Back in the Day: Bear Hugs
Mildred the Bear loved Fig Newtons, orange soda, and long walks with her best friend Hugh Morton.
Mildred the Bear loved Fig Newtons, orange soda, and long walks with her best friend Hugh Morton.
Our editor in chief reflects on the last eight years judging the North Carolina State Fair Special Cooking contests.
In historic cemeteries across the state, North Carolinians from all walks of life lie bound by the earth to their Carolina home.
In this music-loving community in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, visitors find much more than Mayberry.
Each fall, a farm field in Columbus County turns into one of the state’s largest corn mazes. Getting lost has never been so fun.
All lines lead to inspiration at a small downtown park surrounded by industry.
At Lowe Vintage Instrument Company, a father-and-son duo treasure the gift of music.
Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the best-laid plans of boys and their parents take a back seat to spontaneous discoveries and mountain magic.
The Country Squire has a long history of fine dining in Duplin County. Locals and beach travelers love the place. And, for reasons unexplained, so do ghosts.
Paddling down Swift Creek affords peerless views of flora and fauna — and multiple opportunities to carry your canoe over fallen trees.
An experiment with innovative teachers and a nontraditional curriculum yields a controversial educational experience.
High in a northwestern corner of the state, a little town on the Elk River welcomes new friends and temporary neighbors to celebrate mild summers, snowy winters, and — perhaps most spectacularly — bright, beautiful autumns.
In flower and gardening categories, State Fair competitors with green thumbs (or not) pin their hopes on plants that often have a mind of their own.
It’s judgment day at the State Fair’s food preservation competitions: Lids pop, judges dig in, and the anticipation is so thick you could spread it on a nice, warm piece of toast.
It may seem impossible to win that giant Jamaican banana at the hoop toss. But according to the Wake County law enforcement officers (and their kids) who work the game-testing beat, it just takes a little know-how.
Our modern world is smaller than it used to be. So how far away can you get from people, from society, from modern life? Our writer found North Carolina’s most remote spot and went there to find out.
An 80-year-old experiment in communal living is still going strong in the Black Mountains. Really, the idea is simple — neighbors helping neighbors — but in practice, nothing could be more complex.
A cure-all to many, wild ginseng is still hunted and sold in Blue Ridge counties. Protecting it takes vigilance, know-how, and, sometimes, even a stakeout.
On the river, along the trail, or just off the grid, knowing how to handle an emergency in the wilderness can save a life — these are the lessons taught at Nantahala Outdoor Center.
A way-off-the-beaten-path route between Maggie Valley and Cherokee takes intrepid travelers to “the back of beyond.”
Just outside Asheville, a last vestige of vintage mountain travel still welcomes hikers and families alike with rustic and retro charm.
Chef Andy Long puts Appalachia on the table (by way of Louisiana), and everyone — from locals to leaf peepers — is eating it up. But it’s the mountain community he’s found and fostered that makes his farmhouse restaurant feel like home.
Whether you’re picking a pumpkin on a farm or strolling through town on a ghost tour, North Carolina provides a bounty of fall fun.
At two mountain landmarks, experience the wonders of wind and water.