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A wildfire has been burning in Eastern North Carolina since Tuesday, blanketing parts of the Outer Banks in thick smoke. The fire swelled to 1,060 acres by Thursday morning and is currently 65% contained, according to the most recent update from the North Carolina Forest Service. The Roanoke Island Volunteer Fire Department took to Facebook Tuesday with news that that a fire had broken out at the Dare County Bombing Range, a training facility for military aircraft crews located southwest of Roanoke Island....

When you buy your dog an adorable Lilly Pulitzer leash and collar, you know they look dapper, but does your dog have any idea that it’s wearing a fashionable pink-and-green combination? There’s a common myth that dogs can only see in black and white, but according to the American Kennel Club, that idea came from research conducted way back in 1937, and has now been debunked. There are some physical differences between human eyes and dog eyes....

The South might be known for its sweet tea, but a multitude of Southerners know a sweet sip of Cheerwine goes best with a barbecue dinner. This cherry-flavored soda is Southern at its roots, created in 1917 and still operated by a family-owned company. These days the “uniquely Southern” drink has a cult following with legions of devotees, including Southern chefs using Cheerwine as an ingredient in everything from donuts to barbecue sauce....

For some Southern kids, summertime means hitting the road for family vacations. Others head to all-star sports programs. Some like to knock out that summer reading list or can’t wait for swim team practices every day. And then there are the camp kids. What they don’t tell parents about sending their children to camp in the summer is that camp kids eventually become camp kid adults, and we all know them....

Eleven years after their love story began, an Alabama couple went back to where they first met—in a fifth grade classroom—for a surprise engagement. Peyton Wynn and Simon Jenkins were 11 years old when they first met at Johnson Elementary School in Pinson. Wynn told Insider that after being friends for a while, they “officially” started dating in sixth grade. “I can’t explain it, but I just knew there was something different about him the moment we met,” she told the outlet....

We’re all getting a little stir crazy as we spend seemingly endless hours at home amid the coronavirus outbreak. One excellent way to pass the time? Pull off a fun prank. For that, we’re turning to country music power couple Luke Bryan and Caroline Boyer for some inspiration. Last month, Bryan spooked Boyer by playing a train horn noise as Boyer innocently biked along the road. Scared by the sudden blare, she veered over into the grass and then quickly lost her balance and fell down as a result of this little practical joke....

Ladies and gentlemen, have we got an experience for you! The My Old Kentucky Dinner Train is a fine dining adventure that unfolds across the Kentucky countryside—and belongs on your bucket list. During a two-and-a-half-hour ride that departs from charming little Bardstown, passengers are treated to a gourmet meal in a glamorous 1940s dinner car decked out with all the vintage bells and whistles. Be still our hearts! The train’s menu, which changes with the seasons, includes a four-course dinner service ($98 for adults; $65 for children)....

Southerners are natural-born storytellers, and that characteristic extends to the pieces we pick to furnish our homes. Antiques can add a nice dollop of patina to a room, and these timeless treasures can offer a peek into the lives of generations past. Whether it’s a mahogany chest passed down from your grandmother or a gilded mirror uncovered at a flea market, these classic pieces will never go out of style. While some of us may be brown furniture traditionalist, others may want to put their own stamp on these one-of-a-kind finds with a fresh coat of paint....

The cold burn down the throat. A sweet corn undercurrent. The feeling of lightning rushing through the body. These sensations all come together in a Mason jar of moonshine. For many, especially in the South, it’s a rite of passage to make ‘shine. Harrison Holditch learned how to brew from a friend in college; he taught his brother-in-law David Kapitanoff. They made sugar shines in the backyard. Then, in 2019 they opened Distillery 98 in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla....

Next to your chef’s knife, wooden cutting boards and spoons are probably the most used tools in your kitchen. If you’re lucky, you’ve probably been cooking with some of the same boards and spoons for years. While scrubbing them well with antibacterial dish soap and hot water is important (especially to prevent cross-contamination and the spread of bacteria), it’s also a smart idea to keep them in good condition so they will last longer....

We love fresh flowers. Depending on the season, you’ll find us gathering blooms whenever and wherever we can find them. Whether it’s a shock of pink camellias from our garden, a handful of fragrant gardenias from a generous neighbor, or a dozen roses from the local florist, we love to have fresh flowers in every room. While they’re at home in our favorite vases for a little while, they don’t always last very long....

Even as workers removed trees that had fallen on his home, Keith Adams was feeding his neighbors. Adams, who lives in Mandeville, Louisiana, is the owner of Seafood 2 Geaux, a popular local seafood restaurant. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Adams set up boiling pots in the cul-de-sac where he lives and treated his neighbors to free gumbo, seafood au gratin, and more. “My restaurant, obviously with the storm, is closed, and I was going to lose everything in the freezer,” Adams told WGNO News....

In New Orleans, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered some familiar and not-so-welcome feelings. The Crescent City is currently under a stay at home mandate, as are most states now, and folks who went through the Katrina-related levee failures in 2005, are experiencing sense memories of walking largely deserted streets, and noting strings of handwritten “We’ll Be Back” signs along stretches of neighborhood commerce. For a city that thrives on hospitality and openness, quarantine has a different feel than evacuation — with different implications at just about every turn....

There are three things Southerners take very seriously: fried food, college football, and good manners. Southern babies are basically born writing thank-you notes, and they grow up understanding the importance of proper etiquette in every situation. After all, when out-of-towners visit, they are welcomed with an unmistakable feeling of Southern hospitality that is certainly no accident. Hostess gifts, holding the door open for the person behind you, and the distinctive “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am” as a sign of respect saturate the South, and these friendly qualities keep people coming back for more....

Not all biscuits are created equal. But would you deign to infilitrate your raw biscuit dough with ricotta cheese? The New York Times wants you to try it. In a recent article for the Sunday magazine, writer Tejal Rao espouses the virtues of folding ricotta, “practically soupy with whey,” into your next batch of biscuits. Inspired by Nicole Rucker, the chef at Fiona in Los Angeles, Rao explained how slipping ricotta into biscuit dough created such a masterpiece....

Anyone else go bananas for rosemary? That scent—major fan. Unfortunately, I lack a green thumb, which means I’m very uninspired when it comes to planting just about anything. My side yard is screaming for a nice, unruly hedge of rosemary bushes though. If you’re interested in digging in the dirt, please let me know. I’ll just be inside sipping my tea, reading a book, or finally learning how to knit. But I thank you in advance....

Robert and Janice Beecham’s 46th wedding anniversary was approaching when Robert began feeling sick back in late March. “Shortness of breath, loss of appetite, my senses—smell, taste—I mean, totally gone. And then the cough,” he recalled to WFAA. “It was like I was drowning.” Robert, 65, was admitted to Parkland Hospital in Dallas where he tested positive for COVID-19. He told his doctor, Satyam Nayak, about how he’d survived two strokes—one in 2012 and another in 2016—causing him to miss his April 15 wedding anniversary each time....

Who doesn’t love sweet, briny crab meat? Silly question. Unfortunately, that kind of fresh-from-the-ocean haul can be cost prohibitive. That’s why several decades ago, food manufacturers and chefs went looking for a less expensive alternative to the much sought-after shellfish. In the 1970s, the Japanese introduced imitation crab, a processed seafood proxy that tastes and looks like the original. What Is Imitation Crab? The key is surimi, a seafood paste made from white fish, artificial and natural flavors, starch, sugar, and sodium....

It’s funny how scents can stay in our memory better and longer than many other things, especially when thinking back to certain times, such as being a kid and watching our mothers and grandmothers put their makeup on in the bathroom, hot rollers in and all. Odds are, you can always smell that signature fragrance that filled the bathroom in your head, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve smelled it in real life....

As much as the Christmas season is about doing fun activities with family and friends, such as going to tree farms and attending ornament swaps, some of the best memories are made curled up on the couch with a Christmas movie on the television. While you might be sitting with a mug of hot chocolate or a Hotty Toddy for your movie nights, there’s also a way to make your morning coffee taste festive for the season....