Opening
From Elizabeth Hudson: A Time to Every Purpose
by Elizabeth Hudson
A reader’s gift and a father’s lesson foster an undying love of kitchen gadgets — and BLTs.
Letters
We Live Here
Downtown: Highlands
by Katie King
A posh downtown and abundant natural beauty offer plenty of ways to relax and reset in this quiet mountain retreat.
A Gift That Grows: Geraldine’s Market
by Mary Katherine Walt
What do you do when your husband surprises you with 500 peach trees? Sell peaches, of course.
Next Stop: Happy Hour
by Katie Schanze
In Charlotte’s busy South End, The Suffolk Punch is a depot for the modern age.
The Ivy Cottage Passes Down Memories
by Megan Smith
When Wilmington residents have antiques or valuables to sell, they entrust them to this upscale consignment shop and its adorable “Ambassador of Love.”
Put Me In, Coach
by Drew Perry
From Little League to the majors, diamond dreams never fade away. Every summer, the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd rekindle a love for the game.
Eats
4 Campfire-Inspired Recipes
by Lynn Wells
Long walks in the woods, roasted marshmallows, nights spent under the stars. Memories of camping trips have us longing for the flavors of the great outdoors.
13 of Our Favorite Sundae Drives
by Sheri Castle
Are you an ice cream purist, perfectly pleased with classic chocolate or vanilla? Or an adventurer, always on the hunt for new flavors? Our summertime bucket list of 13 sweet spots — a scooper’s dozen! — has something for everyone.
Tomato Time!
Heirloom Tomato Gurus Foster Community and Growth
by Andrea Weigl
A friendship entwined with tomatoes continues to bloom and grow, even in unexpected gardens.
The Must-Eat ’Maters
by Andrea Weigl
Tomato guru Craig LeHoullier’s first book, Epic Tomatoes, celebrates some 250 varieties of our favorite summer garden staple. His decades of devotion to heirloom seeds have paid off — for all of us. Come BLT season, farmers markets throughout the state are bursting with tomatoes of every hue and shape. But don’t miss these six picks.
Ode to a German Johnson
by Sheri Castle
Slice ’em! Stack ’em! Eat ’em like an apple! North Carolina’s quintessential tomato is the pick of the season.
Deep Roots, Strong Vines
by Emily Cataneo
At the Woodleaf Tomato Festival in Rowan County, people with ties to tomato country return home to celebrate a crop — and a tight-knit community.
7 Tasty Tomato Traditions
by Our State Staff
Dancing tomatoes, parades and pageants, tomato beer and tomato ice cream: When the summer sun is shining, fans of this juicy, red fruit gather to share smiles and laughs at events across the state.
Bertie County’s Secret Dish: Tomato Pudding
by Kathleen Purvis
Call it a pudding if you like, but it’s more like a cobbler. Though neither word quite describes the sweet-and-savory tomato recipe that has long been a local specialty.
A Veggie Patch Stakeout: A Gardener’s Fight to Preserve His Tomatoes
by Drew Perry
When a rat wreaks havoc in the veggie patch, eliminating the pest takes an unexpected toll on a sharpshooting gardener.
Features
Lake Norman: Town-Hopping by the Water
by Katie Saintsing
Lake Norman is the big one. Our “inland sea.” The anchor for a region. Its 520-mile shoreline is a thread that knits together the surrounding communities — so much so that many visitors think of the area as a whole, one town flowing into the next. But we can see what makes each one special.
Making Blue Ridge Memories on Max Patch
by Leigh Ann Henion
A marriage proposal in a sprawling meadow. Mating warblers in the brush. Orphaned boots on the Appalachian Trail. We are drawn to the majesty of Max Patch — a gorgeous bald in Madison County, 4,600 feet above sea level, where forest ends and 350 acres of open land begin — to gather life-changing memories.
The 1950s: UNC On The Air
by Philip Gerard
The state’s first educational TV station delivers wisdom over the airwaves, from the classroom to viewers’ living rooms.
Where the Wild Berries Are
by T. Edward Nickens
Every summer, our intrepid “Bramblin’ Man” heads into thorny thickets across North Carolina, braving bugs and briars for the promise of blackberry cobbler.
Closing
Carolina Calendar: July 2019
by Our State Staff
From bluegrass conventions to Independence Day celebrations, your curated monthly guide to events across North Carolina.
Remembering Winston-Salem’s Swimmin’ Hole
by Jeremy Markovich
Crystal Lake opened in 1925 and was a welcome reprieve from the summer heat — and only slightly dangerous.
Bonus! Eats Insert
56 Food Experiences You Can’t Miss in NC
by Katie Schanze
Whether you’re born-and-fed or looking for an Old North State culinary education, these are the food experiences from mountains to coast that you simply must check off your list. Ready? Let’s dig in.