As the country's 250th birthday nears, our editor in chief reflects on the way star-spangled sightings across North Carolina provide her with a moment to pause and appreciate the place she calls home.

In the South, we happen upon fatback in our stores and well-seasoned sides. This month, fatback finds its way, finally, into columnist Sheri Castle's kitchen.

It takes more than April showers to bring on the beauty of spring. As waves of yellow coat everything in sight, our Ramblin' Man stocks up on tissues and allergy medicine. Welcome to pollen season.

While nature might seem competitive, mature pine forests offer a lesson in coexistence — a natural phenomenon known as crown shyness.

In Iredell County, one of North Carolina's state historic sites provides a window into pre-Revolutionary War life at the edge of North Carolina's western frontier.

Writer T. Edward Nickens examines how prescribed fires clear out overgrown forests and make way for new life.

Beyond commercial jingles, Our State's editor in chief remembers the way her mother and grandmother turned cleaning into an act of care.

In the heart of North Carolina, the state's largest privately owned short-line railway is rekindling an appreciation for railroads and "slow travel" with a glittering fleet of restored train cars.

Tendrils of Spanish moss may evoke Southern Gothic allure, but in their habitats, the epiphyte shares a symbiotic relationship with its fellow flora and fauna.

In a season known for cleaning, Sheri Castle welcomes a freshly picked mess into her kitchen.