Set up camp close to home at these four local sites.
Happy National Camping Month to all who celebrate! (Looking at you longtime granola gals and freshman outdoorsmen alike.) While the Triangle is a hotbed of urban infrastructure, academia and festivals, Mother Nature still flexes her natural beauty, beckoning happy campers with awe-inspiring campsites complete with lakes, rivers and rock faces—aka all the terrain and views needed for a summer respite. So, pack your tent and bear barrels (!) and go off the grid at these four stunning NC sites. Alexa, queue “By and By” by Caamp.
Pitch your tent or hang your Eno (iykyk), then set out to swim or paddle the cascading river, drop a line and try your hand at fly-fishing, or spring for the 30+ miles of trails. Access to the site requires campers to leave their car behind and take a short hike, so lace up your hiking boots and pack lightly for an in-tents stay (!).
Fun Fact: Despite the name, there are no longer any waterfalls at Falls Lake. Nevertheless, there are boat ramps; beach access points; and plenty of places to swim, bike and paddle—still more than enough ways to get your fresh-air fix while spending a night or two in the wilderness. Take the fall deep in the woods with nothing but your pack and a flashlight, or stay in style via RV and tent sites.
If you prefer glamping over camping, this state park just outside of Lillington was made for you. Park your car or RV right at your campsite (and avoid hauling your pack!), or opt to paddle in via the Cape Fear River Canoe Trail. No matter how you choose to reach camp, be sure to scale the site’s topography—and burn some cals—on the 135-step climb downward to view the river and rock formations below.
Located 75 miles northeast of Greenville, this site requires a longer drive (clocking in at ~2.5 hours), but it’s worth the trek. The surrounding Lake Phelps and Scuppernong River bring a taste of the NC coast to your sleep beneath the stars—NTM the showcase of diverse wildlife and rich history (read: millenniums-old canoes have been pulled from the river). Talk about an adventure!
No sparks flying here—fireworks are still far from legal in NC.
Bad news for locals—and good news for the lineup of fireworks stores along our southern border: Fireworks don’t look to be legal in NC anytime soon. Instead, the longstanding explosive debate remains, despite unrestricted access below (score one, SC).
No doubt a potential economic boon for our state—data from the American Pyrotechnics Association shows the fireworks industry has seen an annual revenue growth in consumer fireworks from $407 million in 2000 to $2.3 billion in 2022—bills regarding the legality of fireworks have been introduced by legislators almost annually for years to no avail, thanks to lobbying by such groups as North Carolinians for Fireworks Safety.
Sure, NC has legalized controversial products and services of late in the name of benefiting the economy (see: sports betting), but legal fireworks and roadside NC stands remain but a pipe dream.
The lore behind these restrictions actually dates back to a circa-1931 incident in Iowa (!)involving a dropped sparkler that ignited a pile of fireworks, thus sparking a blaze that leveled 80 businesses and clocked over $2 million in damages. Perhaps as expected, legislators and emergency responders cite such high risk of fires and personal injuries among the reasons popular pyrotechnics aren’t any closer to becoming legal.
“The dangers range from children losing fingers and parents losing eyes to shooting aerial fireworks and [having them] land in a barn, the roof of a house or in the gutter with pine needles and setting the house, barn or whatever on fire,” says Tim Bradley, executive director of the North Carolina State Firefighters’ Association.
In 2022, 10,200 Americans were treated in emergency rooms for firework-related injuries, with 11 of those injuries resulting in death. Naturally, summer is prime time for such afflictions, with a whopping 73% of incidents occurring in the weeks before and after Independence Day.
Ultimately, it looks like NC will opt to kill the spark in the name of safety for the foreseeable future. So explosive-leaning residents will have to cross their fingers on the Fourth that a bolder neighbor stocked up over the border—or make plans to party via city-run fireworks shows and leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals.
Oh, how the turntables… nostalgic tech trends are making a comeback.
Hipsters a la 2000s can no longer claim vintage technology as their own. News flash: Retro gadgets are mainstream again.
While old tech initially came full circle in the early 2010s with the revival of the record player (thanks, Tumblr!), it’s hit all the bases of late—from cameras to OG flip phones. And those indulging in the retro tech resurgence aren’t just ditching their “Apple ecosystems” for a cool-girl aesthetic—but for financial and health reasons too (bye, blue light addictions!).
So whether you’re simply looking for a hiatus or chasing the throwback vibe, turn to these nostalgic gadgets to stay hip, happening and healthy.
Dumb Phones • 2005 called—and it wants its phone back. Flip phones are quickly becoming a popular respite from endless notifications for emails, news, retweets and likes. Affectionately dubbed “dumb phones,” these flippers make staying connected simple. It’s giving off-the-grid—and we’re here for it.
Stereotypes •Video may have killed the radio star, but Spotify couldn’t defeat analog music. CDs, vinyl records and even cassette tapes are still spinning, sending better funding to artists and making music a more shareable experience overall. Rock on!
Tangled Affair • Apologies to everyone who invested in AirPods, but the cool crowd is wearing wired earbuds and reembracing clunky headphones. Translation—the bigger, the better. Pro tip: Added accessories such as colorful covers, bows and stickers make the statement even bolder.
Oh, Snap • When it comes to snapping a pic, quality is currently the lowest concern on the totem pole. To achieve the vintage look still dominating Insta feeds, turn back to digital cameras for a dewy Y2K snap or refill your old Polaroid or film camera for a casual too-cool-to-care look. Say cheese!
Following a four-year hiatus, Jack the Radio is back.
It’s the Raleigh rock scene’s dream come true. Jack the Radio is back with a new album and a collab beer with Trophy Brewing—a Helles lager with 100% NC Pilsner malt dubbed Jack the Radio Fast Fun (a nod to their 2023 single). After a four-year hiatus, the roots rockers are set to drop Under Lonely Light June 21, with a release show slated for June 22 at The Pour House feat. Fancy Gap, a comic release and vinyl fresh off the presses.
We caught up with half the group, George Hage and Danny Johnson, ahead of their tunes and brews release. Time to “tell everyone around!”
Why the hiatus?
We never stepped away from music, but there were a lot of steps taken as we maneuvered the twists and turns of the past few years, which have been a journey leading to a lot of introspection—and deeper and sometimes darker lyrics.
George Hage
How does the brew play on the vibe of “Fast Fun?”
This is our second collab with Trophy Brewing, and we’re superlucky to call co-owners Chris [Powers] and Woody [Lockwood] friends and supporters. We chatted with them about the vibe of the song and pitched some general targets (light and summery), but part of the fun is putting it in the hands of the professionals and seeing where they land! Fast Fun really fits the feel of the song as an upbeat summertime groove.
Danny Johnson
Your biggest inspiration?
I’m equally inspired by the music I listen to and the gear I have available. Mike Viola’s American Egypt didn’t really guide my engineering or mixing, but as an album full of unexpected twists and turns, it did constantly remind me there are no wrong sounds—as long as we’re serving the song.
Danny Johnson
I’ve tried to push myself to be more vulnerable when sharing my words and voice. I can attribute some of that to long hours listening to Tom Petty. He is a master of delivering genius in a clear and simple way.
George Hage
Any advice for local aspiring creatives?
Don’t wait for permission. Get out and go to shows and events—and see the amazing art and artists we have in the community. Create the art you want to see.
George Hage
*Responses have been lightly edited for space and clarity
City Council members will now serve four-year terms.
The election process for Raleigh City Council is facing a major change affecting how its members are elected—and how long they will hold their seats. Effective 2026, Council members will run for four-year terms—and, plot twist, the topic will not appear on the ballot this fall.
“If you put it on the ballot in a presidential year, it’s probably going to fail because it will be on the bottom and won’t get a lot of attention,” says Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin of the 5–2 council vote in May to double term lengths and stagger terms. “People say they support four-year terms and want more consistency and efficiency in government—I think this was the right way to do it.”
“People say they support four-year terms and want more consistency and efficiency in government. I think this was the right way to do it.”
—Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin
Everybody elected this November is serving a two-year term that will end in December 2026. Mayor, one at-large seat, and Districts A and B will run for four-year terms in 2026. The other at-large seat and districts C, D and E will run for two years in 2026 and run again in 2028 for four years, creating staggered four-year terms.
Raleigh’s transitioning model will join a handful of other NC cities such as Asheville, Durham and Greensboro—while also leaning into a nonpartisan primary process that would narrow the field to two candidates per open seat.
“We had started this process earlier—a task force made these recommendations,” says Baldwin. “But nothing happened, and I think the fact we started moving on this was very positive. There’s a lot of support for four-year terms, and being staggered allows people a voice—if they don’t like the way things are moving, they can send a message.”
What’s not happening? While adding three seats to the board was another hot-button topic during the most recent Council meeting—a motion initially pitched by council member Megan Patton—city leaders decided to table the expansion for now. Patton acknowledged, “It isn’t the right time” and cited lack of support as reasons to take the motion off the table for the time being. Ultimately, looks like it all boils down to more reasons to rock the vote come November.
