs are harvested by the schoolchildren, and a portion is donated to two nearby food banks: SAFE in Graham and Stone Soup Menus in Swepsonville. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
Little hands tilt watering cans and pluck herbs as they nurture a patch of earth near the Haw River. Over the past five years, what started as a bare plot has been transformed into a native plant garden, natural classroom, and vegetable garden, where junior gardeners from Hawbridge Lower School can get their hands in the dirt and watch as seeds turn into a sweet harvest.
Nearby Starworks Ceramics is a go-to source for local wild clay, and Viera hopes to incorporate clay from her backyard in future pieces. photograph by Joey Seawell
From rust-colored trails to carefully crafted mugs, Seagrove has earned a reputation for prized clay. For potter Cat Viera, her work with the moldable material evolves daily. Viera draws inspiration for her designs — created with freehand carvings, custom stamps, and layered glazes — from nature and her own life experiences. As an instructor, she emphasizes a balance of effort and ease that encourages her students to work through challenges, relinquish control, and, as she puts it, “let their personalities shine on the wheel.” — Cailyn Domecq
The end of summer blows in the annual Outer Banks Kite Festival, held on September 12 and 13 this year. Watch for larger-than-life kites like this behemoth octopus. photograph by Chris Hannant, Kerry J. Hackney
The whip and roar of wind greets those who climb to the top of Jockey’s Ridge — an audible reminder of how the Nags Head site was formed. Shifting maritime winds carry billions of grains of sand, constantly changing the contour and scope of the colossal dune system. Each September, professional kite flyers scale the sandy mountain for the Outer Banks Kite Festival. Their colorful beacons are propelled by the very element that sculpts the ground underfoot.
Legend holds that after a Cherokee man flung himself from the crag, his Chickasaw lover prayed for his return. It’s said that the powerful wind from the valley below guided him back to the edge of the rock and into her embrace. Photography courtesy of VisitNC.com
For those perched on the precipice of this dizzyingly tall stone cliff, gusts of northwest wind blast upward from the Johns River Gorge, kissing their faces. Said to be a place where snow falls upside down, the Blowing Rock is at the center of local lore, inspiring tales of miraculous drafts and transcendent love.
photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
When gentle breezes sweep in, the creations respond — art in motion, animated by the force of an invisible breath.
Planted among the trees at the Greensboro Arboretum, these wind chimes gently ring out as the breeze coaxes them to dance. Dr. Lawrence Hart, dean of UNC Greensboro’s School of Music from 1966 to 1980, dedicated his life to sharing song across Guilford County and beyond. Today, nature honors him as it plays its own tune.
photograph by VisitNC.com
The late folk artist Vollis Simpson’s whimsical whirligigs squeak, clang, or clink depending on the wind. These iconic metal sculptures vary in design, from quirky airplanes to otherworldly structures with wildly spinning wheels. — Anna Grace Thrailkill
A flame shoots from a furnace like a jet engine cutting through dusk. Each November, metalworkers from across the state gather around furnaces set up in Durham Central Park for the annual Iron Pour, a fundraiser for Liberty Arts. Teams load iron into the flames — roaring at about 3,000 degrees — and pour the molten metal into molds to create cast-iron works of art.
On Fridays and Saturdays from June to October, storytellers like Sonny Ledford share Cherokee traditions (and marshmallows, too) at Oconaluftee Island Park. photograph by Derek Diluzio
As night falls, Cherokee storytellers dressed in 17th-century clothing regale a captivated audience with ancient legends. The Cherokee people have gathered around fire for centuries. Today’s bonfires welcome visitors to learn about the tribe’s heritage under the Smoky Mountain stars.
Osterberg trained in classic Manhattan pasta houses, where he fell in love with Italian cuisine. At Abbiocco, he blends Italian ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, and pecorino Romano cheese with local produce, spices, and meat from TendWell, Black Earth, and Slate Family farms. photograph by Tim Robison
Chef Glenn Osterberg needs only to peer into his wood-fired oven to see a plume of black smoke turn white. “That’s when you know it’s hot enough,” he says. The air around Abbiocco Pizzeria,
a pizza truck outside Peri Social House in Black Mountain, is cool and comfortable. But inside, the oven has reached 700 degrees. This is the temperature at which Osterberg cooks specialty pies, like the Spore-Tacular (opposite), topped with roasted mushrooms, pine nut pesto, garlic, Parmesan, ricotta cream, and a hearty helping of basil. — Katie Kane Reynold
Towering 480 feet above the Little Tennessee River, Fontana Dam — the tallest in the eastern United States — was among a handful built in the mid-20th century to power factories throughout southern Appalachia. The dam took only two years to complete. photograph by Jonathan McRae; Courtesy of VisitNC.com
In the wilds of the Smoky Mountains, this man-made marvel created Lake Fontana — a glassy playscape for boating, fishing, and paddling.
Rodanthe’s location near the continental shelf means a sudden and dramatic increase in the ocean’s depth, which results in a powerful beach break — and a stellar ride for surfer Michael Dunphy. photograph by Daniel Pullen
Surfers travel from around the globe to ride the waves along our state’s beaches. Perched at the easternmost edge of North Carolina, the village of Rodanthe is the nerve center.
Using a homemade tool she calls a “cluster buster,” Shellem separates wild oysters that grow in clumps. photograph by Matt Ray Photography
Oysters, mussels, whelks, and other shellfish thrive in the waters where fisher Ana Shellem harvests for North Carolina restaurants. Although her marshland office feels a world away, the proximity to her clients means she often delivers that morning’s catch fresh each day. — Hannah Lee Leidy
This story was published on Aug 22, 2025
In busy workshops and bright stores, our state’s toymakers and purveyors keep wonder alive. Dolls, trains, and games remind us: The joy of play never grows old.
Whether it’s secret Santa or the company cookie swap, sweet gatherings get everyone into the Christmas spirit.
Among dazzling lanterns, silk creatures, and twinkling lights at the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival, one little boy leads his parents straight to the heart of the holidays.
Sparkling streets, local traditions, and the cozy charm of a city wrapped in holiday wonder — Asheville offers merriment for every age of visitor.
