Our editor in chief gives North Carolina the unofficial name, “State of Light,” reflecting on the beauty that shines all around us — from the sun that rises above the crashing waves of our coast to the glinting rays that shimmer through our mountain waterfalls.
From kite-flying to shelling to surfing, how much do you know about the ways to play on the North Carolina coast?
Rooted in coastal fish frys, according to North Carolina lore, the humble hush puppy has swept the state from east to west, and these golden-brown rounds can be found across all levels of dining establishments.
A builder and his family moved from house to house like nomads, developing one Outer Banks property at a time. A pair of homes — and their mid-century architecture — found a special place in their hearts.
Every year, one woman invites a theater troupe to perform Shakespeare at her home. When life starts to imitate art, she saves the evening from turning into a farce.
On a sprawling farm in Cumberland County, many of the creatures within the enclosures are of the prehistoric variety.
In a storybook cottage on Hatteras Island, a passionate bookseller shares her love of the Outer Banks with readers.
A music trend that originated on the North Carolina coast evolved into a popular genre and dance that’s celebrated in New Hanover County each summer.
Before she became a successful novelist, Jill McCorkle was collecting portions of plots and slivers of settings. Her titles blend fiction with bits of reality from the rich catalog of her life.
A fine-dining establishment in Chowan County was dreamt up and built by many people — from chefs to preservationists to fishermen — all proud to call Edenton home.
Memories of childhood summers spent on the coast had one man dreaming of returning to Currituck County. Today, he serves frozen treats by the beaches he loves.
One Greensboro dad showed his daughters that family and a full plate are the key ingredients to an unforgettable Father’s Day.
Growing up, recipe developer Lynn Wells remembers her dad cooking barbecue chicken over his Weber grill, patiently waiting for the just-right temperature and dousing the chicken in his signature sauce.
Serve these crispy veal cutlets with lots of crusty bread to wipe up every last bit of the rich mushroom sauce.
For a cool and creamy dessert when it’s too hot to use the oven, try this no-bake pie topped with lots of whipped cream.
This cool and crisp salad is a cheese lover’s delight, with chunks of salty feta cheese tossed into the salad and whisked into the tangy dressing.
On the eastern end of U.S. 64 in Nags Head, three major highways converge, road trips give way to summer vacations, and memories of the old Outer Banks live on.
Where to play, grab a bite, and cast a line in the area around South Nags Head.
Dawn on the North Carolina’s beaches sharpens the senses: Colors look brighter, crashing waves sound louder, and the potential for the day ahead seems infinite.
A camouflage paint scheme designed to evade enemy attacks during World War II is now a star attraction for the Battleship North Carolina.
For the Ramblin’ Kids, no training ground better captured the freedom and infinite possibilities of learning to drive than the beaches at Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Shark teeth, ancient ship wrecks, deadly jellyfish, and … spaceship debris? Keep an eye out when roaming our beaches — you never know what surprises are lying at the water’s edge.
A former classroom teacher’s life journey with a world-renowned photographer became one of the great romantic stories of our time — based on a mutual calling to save North Carolina’s magnificent lighthouses.
Since its completion in 1875, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse has stood witness to the community of Corolla, which grew up under the spindle’s eye.
An Ocracoke bed and breakfast in the former home of one of the island’s last lighthouse keepers embodies the spirit of the island, buoyed by its devoted caretakers.
When the Cape Fear Lighthouse was dismantled more than 60 years ago, the pieces of glass that composed its Fresnel lens scattered in a hundred directions. Now, The Old Baldy Foundation is attempting to put the lens back together.
The Cape Hatteras Light has guided mariners for more than two centuries and undergone massive changes, but its connection to the Jennette family remains constant.
First built to provide safe passage to trade ships en route to Plymouth, the Roanoke River Lighthouse has seen several iterations, three locations, and a pair of men who gave the otherwise doomed building a new lease on life.
They may not have the cachet of the iconic light stations, but these river lighthouses were just as important in aiding navigation to and from our state’s ports.
The resilience of our lighthouses — and that of the people who kept them — is perhaps best exemplified by the life and times of this lighthouse in South Nags Head.
Cape Lookout Lighthouse once guided ships safely through treacherous shoals. Today, it’s the centerpiece of one of the darkest places on the Atlantic coastline, thanks to a group of Down East stargazers.
A North Carolina veteran survived torpedoes, a storm at sea, and America’s bloodiest battle of World War II. Decades later and a world away, he defied the odds again by becoming the oldest person to ascend the Oak Island Lighthouse.
Tucked away amid the towering lighthouses that dot North Carolina’s coast are life-saving stations once manned by brave surfmen who risked their lives to rescue mariners in peril. One Outer Banks resident has dedicated his life to making sure those surfmen are not forgotten.
In Corolla, one lighthouse keeper follows in the footsteps of generations of lightkeepers, taking care of the grounds and welcoming curious visitors into the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.
For a born and raised “O’cocker,” the lighthouse was an abiding presence throughout Dale Mutro childhood’s. As an adult, he has helped tell the tower’s story.
For the son of an ironworker, the intricate railings and Italianate brackets of the Hatteras Lighthouse sparked a lifelong infatuation with America’s most iconic lighthouse.
Born on Harkers Island and the great-grandson of a lightkeeper, Heber Guthrie now dons the visage of former lightkeepers to inspire a sense of Down East pride in younger generations.
