The July 2026 Issue

Restored colonial homes, historic streets, and waterfront views await in our state’s oldest town.

Across North Carolina, chimney swifts spend the summer on the wing, filling the evening air before spiraling home at dusk.

At both the turn of the century and today, Beaufort’s waterfront has attracted a hum of commerce and community. At its heart, a historic avenue tells that history, from the stately double-porched homes to the sound of ships announcing their arrival at port.

Stay in a historic hotel, sip a cocktail while overlooking the water, paddle out to a preserve, and more right off an iconic thoroughfare in Carteret County.

How a Christmas tradition popularized at an all-girls summer camp in Brevard grew into a global phenomenon.

Long intrigued by the mysterious, a Wilmington writer drew inspiration from the disappearance of a literary icon to crack a best-seller.

For 50 years, Country Fruit Stand No. 2 near Goldsboro has welcomed travelers with fresh produce, good people, and a reason to linger.

Grab your goggles and dive into historic pools and nostalgic swimming holes, where cool relief and summer traditions have stood the test of time.

Five decades since boyhood summers at White Lake, a writer returns to see what time has changed — and what the water remembers.

It’s not all smiles and sashes. Winning NC Watermelon Queen means becoming our state’s top ambassador for a fruit with some serious state pride.

There’s more to North Carolina melons than what meets the rind. Dive into the lore and legacies behind some of our sweetest summer picks, fresh off the vine.

A summer tradition draws one and all to a Blue Ridge dance floor.

On the Crystal Coast, all that glitters is reimagined in stained glass by a family who’s made Carteret County their home and muse.

For 19 years, a retired social worker has operated one of the few manual scoreboards left in professional baseball, and he’s discovered his game-day job with the Durham Bulls is not just about numbers.

Whether at farmers markets, home gardens, or kitchen tables, come summertime, we keep this vegetable close by.

Although these fritters taste best while hot, we don’t mind them stone-cold from the fridge on a hot summer night.

The smoky signature on our summer dinners isn’t the only lingering effect of an evening spent around the grates.

A stint on the grill coaxes out toasty, caramelized flavors in pineapple and bell peppers to create a salsa that is bright, smoky, and sweet.

Chef Lynn Wells shakes up her summer cookout with cheesy, meaty stuffed peppers that roast over open flames.

Tossing halved potatoes in a smoky seasoning blend then grilling them doubles down on their fiery flavors.

For one adventurous North Carolina couple, first came love, then came the ride of a lifetime.

At the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, rows of RVs draw dreamers longing for free time and open spaces from the mountains to the coast — and beyond.

In Archdale, two sisters transform tired RVs into modern moveable homes, their late father’s lessons among their most trusted tools.

A painter finds nature and color reflected in the gleaming camper that carries his family across North Carolina.

Once hallmarks of the open road, old-school aluminum campers across the state are shifting gears to become their own destinations for al fresco fare.

In Henderson County, three generations are preserving a beloved mountain outpost — and sharing its creeks, cabins, and summer-camp spirit with a new wave of guests.