Once, our longleaf pines produced the materials that helped ships travel around the globe — but the profits came at a price. Now, the forests that rang out with the sounds of industry stand quiet, and the last witnesses to that era are a rare find indeed.
Times have changed since scions of the Gilded Age hunted quail in piney woods across the Piedmont. But those who hope to preserve a home for the little birds will always listen for a bobwhite’s whistle.
As the seasons turn, migratory birds and restless humans have something in common: the urge to spread our wings in search of someplace new. Turns out, that feeling has a name.
For a longtime angler, revisiting the first fish of his youth has become a late-spring ritual: catch a bluegill, then cook and eat it — right on the spot.
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.
When the trees part and the trail slopes down to flowing waters, a hiker must decide: Try your luck and leap from rock to slippery rock — or take a deep breath and ford the stream?
The secret language of a family recipe is usually brief, and it sure isn’t fancy. But what those well-loved recipe cards lack in detail, they make up for in memories.
Good food tastes better in the great outdoors — especially if you’ve hiked or paddled for it. The best part? Gathering ’round the campfire with family and friends till long after the skillet’s empty.
The cutest critters that most North Carolinians never see tend to stay above the fray. But you’d better believe that flying squirrels are there, gliding gracefully from tree to tree.
