The April 2021 Issue

A bedroom community has blossomed into a notable destination filled with colorful history, tasty food, creative shops, plus neighbors who make you feel like family.

Learn, plant, celebrate, and discover what North Carolina has to offer this month.

At this historic home that’s been transformed into a charming mountain inn, R & R takes on new meaning: Guests can enjoy the sounds of nature, extravagant breakfasts, upscale amenities, and even a UTV joyride.

Asheville’s first farm-to-table restaurant helped start a movement more than 40 years ago. Now, its chef continues the tradition by drawing on his childhood spent foraging and farming with his grandparents.

These cheesy, bacon-filled mini muffins make for a perfect breakfast … or afternoon snack.

These crowd-pleasing, crisp, buttery wafers are the perfect addition to any party.

Bake until golden and bubbly, then spread it on a cracker.

Drizzle these petite puffs with honey and sprinkle with sugar for a bite-size dessert.

When the sun rises on Easter morning, its warming rays make their way across our landscape — from the sandy shores to the tallest peaks — flooding our homes and hearts with hope and light.

Hopes were high in the 18th and 19th centuries that Harlowe Creek would connect Carteret County with the world. That didn’t pan out. Now, the narrow waterway is shrouded in mystery. And for a few brave souls, it’s an adventure through wild country.

Warren Wheeler’s love of open spaces inspired him to start his own airline, blaze a trail into history, and pass his knowledge on to a new generation of pilots.

Pastel dyed eggs dotting the landscape are a sure sign that winter is winding down, but as every gardener knows, patience is key: Spring doesn’t necessarily begin when the Easter sermon ends.

A towering, whimsical Venus flytrap may seem out of place in a military community, but this sculpture has found a home among soldiers putting down roots in the Sandhills.

A brick sculpture stretches across a downtown block in the rolling hills of Surry County, paying homage to a few of the everyday people who built America’s favorite small town.

Herds of steel horses and other beasts — with tails, manes, trunks, and humps of silver and rust — have overtaken the sidewalks and vacant lots in Greenville.

At the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, some of French sculptor Auguste Rodin’s bronze figures live in the outdoors, steadfast yet ever-changing.

The story of this glittering jewel box is written in its very walls — a mosaic of bottles and broken dishes, seashells and secrets, inspired by the visionary paintings of a Wilmington artist.

A 90-foot-long, multicolored sculptural net flutters above LeBauer Park, bringing a powerful sense of community to this multicultural downtown equally known for its history of civil rights advances and textile manufacturing.

In the first decade of the 21st century, Charlotte erected a pair of sculptures in two public spaces. The pieces have become symbols of the city itself.

In North Carolina’s Coastal Plain, city skylines don’t require tall buildings — just revolving pieces of scrap metal and an otherworldly imagination.

Shake up your spring strolls by seeking out a masterpiece.

In 1972, legendary photographer and Grandfather Mountain proprietor Hugh Morton took this 10-week-old bear cub on a trip across North Carolina.

In Asheboro, the rolling piedmont starts to look like a slice of Africa as a new state-supported zoo aims to teach the value of conservation — and give its animals space to be themselves.