Two classic theme parks — Land of Oz in Beech Mountain and Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock — hold fond memories of growing up in North Carolina.
September 2020
Buskers and Music at the Crossroads
For nearly a century, North Carolina singers and songwriters have built careers busking for tips in the great outdoors. At these five spots, the kindness of strangers has helped fund some of our most enduring classics.
Meet the Family that Takes Care of UNC’s Mascot
For generations, one family has made sure that Rameses looks his best on game day — and has kept him safe from ram-nappers.
The 1960s: The Class Acts
In the 1960s, with the expansion of the Consolidated University of North Carolina and the state’s community college system, more North Carolinians than ever head to college classrooms.
In Search of Secret Creeks
Stocked with paper maps and picnic lunches, one family’s minivan becomes a time machine, carrying them across North Carolina and back to a simpler era.
Downtown: Elkin
This mountain town draws hikers and shoppers: When Main Street doubles as a hiking trail, you get the best of both worlds.
The Bamboo Princess of Asheboro
In Randolph County, a young explorer finds a peaceful escape in a castle built with imagination and towering stalks of native bamboo.
NC Highway 12 is North Carolina’s Line in the Sand
Shifting sands, tides, and tempests have shaped the Outer Banks for centuries. Now, those forces pose a constant threat to the islands’ lifeline — and a complicated challenge for the keepers of one of the state’s most famous roads.
The Wonderful World of What-A-Burger
The 1960s architecture, croaking call boxes, and carhops toting plastic trays stacked with steaming fries and frosty shakes: What-A-Burger — the beloved North Carolina chain, not the popular Texas franchise — is a living remnant from a time when cars were king.
