The Lone Star Block on a barn in Fleetwood, NC

Western North Carolina’s Square Roots

Patterned after traditional heirloom blankets yet displayed like bright rural billboards, quilt blocks bring color, symbolism, and visitors to our mountains. See these pieces of American folk art as we wind past the barns and buildings of the Carolina countryside.

The High Country: Nature’s Art

The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.

The Salamander Safari

They’re called a lot of uncharitable names — snot otters, devil dogs, hellbenders — but the ancient aquatic creatures of Appalachia are a prime indicator of the health of our waterways.