Generations of Marines have come through Jacksonville en route to battles near and far, as well as on their way to careers, some lengthy and some tragically brief. In the city’s Lejeune Memorial Garden, memories of their heroism live on.
Greensboro’s Hamburger Square
This tiny city block in downtown Greensboro once had a gigantic reputation. Not so much for its charbroiled beef patties — though they, too, were plentiful — but for its colorful characters and their wild shenanigans.
Burger Time
In the 1950s, as Americans hit freshly paved roads in shiny new cars during the postwar boom, a new kind of restaurant took shape: the drive-in. From those first thin patties to the elaborate gourmet hamburgers of today, North Carolina has spent the past 80 years making burger history.
A Raleigh Neon Studio Perfects the Art of Light
Making neon signs is part art, part science. Since 1986, Nate Shaeffer has been bending glass to bring its special light to life.
The Safest Place: The Stewards of Jones Lake State Park
In Bladen County, before integration, a former military man and his family were stewards of the first North Carolina state park open to Black families. There, amid acres of longleaf pines and a sprawling lake, families and friends gathered to eat, play, and pray.
Talking the Walk
Two North Carolina State Parks rangers met while working a wildfire in Rutherford County. They got to chatting and realized that they didn’t want to stop. Now, the duo hosts a podcast that answers all kinds of questions about the great outdoors.
She Rides the Wind
A Charlotte motorcycle instructor graduates from tearing around mountain curves on a sportbike to enjoying the scenery and the camaraderie of cruising with friends along North Carolina’s country roads.
Homeward Bound
The Map Shop wasn’t just a shop with maps — it was a Charlotte landmark. A landmark on a map. A map stuffed on a shelf. A shelf that sat inside The Map Shop.
Kings of the Road
In Statesville, couples in classic cars take their Sunday drives seriously, hopping into vintage Chevrolets and cruising along North Carolina’s highways and back roads.
