In Carteret County, a marine curator and dedicated volunteers have found a way to bring beached whales back to life. By sharing the creatures’ stories at the Bonehenge Whale Center, they’ve turned heartbreak into inspiration.
The Rum Diary
Tall tales of shipwrecks and smugglers on the Outer Banks inspired four young entrepreneurs to revive a storied tradition. Their Manteo distillery combines history and legend into a potent new concoction.
The Microbrewers of Hummus
Garbanzo beans find their groove at Asheville's artsy Roots Hummus.
The Town that Backpacks Built
Muddy boots are a welcome sight in this postcard-perfect spot in the Smokies. Whether you hike in on the Appalachian Trail or drive in for a weekend visit, Hot Springs offers every traveler a special kind of trail magic.
A Private Asheville Garden Is Rhododendron Heaven
In 1921, Charles Owen Dexter began hybridizing rhododendrons. Now, Dexter rhododendrons are known the world over — and one of the largest collections can be found at his relative’s home in Asheville.
The Trees Will See You Now
In North Carolina, physicians have long known that nature is the best medicine. Now, a new trail hiking program named TRACK Trails Rx is prescribing doses to the sick and the well.
No Mountain High Enough
If a walk in the woods meant peaceful meditation for 19th-century naturalists like Henry David Thoreau, it signaled danger for African-Americans. An outdoorsman is changing that narrative by leading Charlotte's Outdoor Afro hiking club on journeys to reclaim natural spaces.
Big Memories in a Tiny Shack
In the shadow of Whiteside Mountain in Jackson County sits the Grimshawes Post Office, an eensy-weensy wooden building that old-timers fondly remember and newcomers visit on hiking excursions around Cashiers and Highlands.
The Uwharrie Trailblazers are Closing the Gap
In the late 1960s, an Asheboro Scoutmaster had a dream: cut a mini Appalachian Trail through Uwharrie National Forest, in the center of the state. Today, a new group of trailblazers aims to finish the job.
