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3 weeks ago | 
ourstate.com | Rebecca Woltz |Lauren Rhodes |Celia Funderburk |Tamiya Anderson
When self-made millionaire and Tasteless Chill Tonic inventor E.W. Grove dreamed of “the most elegant building in America,” the Grove Arcade was born. Opened in 1929, the mall has more than 50 businesses tucked throughout its hallways, from Jonny’s Barbershop to Bebette’s, a New Orleans coffeehouse.
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Dec 8, 2024 | 
ourstate.com | Robin Sutton Anders |Trudy Haywood Saunders |Rebecca Woltz |Lauren Rhodes
SPONSORED BY Elisha Brown and her husband were App State college students when they first started working at Boone Bagelry. The relaxed, diner-style restaurant was a Boone mainstay that drew them in. In 2023, almost 20 years later, they bought the place. From her post behind the counter, Brown helps her customers make the important decision of which bagel will start their day — and what they’ll do after they polish it off.
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Dec 4, 2024 | 
ourstate.com | Mark Weddle |Trudy Haywood Saunders |Rebecca Woltz |Lauren Rhodes
SPONSORED BY Yield: 1 drink. Cinnamon-Honey Syrup:1 cup honey1 cup water4 to 5 cinnamon sticksCocktail:Ice¼ cup cranberry juice¼ fresh lime juice2 tablespoons cinnamon-honey syrupGinger beer (for topping)Lime wedge, sprig of rosemary, and fresh cranberries (for garnish)For the cinnamon-honey syrup: Combine honey and water in a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Once a foam starts to form at the surface, remove from heat and add cinnamon sticks.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
ourstate.com | Trudy Haywood Saunders |Rebecca Woltz |Lauren Rhodes |Katie Schanze
If Santa had his own train, it would certainly stop in a place named Star. This tiny town has always been known for its holiday spirit: Its Christmas parade is one of the oldest in the state. The post office holds a holiday stamp cancellation contest each year. And Starworks, its arts center, draws shoppers from all around for an annual ornament sale. So is it any surprise that Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway chose Star as a stop for its new Carolina Christmas Train?
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
ourstate.com | Brad Campbell |Trudy Haywood Saunders |Rebecca Woltz |Lauren Rhodes
Uncovering forgotten artifacts and delving into dusty archives to explore the little-known stories of our state. Got an idea for an upcoming column? Email us at [email protected]. Not many people can say they got career inspiration in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead show in the 1980s. But then, Steve Langley isn’t your typical 9-to-5 kind of guy. “I followed the Dead around for a decade,” says Langley, who grew up in Charlotte.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
ourstate.com | Lauren Rhodes |Kristin Davis |Lynn Wells |Hannah Lee Leidy
Biltmore Estate is even more magical during the holidays, when the 250-room French Renaissance-style château, completed in 1895, is decked with garlands, greenery, thousands of ornaments, and 67 Christmas trees — including a 35-foot Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall. biltmore.comExperience the sights and sounds of historic Beaufort on a double-decker bus ride with carolers from local churches.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
ourstate.com | Trudy Haywood Saunders |Rebecca Woltz |Lauren Rhodes |Katie Schanze
As we walked into the woods, I stayed close to my dad, always following his lead. It was early December in the late ’80s, and the first frost had already come. As we traversed our family’s land — hundreds of acres acquired over several generations; none of us can say exactly how large the plot is for sure — my eyes roamed everywhere, on the hunt for wild beauty.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
ourstate.com | Jo Grey |Trudy Haywood Saunders |Rebecca Woltz |Lauren Rhodes
After a day spent on planes, in airports, and amid crowds, Dennis and Stephanie Farias have finally made it to the tiny town of Badin where Stephanie’s parents live. It’s almost midnight on Christmas Eve, and at the end of their long trip from Nevada, the couple approaches the 1913 Badin Inn, a three-story, white structure with a wraparound veranda.
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Nov 21, 2024 | 
ourstate.com | Elizabeth Hudson |Trudy Haywood Saunders |Rebecca Woltz |Lauren Rhodes
Purchase collections of Elizabeth Hudson’s columns at ourstatestore.com. For most of the year, Christmas lived in the stacks of boxes, bins, and crates stored beneath the eaves of our staircase and stowed away in the walk-in closet of the spare bedroom. But come December, my parents set about transforming our home into something like a holiday dream. Garlands of greenery twined around the banister and draped from the fireplace mantel.
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Nov 13, 2024 | 
ourstate.com | Katie Kane |Trudy Haywood Saunders |Rebecca Woltz |Lauren Rhodes
As chain saw carver Christopher Poplin slices a corner from a block of Douglas fir, splinters fan out from the wood like a bird ruffling its feathers. The Mocksville artist behind Busy Wren Creations makes a precise incision into the top of the piece, the start of a cardinal’s signature crown. With each cut, the chain saw purrs, and the shape of our state bird becomes more prominent.
