February 2021

Few could have scripted the wild ride area real estate took during the pandemic of 2020. Coming off a robust 2019, the market looked strong and started at a good pace. Then stopped. Then skyrocketed.  “If you told me in the spring that we would have the year that we had, I never would have…

The annual Wrightsville Beach Valentine Run returns on Feb. 13 with pandemic regulations to ensure a happy, healthy race environment for all. Runners are encouraged to don their best love-themed attire for the 5K or 10K, or the Double Trouble (both races). All take place on a course composed mostly of the Wrightsville Beach Loop,…

Through the eyes of an artisan, the beach is a treasure trove of endless possibilities. Salt from the Dead Sea brings healing powers to Mama’s Secret Handmade Skincare. Barnacles and sea turtles are sculpted into BeSalty Studio pottery. Sea Bones Jewelry draws inspiration from ocean waters and coral reefs, while Speshell Creations uses shells and…

Imagine standing on a hill, looking at the shades of blue in the sky and listening to the wind rustling about a golden landscape. Or being at a monastery on Osogovo Mountain in Macedonia, where you are spreading your friend’s ashes across the meadow you once hiked together. A viewer can look at a Dick…

It’s strange to think that, with all of the technological advancements we have in the 21st century, farmers often lack the logistics and resources to efficiently distribute produce to their local communities. It’s also strange to think that people who live in low-income farming communities can have difficulty affording fresh vegetables that are grown just…

It’s easy to get into a grocery and cooking groove when you only shop for your standby, favorite meals. You grab what you want and cook the same eight or nine meals in various forms from week to week to appease your family’s appetites. But doesn’t that seem a bit monotonous? What if there were…

With all the extra time spent at home during 2020, many of us returned to old hobbies or picked up skills that would make our grandparents proud. We learned to knit scarves, make home repairs, and preserve fruit. And millions of people across the United States and around the world turned to gardening as a…

I am so excited and encouraged by the incredible action in the real estate market in 2020. We have captured a snapshot of the pandemic-induced, refuge-seeking home sales in our annual real estate issue. We are blessed to live in an area that is so attractive and so pristine that people are flocking here from…