Tinsel and twinkling lights, cookies and hot chocolate, and a visit with you-know-who. All aboard the Craggy Mountain Line!
features
Meet Clarence Claus
The Santa that so many have been waiting for has already wrapped Oprah’s presents and thousands more since an Apex couple created him for a line of holiday paper and stationery. Soon, he will appear under trees across the state.
The Concord House of 10,000 Santas
What began as a hobby to help Judy Barnhardt out of a rough patch became a house full of jolly ol’ St. Nicks — and a way to say thank you.
Brevard’s McGaha Chapel Is Tiny, but Mighty
Hidden in the woods, McGaha Chapel helped bridge a community’s divisions nearly 150 years ago. At Christmastime, folks still come together here to lift their hopeful voices in holiday song.
A Holiday Poem for the Ages
Seventy years ago, Elinor Hawkins’s professor asked her to choose a book she’d collect for the rest of her life. She picked “The Night Before Christmas.” Today, she has more than 1,000 copies.
Our Sweetest Symbol: Moravian Cookies
When Greensboro fourth graders decided to launch a “state cookie” campaign, they got a lesson in civics, as well as patience. It turns out, nothing about Moravian cookies is easy — except, of course, eating them.
The Land of Rainbow Trout
Farmed in the clear waters of Haywood County — and sublime when smoked — these mountain beauties are a favorite of the best chefs across the Southeast.
Smoke Soothes When Harvesting Honey from the Hive
There’s smoke filling the spaces among trees, in backyards, between homes. It tumbles over the eaves of big buildings. No need for alarm, not here. The smoke is for our honeybees.
The Pipes of Sparta: Dr. Grabow
While most North Carolina communities were manufacturing textiles, a small town in Alleghany County became famous for its finely crafted pipes.
