20 Ways to Escape the Rays
The centuries-old bald cypress trees in Three Sisters Swamp preside over a 10,000-acre preserve stewarded by The Nature Conservancy. photograph by Andrew Kornylak
Glide along the dark, tannin-tinted waters of the Black River beneath a canopy of gigantic bald cypress trees. Three Sisters Swamp — a roughly one-mile stretch of the 50-mile Black River — is only accessible via kayak or canoe. For Don Harty, owner of Mahanaim Adventures at the southeastern tip of Bladen County in Kelly, it’s a favorite paddling location. “You get a sense of wilderness when you’re there in the swamp,” he says. “Not just a sense of what wilderness truly is, but also a sense of awe and wonder.” Mahanaim’s guided tour traverses the world’s fifth-oldest stand of trees, some of which are thought to be more than 3,000 years old. No experience is required to enjoy the ancient old-growth forest, and Harty encourages all ages to participate in the adventure. — C.H.
photograph by The Asheville Tourists/Tony Farlow
Watch the best show on dirt from beneath the awning (or the brim of your baseball cap, if you can’t get better seats) at one of the oldest ballparks in minor league baseball: Lewis McCormick Field. Home to the Asheville Tourists, the High-A affiliate team of the Houston Astros, McCormick Field opened in 1924, though the Tourists were established in 1914 and are one of MiLB’s longest-running teams. The ballpark has hosted a remarkable list of famous players over the years, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jackie Robinson. — C.H.
30 Buchanan Place
(828) 258-0428
milb.com/asheville
Sip a Painkiller cocktail and tuck into the Riverview Platter — fried shrimp, flounder, and oysters with two sides — on the banks of the Cape Fear. photograph by Matt Ray Photography
Take a seat on this seafood restaurant’s screened porch or its deck shaded by umbrellas and live oaks and enjoy the breeze floating off the Cape Fear River. On extra-hot days, be sure to order a frozen beverage — like a margarita or lemonade float, both made with freshly squeezed juice — to pair with your fried shrimp basket, po’boy, or grilled mahi-mahi tacos. — R.W.
121 Riverfront Road
(910) 800-0617
riverviewrestaurantff.com
At Caffé Driade, skip a steaming cup of joe in favor of an iced matcha latte (left) or a sparkling cold brew, which combines Ethiopia Ardi cold brew with bubbly soda water. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
During a hike or bike ride along Bolin Creek Trail in Chapel Hill, stop by this European-style café for an iced cold brew or tea. The café, with its tables tucked back into the surrounding forest, offers refreshing beverages ranging from espresso drinks to ginger beer, perfect for a pick-me-up during an outing along the roughly 1.5-mile trail. — C.H.
1215-A East Franklin Street
(919) 942-2333
caffedriade.com
photograph by Tim Robison
Just outside Uptown Charlotte lies a secret garden with more than just flowers: Among the lush pink, white, red, and yellow blooms at the McGill Rose Garden, you’ll find libations at Rosie’s. Enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee as you explore the winding pathways, then find a seat where you can sip beneath the vine-covered pergola or at tables and benches hidden in leafy alcoves. — C.H.
940 North Davidson Street
(704) 604-8975
rosieswinegarden.com
Guglhupf — pronounced Google-hoopf — began as a German bakery in 1998, blending German food traditions with North Carolina ingredients. photograph by Guglhupf Bakery & Restaurant
Between the umbrellas, shade cloths, surrounding trees, and creeping vines, nearly every seat on this bakery, café, and restaurant’s expansive patio is protected from the sun. Enjoy the trickling of the fountain and whimsical art as you try dishes like grilled bratwurst and pork schnitzel. On your way out, pick up a fresh loaf of bread to take home or a sweet pastry to round out your meal. — R.W.
2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard
(919) 401-2600
guglhupf.com
photograph by mphillips007/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Even your errands can offer a temperate escape: Peruse tens of thousands of square feet of covered, open-air market buildings in search of fresh summer produce, plants, meats, cheeses, and other local goodies. The cherry on top? A frozen lemonade from Greenlove Coffee, Herbal Tea & More or a scoop of farm-fresh ice cream from Homeland Creamery. — R.W.
2914 Sandy Ridge Road
(336) 605-9157
University of North Carolina alums (from left) Alex Slater and Scott and Dane Barnes created the Shibumi Shade in 2016 to take advantage of the ocean breeze. photograph by Matt Ray Photography
If North Carolinians have a favorite way to avoid a sunburn, it’s under the rippling fabric of a Shibumi Shade. — R.W.
photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
Choose from 28 flavors of ice cream and sorbet — or order a sundae (pictured), malt, shake, float, or frappé — and relax in one of the 31 rocking chairs on Maple View Farm’s wraparound porch. Get there early; the line often stretches out the door. Fortunately, shade cloths erected outside will keep you from baking while waiting for your frozen treat. — R.W.
6900 Rocky Ridge Road
(919) 960-5535
mapleviewfarm.com
Built in 1947, the Nags Head Fishing Pier is one of North Carolina’s oldest. photograph by Chris Hannant
Why bother with a cumbersome umbrella? For the best seat on the beach, set up your chair beneath one of North Carolina’s 19 piers, from the Crystal Pier on Wrightsville Beach to the Nags Head Fishing Pier. — C.H.
photograph by Chris Council
When the beach is too hot, head to Fort Macon — a restored pre-Civil War stronghold that was built to protect Beaufort Inlet — for a guided tour or small arms demonstration. Its underground tunnels offer a cool alternative. — R.W.
2303 East Fort Macon Road
(252) 726-3775
ncparks.gov/fort-macon-state-park
Sunlight filters through Spanish moss draped on the branches of the Airlie Oak. photograph by Matt Ray Photography
There’s no better summertime spot to spread out a blanket and read a book (or nod off for a nap) than under leafy branches. North Carolina’s Champion Trees — the largest trees of eligible species in the state — have plenty. Two standouts among our 300-plus Champions: The Airlie Oak, a live oak in Wilmington’s Airlie Gardens that dates to 1545, and “Baby,” a sugar maple that can be found via a trail behind Boone’s River House Park. — C.H.
Eat cake for breakfast — grit cakes and Louise’s Cakes, that is — at the historic former home of George W. Stepp, who served as mayor of Black Mountain from 1908 to 1911 and from 1915 to 1917. photograph by Tim Robison
Dig into black bean and corn grit cakes topped with spicy sriracha sauce, or Louise’s Cakes — buttermilk pancakes served with house-made vanilla bean syrup, strawberries, and bacon or sausage — in the shade of the wraparound porch at the historic Stepp House. The 1904 farmhouse turned restaurant specializes in all-day breakfast, but the earlier you go, the more likely you are to enjoy a cool mountain breeze with your meal. — C.H.
115 Black Mountain Avenue
(828) 357-5446
louisesblackmtn.com
photograph by Tim Robison
The rocking chairs on The Terrace’s second- and third-floor balconies are not the same ones that visitors rocked on when the hotel opened in the early 1900s. Nevertheless, the experience of rocking away a hot day while gazing across the shimmering surface of Lake Junaluska hasn’t changed in more than a century.
— R.W.
689 North Lakeshore Drive
(828) 452-2881
lakejunaluska.com
The short Pilot Knob Trail skirts the base of Big Pinnacle (left) at Pilot Mountain State Park. photograph by Chansak Joe and Ed Lallo/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Discover a cool reprieve beneath the rugged overhangs along the Pilot Knob and Ledge Springs trails. Lace up your hiking shoes and take on the challenge of rugged routes where you might just spot adventurous climbers hanging off the rock walls that jut out near the 2,230-foot Little Pinnacle. — C.H.
1721 Pilot Knob Park Road
ncparks.gov/pilot-mountain-state-park
See the world from behind a waterfall at Dry Falls. photograph by Claudia Royston
This 80-foot-tall waterfall on the Cullasaja River in Nantahala National Forest is so named because you can walk directly under the cliff behind it and stay (mostly) dry. View the cascade from the viewing platform beside the parking lot or, for a truly cooling experience, walk the quarter-mile round-trip trail to reach the falls. If the sun hits just right, you may even see a rainbow in the spray. — R.W.
U.S. Highway 64
(828) 524-6441
Listen to world-class music at Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium in Brevard. photograph by Chuck Gilmore, Courtesy of the Brevard Music Center
Every summer, more than 700 musicians gather at the Brevard Music Center to study classical, opera, bluegrass, and jazz music, and to participate in more than 100 performances and events for tens of thousands of fans. Enjoy a picnic on the lawn, then find your seat in the covered, open-air Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium, where the sounds of orchestral music blend with the chirping of birds. — R.W.
349 Andante Lane
(828) 862-2105
brevardmusic.org
A plunge down Sliding Rock is a quintessential Pisgah activity. photograph by Charles Harris
Zip down Sliding Rock (pictured) in Pisgah National Forest, make a splash at a natural pool like The Bullhole in Woodleaf, or float all day in a cove of the Eno River in Durham. — R.W.
photograph by Brian Gomsak
Cabarrus County was once at the center of the nation’s first gold rush. Pan for the precious metal in Little Meadow Creek, at the site of the country’s first documented gold discovery. For even cooler temperatures, take a guided tour of the underground tunnels that date to the 1830s. — R.W.
9621 Reed Mine Road
historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/reed-gold-mine
photograph by VisitNC.com
For the ultimate shade, venture inside a mountain, where the temperature stays 52 degrees year-round. See algae and moss-coated stalactites and try not to get wet from the dripping water that creates the cavern’s incredible shapes and formations — though, on second thought, that sounds pretty refreshing. — C.H.
19929 U.S. Highway 221 North
(828) 756-4171
linvillecaverns.com
