Acrocanthosaurus skeleton display at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

State of Wonder

Hoping to recapture the excitement of a school field trip, a writer plays tourist in her own backyard. In our capital city, she finds treasures that have been waiting nearby all along.

Doc Watson playing his guitar in Deep Gap, NC

The First Family of NC Mountain Music

Doc Watson’s legendary flat-picking style helped define the sound of North Carolina. But he would’ve been the first to say that he was one link in a long tradition of folk and bluegrass. Raised in a musical home in Deep Gap, his influence branched out far beyond Watauga County, welcoming new generations of musicians into the fold.

The Cherokee Way

In a land that has remained mostly unchanged for thousands of years, Cherokee culture continues to evolve. With renewed energy, citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are shaping their own narrative.