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As Shane Mason steps through the grand, wrought-iron gates into the courtyard of Tryon Palace, he sets the scene for his tour group. It’s the 1760s, and Royal Governor William Tryon selects New Bern to build the colony’s first permanent governor’s mansion. “Tryon chose New Bern because we were theContinue Reading

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Every evening around 8 p.m., guests gather in the parlor of Winston-Salem’s historic Brookstown Inn, where a wood-burning fire, dark mahogany furnishings and walls, comfy leather couches, and colorful paintings by local artists set the stage for a nostalgic end to the day: milk and cookies. “It’s a nice spaceContinue Reading

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On a late November Sunday, if you duck into St. Martin’s Episcopal Church on Seventh Street in Charlotte after the service, you can hear the holiday season begin. The scraping of a ladder, a rattle of chains, and a half-dozen men calling out directions: This is the chorus to theContinue Reading

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Hollies can be prickly — a guaranteed ouch for gardeners’ bare hands. Their berries are somewhat toxic; their branches unwieldy. If you’ve ever tried to move one, impossible might be the word that comes to mind. Even from a stump ground level to the earth, jabbing shoots arise. Still. WhenContinue Reading

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With thousands of tiny, twinkling lights casting a warm, golden glow on the faces of the singers in front of him, Matt Fry raises his arms. He turns and cues pianist Daniel Steinert, who begins playing “Hodie Fanfare” brightly in 10/8 time. After four bars, the sopranos join the piano,Continue Reading

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Yellow and blue stepping stones lead to a cozy cottage with an attached three-story windmill. A bright red bow adorns the front door, while rainbow shingles shimmer on the rooftop. To the left of the property, ducks rest peacefully on a pond, and in the front yard, a snowman greetsContinue Reading

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On the corner of the stage in the old Rodanthe schoolhouse sits a drum propped on a metal folding chair. The rope tensions stand in contrast to its cracked and peeling hoops and brittle leather ears. The patinated shell scarred by time and its taut head — worn, torn, patched,Continue Reading