Sometime during that snow in January, between my fourth and fifth walk to the fridge to find a snack that didn’t exist, my case of cabin fever got real. Stuck inside working for a few days, my mind drifted.
I thought back on beach trips to Duck and the Outer Banks. Even though I’m a Virginia native, who among us hasn’t seen a production of “The Lost Colony” on Manteo? I dreamt of biting into that perfect Apple Ugly at Orange Blossom Bakery on Hatteras. I remembered a hot toddy I’d had a few years ago at Pinpoint in Wilmington – the “Keep the Home Fires Burning,” made with coconut milk and brandy. And it came with heart-shaped cookies!
I’m still planning my trips for the year but I hope to check out Hello, Sailor in Cornelius overlooking Lake Norman. This made-for-Instagram eatery, from the owners of the much-lauded Kindred in Davidson, serves up catfish, oysters and wedge salads … and seasonal hand pies. (Can you tell I love a good fried-fruit dessert?)
I do have a trip to Southport planned for April, and I’ve already been Googling breweries and bakeries near my friends’ wedding reception site. Thanks to my work on the spring/ summer travel story in this issue, I already know a little more about the neighboring area, including Bald Head Island. I’m tempted to leave my car on the mainland and take the ferry over to explore its beauty. You’ll find a half-dozen more ideas for coastal travel on page 50 – here’s to the arrival of spring in the South!
–Jessica Stringer
Executive Editor
IN EVERY ISSUE
10 Letter from the Executive Editor
40 Books
Q&A with author and Fearrington Village resident Caroline Taylor
126 Taste
Find our area’s best restaurants
139 Engagements
Maggie Peterson and Kyle Peterson;
Chase Woodfin and Hannah Meyers
141 Weddings
Jackson Cox and Margaret Moriarty;
Jessica Marsden and Alex Worsnip;
Annie Hogan and Steven Lahti;
Will Hemsworth and Mandy Brannon
FEATURES
44 Shop Local
Accessories inspired by the Pantone Color of the Year
50 Hidden Gems
Where to visit along the N.C. coast, from the experts
62 Upstart
Danielle Sunde on founding three schools
68 40 Years of Learning
The impact of the educational nonprofit The Hill Center
84 Wellness and Fitness
Four Chapel Hillians share their exercise journeys, health care practitioners dish on the advice they’d give their own families and a directory of area fitness centers.
104 How They Live
Semiretired sports fans enjoy life in one of Chapel Hill’s most special homes
PEOPLE & PLACES
22 Orange County Rape Crisis Center Holiday Auction
24 Catholic Schools Week at St. Thomas More
26 The Carolina Inn’s 23rd Annual Wedding Showcase
28 Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce’s Community Heroes
32 AC Hotel Chapel Hill Downtown opening
34 Friends’ First Look at Ackland, Hodge & Kittrell Sotheby’s International Realty luncheon
