From somewhere within a giant, lush green boxwood bush come peals of laughter and gentle thudding. Wilson Botanical Gardens offers acres of greenery, blooms, and hands-on play learning.

A skip from the Whirligig Park in downtown Wilson is a red brick wall painted with a pointing hand and a dare in giant lettering: "Treat Yo'Self."

The Selkie, Wilson's newest art and gift shop, celebrates North Carolina creatives.

This weekend we chose Lake Wilson, not just for the proximity to home, but because it's flat out gorgeous. The lake gives us around 90 acres of water and shoreline to explore.

Historic downtown Wilson, a short forty-five-minute drive from Raleigh, holds a perfect sized, hands-on science museum that made our family's Saturday.

The Mother Earth Motor Lodge is a hip trip back in time with modern amenities that keep guests smiling and coming back.

It's hard to know what to look at first when you step into The O'Neil's opulent lobby. The enormous steel reinforced 16-ton bank vault turned snack bar.

Hands-on science exhibits spark curiosity in budding engineers at Rocky Mount's Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences.

Stay small and live large for the weekend on the Rocky Mount Mills campus where a tiny house is just steps from a wooded hike, paddle trip down the Tar River, multiple tap rooms, and four restaurants.

Take a 30-minute side trip off I-95 where a wondrous walk through aviaries featuring the world's largest collection of waterfowl and 3,000 rare and endangered birds.

As visitors walk through the front door, they step on a penny - tiled black and white floor that leads into a farm to table restaurant. And when we say farm to table, we mean real farm to table.

Two Rivers Alehouse, Washington's First Craft Brewery. Two Rivers is named for the Tar and the Pamlico Rivers that meet on Washington's waterfront.

Let the funky, retro neon sign guide you off Highway 74 to Red Bridges Barbecue. The tell-tale whiff of hickory and oak fire laced with spice is the harbinger of tender, juicy things to come.

Take a short hike to a meadow filled with Monarch butterflies on their annual migration. Here in Cleveland County is one of the only places you can see them.

Dusk falls and the Don Gibson Theatre marquee flashes on in Uptown Shelby, North Carolina, revealing the night's live music line up.

Here in the foothills of western North Carolina, everything is fresh, local, and smothered with genuine Southern goodness.

As spring gives way to summer, it is time to head outdoors and enjoy the Carolina weather. Strawberries continue to dominate the farm stands, but other fruits and vegetables are now coming into seaso

Find your own rhythm with a walk in the woods in Cleveland County. Whether you're aiming for the tallest peaks in Crowders Mountain or prefer an easy stroll near downtown.

Less than an hour from Charlotte, just a few gorgeous turns off Highway 74, you can roll up the drive at Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard in Cleveland County.

Find fun the whole family can enjoy at one of these attractions the little ones can enjoy.

The Patrick County Master Gardeners work with other local organizations to encourage an interest in pollinator-friendly gardening techniques.