From a retro motel in Maggie Valley to a statewide barbecue bucket list to a round-up of classic hot dog joints, these stories were our readers’ favorites.
Remembering Philip Gerard
On November 7, 2022, our friend and longtime writer Philip Gerard passed away unexpectedly. In every story that he wrote for us, he helped us understand a little bit more about what it means to be a North Carolinian.
Fearrington’s Visionaries
Since the 1980s, Fearrington House in Pittsboro has carried on a fine-dining tradition rooted in elegance and shaped by the restaurant’s late founder and its ambitious first chef.
Brevard’s Window Wonderland
Downtown shops twinkle and glow during the holidays with window displays reminiscent of yuletide celebrations of the 1940s and ’50s.
Dickens Village Devotion
In Durham, the careful re-creation of Victorian-era London in miniature takes a Dickens enthusiast back to his childhood in the 1960s, helping him honor Christmas in his heart and keep it all the year.
A Christmas Comeback
What goes around comes around. A mid-century collectible moves from the attic to the antiques stores.
A Wartime Feast Aboard the USS North Carolina
During World War II, sailors on the battleship enjoy a welcomed taste of home during the holidays.
Carol of the Belks
Born in Monroe in 1888, a home-grown department store became, for generations of North Carolinians, the gold standard of Christmas shopping.
Let There Be Peace
During the Civil War, Christmas became a season of longing for soldiers and their loved ones waiting at home.
