The May 2020 Issue

The allure of this waterfront town lies in its history and mystery, nostalgia and charm. On Roanoke Island, the past is always present.

At this stately spot in Candler, there’s only one set of rules that really matters: Relax. Recharge. Enjoy.

A Henderson County brewery is using the flavors of local farms — including the one it’s built on — to bring beer back to its roots.

When schools across the state send off another class, students and professors celebrate the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

Once upon a time, drive-in customers pulled up to a family restaurant with a funny name. Nearly 75 years later, loyal regulars are still enjoying this classic Southern buffet in Garner.

Tender shrimp, vibrant veggies, and penne pasta come together in this super creamy seafood supper.

This colorful crab salad is cool, creamy, and crunchy.

The star of this classic Southern cake is the incredible caramel frosting.

Hello, sunshine: Mixed olives, capers, and lemon wedges bring bright, savory flavors to this chicken dish.

The idea struck some as odd at first. Nevertheless, Lloyd and Frances Shore persisted. Now, a crowd gathers every May in Durham County to spoon up a special kind of camaraderie — and, of course, beans.

Garbanzo beans find their groove at Asheville’s artsy Roots Hummus.

In 1921, Charles Owen Dexter began hybridizing rhododendrons. Now, Dexter rhododendrons are known the world over — and one of the largest collections can be found at his relative’s home in Asheville.

Muddy boots are a welcome sight in this postcard-perfect spot in the Smokies. Whether you hike in on the Appalachian Trail or drive in for a weekend visit, Hot Springs offers every traveler a special kind of trail magic.

In North Carolina, physicians have long known that nature is the best medicine. Now, a new trail hiking program named TRACK Trails Rx is prescribing doses to the sick and the well.

In the late 1960s, an Asheboro Scoutmaster had a dream: cut a mini Appalachian Trail through Uwharrie National Forest, in the center of the state. Today, a new group of trailblazers aims to finish the job.

If a walk in the woods meant peaceful meditation for 19th-century naturalists like Henry David Thoreau, it signaled danger for African-Americans. An outdoorsman is changing that narrative by leading Charlotte’s Outdoor Afro hiking club on journeys to reclaim natural spaces.

Trekking through the woods (or scaling sand dunes) will surely work up an appetite. After a day on the trails, refuel at these hiker hangouts.

The trails that snake through the maritime forests and over the great dunes of the Outer Banks offer views as breathtaking as any in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In the shadow of Whiteside Mountain in Jackson County sits the Grimshawes Post Office, an eensy-weensy wooden building that old-timers fondly remember and newcomers visit on hiking excursions around Cashiers and Highlands.

On a quiet night in 1961, a plane from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base accidentally releases two thermonuclear bombs near Goldsboro. Only later do North Carolinians learn how close they came to the brink of disaster.

After a long day in the wilderness, even the most rugged outdoor enthusiasts can’t resist the comfort and good company found in a trail shelter.

Nearly a century ago, our state’s new governor was a widower. So his daughter stepped in to a big role.