Even if you don’t recognize her by name, you’ll recognize the widespread photography of the American portrait lensmaster Annie Leibovitz—and her iconic framed figures, from Queen Elizabeth II to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. And capturing her career of captured moments is the ANNIE LEIBOVITZ / WORK exhibit at Charlotte’s Mint Museum.
Few photographers have earned a legacy as illustrious as Leibovitz’s. First making waves as Rolling Stone’s ’70s chief photographer, she later broadened her lens (!) and dipped her feet in fashion photography for Vogue and Vanity Fair.
Now, inarguably one of the greatest portrait photographers of our time, Leibovitz continues to capture history’s (and today’s) most decisive individuals over her 50-years-and-counting career—from John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken the very day Lennon was assassinated, to former VP Kamala Harris’ campaign-era Vogue cover.
Well worth a spin down I-85, the Mint’s landmark exhibit at once spotlights the lens icon’s world-renowned images while also unveiling rarely seen portraits ranging from the early black-and-white days to her more recent “painterly conceptual” images. So, you can feel the breadth of her creative legacy via both prints and cutting-edge digital displays—freezing in time a roster of artists, musicians, politicians and athletes—and put yourself in history’s shoes. Through Aug. 31, mintmuseum.org
Add a little spice to your life—and save someone else’s.
Imagine all the flavors of your fave episode of Hot Ones—sans the spicy questions and sub in sauce on a mission.
Drenching Raleigh with purpose—and soul-satisfying spicy sauce—is Cole Fungaroli, founder of East Coast Sauces. The Raleigh-based brand’s collection of four hot sauces has major pepper power, and while the spice is nice, it’s the company’s true holy grail that takes the heat.
Photo courtesy of East Coast Sauces
Bottle by bottle, the not-so-cool bone broth-based condiments contribute to the fight to end human trafficking at both local and national levels. “I can bring people together through flavor,” says the founder of his saucy passion—“but I wanted it to be for something.”
After learning about the prevalence of human trafficking, Fungaroli stood on the belief that even a small company can make a dent in this critical issue, and decided East Coast Sauces wouldn’t confine its goals to just the flavoring of food.
“I felt like I’ve been blind my whole life—not noticing human trafficking is not what you see in the movies,” emphasizes Fungaroli. “It’s actually a lot smaller and a lot harder to detect.” Detecting and protecting are 10% of each spicy sauce sold, benefiting local and national organizations fighting human trafficking—with $2K+ to agencies like Shield North Carolina in 2024 alone.
And if the name hasn’t clued you in, the four sauces bear the East Coast area codes behind the inspiring locales. See: the 919 Killer Mambo sauce, a North-meets-South mashup of flavors Fungaroli sees reflected in Oak City culture.
Tapping in for the “a little dab will do” mentality, Fungaroli purposely pulled back the heat in his sauces, designing for generous use without tummy troubles and hoping spice connoisseurs will use them to the max. Don’t mind if we do! eastcoastsauces.com
If you’re feeling dirty this summer, you aren’t alone. Meet the dirty spritz, the spritz-meets-dirty martini leaving its savory sparkle on cocktail menus this season.
Before blowing up social feeds, the classic spritz found its origins in prosecco motherland Veneto, Italy, where visitors would dilute heavier Italian wines with a “spritz” (German for “splash”) of ’secco or soda water to make the drink lighter. While the dirty version of the bubbly bev can’t be credited to a single inventive bartender, sultry variations of the sipper are here to play.
Ahead of the trend, we tapped Killjoy for a mod spin on the OG recipe—usually a combo of olive brine, gin or vodka, and prosecco or white white—that promises to, well, fulfill your dirty cravings.
“Yes, moscato is weird,” Killjoy owner Josh Gagne admits of his tantalizing ’tail recipe, “But so is a dirty spritz, and when trying to find a wine that pairs well with a salty brine, I was stumped.” The bartender landed on moscato thanks to a rec from Wine Authorities, and, surprisingly enough, it was spot on.
“Before you go, ‘I hate moscatos, they are so sweet,’ this was anything but,” says Gagne, noting how the Moscato plays well with the silky Castelvetrano olive brine. And pro tip from GM Kat Binkley: Request a splash of lemon juice if you want to cut the sweetness even more. So if you like the savory kiss of a dirty martini, head to Killjoy this summer to sample this perfect-for-the-patio sipper—or start talking dirty at home.
Killjoy’s Dirty Spritz 1.5 oz. olive oil dill-washed vodka* 1/2 oz. Castelvetrano olive brine Moscato as needed Lemon
Add vodka and olive brine to a shaker tin and shake with ice. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Top off with moscato and garnish with skewered olives and expressed lemon.
*Olive Oil Dill-Washed Vodka 1 bottle vodka 4 oz. olive oil 1 small garlic clove 2 grams cracked black peppercorn Small bunch fresh dill
Lightly crack peppercorns and heat in a saute pan until fragrant, being sure not to overheat. Combine all ingredients together in sealed container. Give a light shake and let sit upside down at room temp 24–72 hours. Gently move container to freezer and let sit overnight for olive oil to harden. Remove lid and slowly pour vodka through coffee filter to strain out all solids. Bottle and date.
Finally, a vacay less about FOMO and more about finally missing out.
I’ll sleep when I’m dead: So goes the mantra of movers and shakers, partiers (s/o Barstool) and generations past—see Mama Ann Bailey’s steadfast advice. But a dreamy emerging travel trend is hitting snooze on overworking and overpartying—and prioritizing wellness while on vacay.
Enter sleep tourism, the tranquil new trend spotlighting the difference between traveling and vacationing. With an explicit goal of an improved snooze schedule, sleep tourism is less about seeing and doing, and more about tucking in and tuckering out.
If a vacay without a packed morning-to-night itinerary sounds fringe or foreign (or like wasted time and money), research begs to differ. A 2024 Gallup poll found Americans are getting less sleep than they need and reporting higher stress levels. To boot, less shut-eye causes more stress—and more stress causes less sleep… unlocking a never-ending (literal) nightmare cycle and contributing to one-third of adults not getting enough Z’s.
Combatting widespread sleep deprivation and excessive coffee reliance, hotels and resorts are leveling up their slumber-party factor. Colorado’s The Springs Resort & Spa in Pagosa Springs proves soaking in a natural hot spring isn’t just a luxury—it’s science-backed self-care. Their signature sleep program taps into the region’s hydrothermal magic to help guests drift off faster, stay asleep longer and wake up actually rested. Turns out, slipping into 100-degree waters under the stars might be the most soothing sleep aid of all.
Serving up similar reboots, Arizona’s Castle Hot Springs offers a Soak & Slumber package touting a private hike, massage and sleep kit, while Aman New York provides a team of wellness experts to assess and polish your sleep habits via a diagnostic device—plus sound-healing breathwork, guided yoga, circadian-friendly tweaks and takeaways to extend the serenity post-vacay. So, maybe still a full itinerary, but a restful one.
While having no plans sans rotting in bed all day may feel like a dream and the solution to your tired troubles, sleep tourism is about optimizing your sleep schedule—not getting as much pillow time as possible. Apologies to anyone envisioning of wasting the day away, but movement is essential to getting rest. Indulging in a soundbath with white or brown noise, popping in for a facial and soaking in a long bath, or Zenning out in yoga class are all sleep vacay-friendly pursuits meant to get you out of bed—but not out of your relax-and-reset state of mind.
If you aren’t entirely ready to kick back, wind down and part ways with a jam-packed vacay itinerary and the grim age-old mantra, start small—take an extra hour a day to relax, or set a goal of at least a few good nights’ rest. Bottom line: The main priority on vacay is your well-being, and hopefully when it’s time to leave, you can take new habits back to reality with you. Sweet dreams.
SLEEPING IN
Wanna skip the terminal stress and suitcase Tetris? Home turf hits different. Save your pennies and pull out the PTO for a little R&R—and DIY a sleep staycation instead. Think of it as a pillowcation, where out-of-office means lights out. Translation: Prioritize sleep and indulge in DIY sleepytime escapades—mix up a sleepy girl mocktail, flow through an evening yoga sesh and hit the sack early with an ambiance of white noise. Your body—and your wallet—will thank you.
Be it fuzzy or furry, bumpy or geometric—texture is the styling detail to tap into this season, from furnishings and light fixtures to attire and accessories. It’s time to get all the feels—literally.
