Legend has it that beneath Lake James rests the lost mountain utopia of Fonta Flora, a diverse community that farmed fertile land and lived in harmony. Getting to the truth behind the lore involves following family history, old maps, and really good beer.
Joey Henson found that the best way to protect this wild and vital landscape is to conquer it.
Three years after a devastating fall from the side of a mountain in the rocky wilderness of Linville Gorge, an avid hiker returned to the scene to find acceptance and renewal.
In an old trading post and gristmill near Grandfather Mountain, an artist has created a community of locals and tourists who come together over pulled pork and fried pickles, High Country cocktails, and traditional Appalachian art and music.
Merchants and their regulars in this Burke County town have banded together like family, uplifting and reinventing a community rich in nature, compassion, and creativity.
Here, “eating local” isn’t a trend — Appalachian cooks have always made the most of the flavors that grow around them. Today, mountain chefs continue that hearty, homegrown legacy.
For 125 years, the North Carolina School for the Deaf has drawn generations of students from all over the state, evolving with the times. Now, as NCSD prepares to enter a new phase, it’s clear what the historic campus has always been for its community: a second home.
The elegantly rustic bark shingles that give this mountain town its character are as fashionable today as they were more than a century ago when a famous architect introduced them.
A staple crop of Watauga County for generations, the glorious green cabbage remains a savory symbol of old mountain ways and comforting suppers. Plus, it might just cure what ails you.
