“The internet changes the way people engage with the travel industry, but it doesn’t take away the need for service … Travel is pretty personal, and that’s an important experience for people.” – Trevor Smith, president and manager, Maupin Travel …
“There’s something about shaking off the Newtonian mechanical man-made time – minutes, seconds, days – that allows you to let go of tension and stress and the need to be perfect, or something other than who you already are.” –Carson…
text and photographs by Dean McCord There was a time not so long ago that Wilmington was considered a coastal afterthought by some Triangle residents. It wasn’t a destination like Wrightsville Beach or Carolina Beach, and it lacked the storied history…
by Mimi Montgomery illustrations by Addie McElwee In the interest of journalistic transparency, I’ll start this article off with a disclaimer: My knowledge of the flora and fauna that populate our local environment is slim. It can be narrowed down to…
by CC Parker Jerry Seinfeld once said, “There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.” Most parents know that a family vacation is most often just a relocation: same bickering, same feeding schedule … different venue. Not…
by Mimi Montgomery photograph by Travis Long Walk into Port of Raleigh on South McDowell Street and you might think you’ve left the City of Oaks and entered the gift shop of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Light…
by P. Gaye Tapp photographs by Juli Leonard If you happen to be a Spider-Man fan, you may have spotted a pair of stylish benches with a primeval flair making their motion picture debut in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Made…
by Suzanne M. Wood illustration by Addie McElwee The first indication that the owl “safari” I was about to embark on would be more of an audio experience than a visual one came when leader Meredith Massengill hoisted a large black boom…
by Mimi Montgomery photograph by Travis Long Tucked into a row of shops off Dixie Trail, Frameworks is a family-owned gallery and frame design shop that’s been in business for 40 years. Owners Charles and Carolyn Younger started it as…
by Jesma Reynolds photographs by Juli Leonard Turning a hobby into a career can be an unlikely dream. But by tapping into her vast trove of flea market finds – old feed sacks and Americana textiles – Jessica Ullom has…
“I wanted to give a better service and still keep it affordable. Catherine felt the same way but she always brought her style and her retail experience and her fashion experience.” – Heather Brewer, co-founder, Paintbar by Mimi Montgomery photograph by Travis…
by Suzanne M. Wood The opportunity to fuel up at one of my favorite restaurants sealed the deal when I considered which local segment of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail to hike on an early winter afternoon. Conveniently, a 2.2-mile section of…
“They think we’re just the typical pawn shop, when really we’re the complete opposite.” – Alan Horwitz, owner of Reliable Loan and Jewelry by Jessie Ammons photograph by Travis Long On the section of South Wilmington Street now defined by a trio…
