Our State Magazine

01/25/2025

At a Greenville landmark with no phone, no frills, and no equal, we spent 17 hours learning what makes the pork and the place so special.

B’s Barbecue is a Greenville landmark with no phone, no frills, and no equal. We spent 17 hours learning what makes the pork and the place so special.

01/25/2025

Dreams come in all shapes and sizes. In Caswell County, a man’s aspirations took the form of a miniature rock-and-cement village.

Dreams come in all shapes and sizes. In Caswell County, NC, a man’s aspirations took the form of a miniature rock-and-cement village.

01/25/2025

In 1875, R.J. Reynolds To***co Co. was established in the town of Winston. It became the second-largest to***co company in America. The former home of R.J. and Katharine Reynolds now houses which type of institution?

A. Art museum
B. Hospital
C. Livery

In the late 1800s, the Gilded Age marked a period of opulent architecture and economic growth in North Carolina. How well do you know its contributors’ legacies?

01/25/2025

For more than a century, Gimghoul Castle — the stone home of a legendary secret society — has intrigued UNC Chapel Hill students and local residents alike.

For more than a century, Gimghoul Castle, the stone home of a legendary secret society, has intrigued UNC Chapel Hill students and local residents alike.

01/24/2025

Nearly a century ago, a young man opened a restaurant to feed passengers leaving the old depot in Lexington. Though Southern Railway is no more, people still travel to the family-owned lunch spot for a plate full of comfort food.

A century ago, Herbert Lohr opened Southern Lunch to feed passengers entering and leaving Lexington, NC, by rail, starting a legacy his grandson continues today

01/24/2025

Hendersonville-based quilter Georgia Bonesteel shared her ingenuity on a popular PBS program that started in the 1970s and aired for 12 seasons. Today, Bonesteel’s daughter honors her legacy and the community she crafted, once piece of fabric at a time. Do you remember watching Georgia on television back in the day?

The legendary Georgia Bonesteel continues her lifelong passion for innovative quilting techniques and creating patchwork masterpieces.

01/24/2025

Cold-weather comfort can be found in layers of creamy, cheesy potatoes and sausage.

01/24/2025

Writer T. Edward Nickens and his wife, Julie, optimistically started fostering dogs with the hope of saving as many canines as possible — but their hearts were *very* quickly stolen by one, Honey Bee. Now, they unreservedly own the title of “foster fails” after bringing Honey Bee to her forever home — which they happen to share.

The Nickens family didn’t intend to save one dog; they wanted to save all the dogs. This changed when they met a friendly pup with a spring in her step.

01/23/2025

This town in the Sandhills calls to the greats. Writers, athletes, chefs, and creatives of all kinds come to this part of Moore County, where, among the longleaf pines, inspiration awaits.

01/23/2025

Come January, the hottest spot in North Carolina is in the mountains. Inside the Victorian conservatory on the grounds of Biltmore Estate — a jewel box of orchids, frilly fronds, and tropical flowers — every plant has a story.

Come January, the hottest spot in North Carolina is in the mountains. Inside the Victorian conservatory on the grounds of Biltmore Estate — a jewel box of orchids, frilly fronds…

01/23/2025

This hearty dish is the ultimate comfort food — just don’t skip the homemade crust.

This hearty dish is the ultimate fall comfort food — just don’t skip the homemade crust.

01/23/2025

In the South, if there’s even a *small* chance of snow on the forecast, we know where to go: our nearest grocery store, where we’ll inevitably buy milk and bread (if there’s any left!). To read more about North Carolina’s complicated relationship with winter weather — and the ways we prepare for it — click below.

On bread, milk, and North Carolina’s complicated relationship with winter weather.

01/22/2025

Warm your heart and hands with these stylish mismatched fingerless mittens made by Solmate Socks in Hickory. Find more North Carolina apparel at the link and enjoy free standard shipping on Our State Store orders for a limited time* → bit.ly/40i768s

*Some exclusions apply.

01/22/2025

In a quest for the perfect bowl of snow cream, the sweetest spoonfuls are always found in the past, mixed together with memories of snow day fun.

01/22/2025

When the weather outside is frightful, Chef Lynn Wells warms up with a cozy bowl of creamy chicken stew and chewy marshmallow blondies. Click below to get both recipes and see Lynn make them.

Loaded with hearty vegetables, this creamy chicken stew is our antidote to the coldest of winter nights. Roast your own chicken or opt for store-bought.

01/22/2025

In this month’s installment of our Hidden History series, we’re taking you back to 1942. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Rose Bowl made an unprecedented move to Durham from Pasadena, California. Later, the same players and one courageous coach fought side-by-side in World War II.

01/21/2025

In Monroe, a restaurant with a quirky, vintage atmosphere, community spirit, and creative takes on classic dishes brings a small town together over food and fun.

01/21/2025

All aboard! Click below to find out where to go, what to do, and what to eat in five downtowns across North Carolina — all within walking distance of the train station.

All aboard! Find out where to go, what to do, and what to eat in downtowns across North Carolina — all within walking distance of the train station.