Crystal Lake opened in 1925 and was a welcome reprieve from the summer heat — and only slightly dangerous.
jeremy markovich
Saving, the Family Business
In 1899, Erasmus Midgett saved 10 people from a shipwreck off the North Carolina coast — and started a family tradition.
The Cowman of Caswell County
A trained engineer with a love of farming found his calling in rolling green hills and a herd of white, French cows.
The Python with a Purple Heart
How a soldier rescued a Burmese python from a dinner table during the Vietnam War and brought it back to North Carolina.
A Pirate’s Life for NC
In the 1950s and ’60s, the Dare Coast Pirates Jamboree brought dancing, fish fries, and elaborate costumes to the Outer Banks each spring — until things got a little too rowdy.
A Fish Worth Fighting For
In the creeks and rivers of the Coastal Plain, shad are harbingers of spring. For the folks in one tiny town, their annual Shad Festival also heralds a renewed spirit of resilience.
All Aboard: Tap Hopper Tours
Tap Hopper Tours started as a way to help beer lovers explore Greensboro. Then, its founders discovered something that brewers really needed.
The Crazy, True Story of the Theft (and Recovery) of North Carolina’s Priceless Bill of Rights
North Carolina’s copy of the Bill of Rights was once stolen, hidden away for more than 100 years, then recovered in a spectacular FBI raid.
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail’s Most Beautiful Places
North Carolina's longest footpath runs 1,175 miles, from Clingmans Dome to the Outer Banks. Here are nine spots along the way that you need to see.
