Features

Small Business Spotlight: Unorthodox Vintage

If you enjoy vintage and secondhand finds, Unorthodox Vintage in downtown Raleigh might be the Simon to your Garfunkel. Since its opening last June, this quirky establishment has been offering up an eclectic assortment of vintage and secondhand apparel with a mixture of street style, everyday wear, decade pieces, and local maker items. Owners Alexandria... Read More

Pay It Forward: Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail

On a bright morning in January, the temperature hovered around 28 degrees, and a thin film of ice across Falls Lake began melting as the sun chased the shadows away. Under still-bare trees, green sprigs of new growth peeked through the brown leaves along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) in Durham. Despite the chill, a group... Read More

Take a Flying Leap

As a welder, Tasha Buckner was used to seeing sparks fly. But there’s nothing like hurtling 120 miles per hour toward the earth — with nothing to lean on but training, experience, and a carefully packed parachute rig — that sparks her to dive out of an airplane again and again. And again … “Skydiving’s... Read More
Out & About in Wake County: March / April 2023

Out & About in Wake County: March / April 2023

1. Celebrate Irish and Celtic culture in downtown at the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival on March 11. The parade begins at 10 a.m., followed by a daylong festival with plenty of food, drink, and live music. raleighstpats.org 2. A perennial favorite among visitors to the NC Museum of Art,... Read More
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Food + Dining

Hole-in-the-Wall Haunts

Sometimes a simple meal at a humble place is good for the soul. What better time than fall to expand your horizons and try some of the best no-frills restaurants our state has to offer? Over the course of two days, we ventured out to eastern North Carolina and then headed south to the coast... Read More

Celebrated Spirits: In Bloom

In bloom is a semi-dry cider with hints of local elderberry syrup noticed upfront along with a slightly tart taste. It finishes with smooth notes of cinnamon and local honey. About East Bower Cider Company: Opened in August 2022 in Raleigh’s new East End Market by Dustin Walker and Oliver Koch, East Bower Cider tends... Read More
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Life + Style

The Gatorbug Boutique

The story of The Gatorbug begins with family. In the early 2000s, family matriarch Patricia Bishop and her daughter, Dawn Carter, decided to start a small business selling women’s accessories and giftware. Instead of a traditional brick and mortar, they sold their merchandise at Junior League shows and holiday convention gift shows. Dawn’s niece, Sydney... Read More

Erica Chats: Plenty to See in NC

I don't know about you, but I am a proud North Carolinian. This state has so much to offer! It’s filled with beauty, adventure, great food, THE PEOPLE, and some unforgettable attractions and travel spots. From the beaches to the mountains, we have it all. When you do a Google search for the best family... Read More
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Home + Garden

Garden Adventurer: The Bodacious Crossvine

Have an ugly fence or wall in need of being dressed up? Trellis looking bare and bland? Like the idea of lounging under a canopy of living shade? Searching for a vertical landscape accent? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, I have a solution, but it might not be for the... Read More

Garden Adventurer: Agalonema Aglow

As winter weather chills the desire to work outside in the yard, many gardeners turn their attentions to the pleasures of houseplants. And one particular pretty that always catches my eye at this time of year is agalonema (Agalonema sp.), which is often referred to as Chinese evergreen. I prefer to use “agalonema” rather than... Read More
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travel

Beautiful Beaufort by the Sea

When searching for the best way to describe Beaufort, South Carolina, two words immediately come to mind: hauntingly beautiful. The moss that drips from the trees, the gentle sway of the salt marsh, the shafts of sunlight streaming through the canopy of live oaks above. It’s almost as if you’ve stepped into a Nicholas Sparks... Read More

Down the Road: Sylvan Heights Bird Park

Entering the Sylvan Heights Bird Park means walking into a world where pink flamingos eat out of your hand, parakeets perch on your shoulders, and a scarlet ibis flies by an arm’s distance away. The park, in Scotland Neck, NC, boasts the world’s largest waterfowl collection and the second largest bird collection in the US.... Read More
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On Trend

On Trend: Eco-Friendly Outdoor Gear

If you're heading outdoors this time of year for a hike or camping trip, you likely already have a fondness for nature, and what better way to sustain it than by using ecofriendly gear from green-savvy companies? At Apex Outfitter and Board Co., office manager Chanel Bennett points to several brands that are popular with... Read More

On Trend: The Healing Power of Mushrooms

Amy Fox began her love of mushrooms in 2014 when she visited a farmers market at Lake Gaston. She recalled them being served on special occasions when she was a child because they were expensive. Then she realized, “These are in the woods — and they’re free!” From there, Fox set out on a journey... Read More
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