[futuristic music] - I love astronomy because as a young girl I was able to connect with my dad and grandfather over astronomy.

But astronomy is a universal language.

You might have a different set of stories that come with the stars that you know, but the stars that I know and the stars that you know, as long as we're in the same hemisphere, are the same set of stars.

[futuristic music] - The Mayland Earth to Sky Park was founded in 2017 as part of Mayland Community College, and it's an environmental education park geared towards children all the way up to adults to learn about the world around them, everything from the earth to the sky.

[bright futuristic music] - A dark sky park is a place that's dedicated to keeping the lights pointed down or lights off.

With our dark skies out here we're able to look at deep space objects through our telescopes and share the wonders of the natural world with other people.

[bright futuristic music] - We received our International Dark-Sky Association certification in 2016, and what that means is it's just really dark out here.

There's only two of us in the whole world that has both an observatory and a planetarium, and the other one is in South Korea, and we remain the only higher education institute in the world to operate a international dark sky park.

- We have a one-of-a-kind retractable roof observatory.

It gives you a 360 degree view of the sky.

Out here we're able to look at things like the Milky Way and all the way out to nebulas, double stars, and deep, deep planets that are out in our vast solar system such as Neptune and Pluto.

[bright futuristic music] - The staff does an excellent job explaining it, showing you the night sky, telling you where everything's at, and I have no knowledge of any stars or constellations or anything.

Easily to understand.

Very entertaining.

Fantastic show.

[bright futuristic music] - Yeah, Mayland Community College has a vision of of trying to help the economy here in the local region as well as also build upon education component and givin' local people more resources.

We have a couple of big projects goin' on.

Earth to Sky Park is one of those projects.

The Three Peaks from Richmond Center and Blue Ridge Boutique are the other two parts of that.

Our hope is that we get a lot of people come and visit us, but also a lot of those visitors that decide they wanna stay here and live here and grow a family here.

[bright futuristic music] - In the planetarium, we learn about ecosystems, looking at the earth, the depths of our forest.

We can learn about our ocean, and then we can also talk about our astronomy and our deep space objects using imaging from the Hubble and the James Web Space Telescope.

[bright futuristic music] - Oh, the planetarium is just amazing.

Not only seeing things that are out there, hundreds of thousands of miles away in a very controlled environment.

So it could be raining and snowing outside, and we're still looking at the wonders.

So it's great.

[bright futuristic music] - I think people need to come and experience this, because oftentimes we have a disconnect from what's above us.

It's a amazing opportunity to come out and see what really is overhead at a minimal light pollution place.

[bright futuristic music] - In addition to the observatory and the planetarium we have a lot of exciting things to do at the park.

We are extremely fortunate to have a Good of the Hive mural, which is part of a larger worldwide project by international artist, Matthew Willey.

And his mission as part of the Good of the Hive is to paint 50,000 honeybees worldwide.

What's so unique about our mural is that it also incorporates nighttime pollinators, because we operate mainly at night with the observatory, there's a lot of pollination that still happens after the sun goes down.

And so Matthew wanted to highlight the importance of 24-hour-a-day pollination by including the nighttime pollinators that we've got in our environment here at the park, besides the honeybees.

We've got a picnic shelter so you can bring food out and enjoy being outside.

And we've got an aquaponics lab where you can come and watch fish, so you can learn about alternative farming practices with the aquaponics.

We have a gorgeous pollinator garden filled with plants and butterflies and bees that you can walk through.

We have some hiking trails that you can come out, bring your dog, and just enjoy walking around and being outside.

[bright futuristic music] - The Mayland Earth to Sky Park Visitor Center is at 66 Energy Exchange Drive in Burnsville, and they're open Wednesday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. To learn about stargazing evenings at the Bare Dark Sky Observatory, check out their website at mayland.edu, or give them a call at 828-470-7584.

An undeniably romantic getaway is the beach.

There's just something about bundling up for a long walk under a low sun and the crisp breeze that's just delightful.

And that's just one of the many romantic things you can do on our coast during the winter.

[gentle music] - Oh, the off season, my favorite months.

It is gorgeous to be down there when the sun comes up.

[gentle music] There's no hassle, there's no traffic, and it's not crowded.

It's like having your own private place.

- [Deborah] Jacqueline DeGroot chronicles the history of this coastal region, including the Kindred Spirit mailbox, where you can anonymously write your deepest hopes, fears, and dreams.

- The Kindred Spirit was started in the late 70s.

Well, the idea was for it to be for people to be able to express themselves and for people to feel one with nature.

[gentle music] There's journals, and there's usually three or four of 'em.

People just take the journals out.

You can read what people have written, and then you just start writing.

Some people will write about problems that they have.

Some people will just write about the things that they are hoping to do in their life and some people write like they're writing to people in heaven.

It's very cathartic to be there and to write things in the journal.

One of my favorites was a woman who came there that morning who had had a sonogram and found out she was pregnant, and she actually left pictures of the sonogram in the mailbox.

It's just something that is close to your heart that you wanna share.

- [Deborah] After your time on the beach you may wanna learn more about the area's natural beauty.

- The Museum of Coastal Carolina, teaching about our coastal environment that a lotta people in the area don't even know about.

It's sort of a hidden treasure.

We have many galleries here, and as you can see in this gallery, we have what you would find about 60 miles off of our coast in the waters around this area.

We also have the touch tank area, our most favored exhibits for the kids, because we allow them to touch the animals and feed the animals with our volunteer docents.

- [Docent] You can see him actually eating the food, pushing it into his stomach.

- [Terri] And we have one of the largest shell collections on the eastern seaboard.

- [Deborah] Just down the road is another must-see destination that's truly out of this world.

- Here at the Ingram Planetarium we have a variety of awesome explorations of the universe.

All of our shows are different, and as well at night we also do laser music shows.

[rock music] We also have a science center, and it's available free to the public all the time.

So if you're just wanting to come in and take a break from outside or do a little bit of hands-on science with your friends and family, it's a great place to visit.

- [Deborah] And if you want to stretch your body as well as your mind, here's a coastal adventure you don't wanna miss.

- The Swamp Park is somethin' else.

Largest and longest zip line canopy tour on the eastern seaboard.

10 zip lines, three bridges.

The whole back half of the course was built in the 100-year-old bald cypress trees.

You're zippin' through the swamp five miles from the beach.

I mean, you wanna talk about just an amazing place.

Brand new, just started last year, guided ATV tours.

Boat tours, no age parameters.

There's just so many things to do for families.

It's really a great place - [Deborah] If you're looking for a more traditional way to enjoy sport and nature, the area has some of the best golf in the state.

- In the off season, great time of year to come down and play golf.

You can basically [indistinct] and have an enjoyable round at your own pace.

We're just very close to the beach.

We've got a nice temperature, very comfortable weather, so, courses are in great shape.

So I'd encourage you to come on out.

- [Deborah] And after enjoying a beautiful day outdoors we raise our glass to another area attraction.

- When we have visitors come here to Silver Coast Winery they are able to do a wine tasting.

This is our Touriga.

This is also known as our Cape Fear Blood Wine.

So we are a European-style winery.

We actually have won over 400 international and national metals.

On occasion we do do special pairings, and we do a wine and chocolate pairing.

- [Speaker] And even though it's 70% cocoa, which it doesn't have a whole lot of- - [Susan] We do wine and cheese pairings.

We've done wine and food pairings, wine and food pairing dinners.

We have a art gallery here.

We like to focus on local artists.

We are open seven days a week, even in off season, so they can come in and do a wine tasting or just buy wine or have a glass of wine.

- Or maybe you have that wine on your porch by the beach and relax with a good book.

So many things to do or enjoy your time doing nothing at all on.

To plan your winter beach weekend, go to ncbrunswick.com.

[upbeat music] ♪ I'm here with Tirra Cowan, the General Manager of Black Mountain Chocolate Bar.

Tirra, what would you say makes Black Mountain Chocolate really stand out?

- Well, we are a a single origin bean-to-bar chocolate factory, and what that means is that we get all of our beans from one place.

We get all of our beans from the Dominican Republic, and we do specialize in dark chocolate.

And from there we are fair trade in organic.

Our chocolate only has four ingredients, and it is cocoa beans, organic sugar, sunflower lecithin, and then organic cocoa butter.

Those are the four ingredients that go into our dark chocolate.

And of course we craft everything with love here.

[Tirra and Deborah laughing] - [Deborah] Sounds yummy.

And about the taste, what would you say you're gonna experience when you taste Black Mountain chocolate?

- Well, I think first and foremost, I do wanna stress that we do specialize in dark chocolate.

And I think that has a little bit of a stigma to it, especially people who are used to a milk chocolate.

It's not as sweet, but we take a lot of pride in our roasting process.

So what we do is we coax flavors out of the cocoa beans before we make them into chocolate.

So you should taste a brightness.

So you're gonna get an acidity that hits you right here when you first start tasting it.

And then you're going to get fruity notes.

So you're gonna get dark cherries and dark berries as the chocolate finishes out.

- So I know you have a chocolate bar, but are there any adult beverages on there?

- [Tirra] Absolutely.

We have, of course we have our dessert drinks.

Our two best sellers are Fire on the Mountain, which is basically like a cocktail s'mores.

It comes with a toasted marshmallow.

And then the Espresso Martini.

We're sort of known in town here for our excellent Espresso Martinis.

- Sounds so good.

[laughing] I have to try one.

[laughing] Well, Tirra, this space is just amazing.

Tell me a little bit about the area and the history.

- Of course, we moved from Trade Street in Winston-Salem, and we're now in what we call the Innovation Corridor, which is right across the street from Bailey Park.

This location specifically is in the coal pit.

So it is tucked behind the smokestacks, the RJR smokestacks in the front.

But the important thing if you're wanting to find us is just head in between the smoke stacks, and when you see the coal pit, you'll know where you are.

And actually follow your nose, 'cause we're always smellin' like chocolate or baked goods.

- I love it.

[Tirra and Deborah laughing] Black Mountain Chocolate Bar is at 450 North Patterson Avenue Suite 110 in Winston-Salem.

And they're open daily.

For more information check them out online at blackmountainchocolate.com or give them a call at 336-293-4698.

If your idea for a romantic weekend includes horseback riding down a mountain trail or a luxury cabin with a secluded hot tub, we have just the place.

Let's head across the Blue Ridge to Leatherwood Mountains Resort.

[gentle guitar music] ♪ - The mornings at Leatherwood Mountains Resort are a magic time.

It is for the nature lover, for the horse lover, for the mountain lover, one of the most serene experiences that you could ask for.

- We are basically an equestrian community.

On our property down here, we have all of our horse facilities, a restaurant, and a campground.

Good place for families to get away in the mountains of North Carolina.

- I don't know, it's kinda hard to say.

It's just kind of a little jewel out in the middle of North Carolina that we don't advertise it a lot, but when people come here, they love it.

- [Speaker] Leatherwood Mountains Resort is located in Wilkes County, close to Boone and Blowing Rock.

It's the perfect weekend mountain destination.

- Oh, this is an amazing place.

We've heard about it from friends who's been up here before ridin' horses.

We have horses as well.

And we decided for our honeymoon to come up here, and from the first time we got in to the first daylight of the next day, it's been amazin'.

- Leatherwood offers a little bit of everything.

You can stay for the weekend in one of the rental house.

Hot tubs with views.

Most of the cabins do offer hot tubs.

- Flyfishing, oh, it's excellent.

There are many, many spots just within a five-mile drive of here that the state of North Carolina stocks those creeks regularly.

- There's a campground if you wanna bring your horse and stay in your horse trailer and camp.

It offers a little bit of everything for everybody.

- [Speaker] There are so many activities at the resort to take advantage of, but it's the horses that truly symbolize the heart and soul of Leatherwood Mountains Resort.

- Well, there's many people that come to Leatherwood, drawn to the equestrian lifestyle, meaning they love to look at beautiful horses.

Maybe they own horses, maybe they want to bring their kids for riding lessons.

It is not an an absolute necessity to be a horse lover and come to Leatherwood, but for those of us that do have an affinity for horses, there's nothing like Leatherwood Mountains for that.

- They come out here and they say, "Well we didn't know this place was available "in North Carolina."

You just get here and you feel like you're in a different world.

- So we offer one- and two-hour guided rides.

Our horses are safe enough for beginners all the way up to experienced riders.

The one-hour ride goes through the meadow, which has rolling hills, crosses the stream.

The two-hour takes you up all the way to the top of the mountain and rides the ridge and comes back down.

- [Speaker] After a long day of exploring in and around the resort, a stopover at the Saddlebrook Grill is the perfect way to relax before you retreat to your cabin.

- We have got a wonderful little weekend place that people can come down and enjoy.

We're known for our barbecue and our burgers, and then we also feature live music throughout the season.

That's a real popular thing.

[gentle guitar music] Leatherwood Mountains gets in your soul because it is a place where you can bring your family, you can bring your loved ones and experience unspoiled beauty.

You can remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and you can really connect with what's important in life.

- And when people come here, they're on a vacation, they're on a break from their regular world, and it's just the attitude and feeling that I think the people bring to Leatherwood Mountains.

[gentle guitar music] ♪ - Leatherwood Mountains Resort is at 512 Meadow Road in Ferguson.

To book your cabin or find out more visit their website at leatherwoodmountains.com or give them a call at 800-462-6867.

Wine always goes well with romance.

Might we suggest a wine country escape?

Producer Clay Johnson found a charming vineyard in Henderson County that offers award-winning wines and delightful charcuteries.

Let's pay a visit to Marked Tree Vineyards in Flat Rock.

[bright guitar music] - [Clay] This is the fruit of years of labor.

It's the 2022 grape harvest at Marked Tree Vineyard in Flat Rock.

Workers picked and collected 50 tons of European wine grapes.

[worker speaking foreign language] - [Lance] Having a vineyard has always been kind of a fascination.

- [Clay] The fascination for Tim Parks and Lance Hyatt began in their youth, visiting wineries on the West Coast and in Europe with their families.

- [Tim] After a couple of bottles of liquid courage you start to tell yourself a story that you can do this, and it's gonna be so easy.

- [Clay] But they were intimidated by the large wineries they visited that were producing 50,000 cases a year.

- It wasn't until we went to a couple that were producing five, 6,000 cases that we were, that's when we really were like the light bulb went out and said, oh, it is something that can be done.

- [Clay] They began searching for the perfect location.

It needed the right elevation, soil, and sun, and needed to be close to to tourist attractions.

- When we drove around the corner and saw this place, I think we instantaneously said, "This is it."

- [Clay] They began planting their first 12-acre vineyard in 2015.

- [Tim] We called up 100 of our friends and family, and we had 38 people show up the very first weekend to help us plant.

It was really incredible.

It was really overwhelming, because every vine you see on this property is planted by hand.

- [Clay] Tim was still working as an executive in luxury retail, and Lance was still working as an architect.

- [Tim] It was a lot of fun to start while we were working, 'cause it gave us a lotta time to figure out who we wanted to be.

- [Clay] Tim and Lance eventually left their jobs to run the vineyard and winery full-time.

They produced their first vintage in 2018.

- Are you guys enjoying the afternoon?

- Yes.

- Absolutely.

- Now, have you guys been here before?

- [Clay] They opened their tasting room in 2020 and are now producing 3,300 cases a year.

They named their new venture Marked Tree Vineyard after the trees Native Americans bent to mark their way through the countryside.

- When we were changing careers, and we were trying to find our path, we were trying to find a new direction, we decided that Marked Tree is marking our new path.

- [Clay] Marked Tree produces five wines from European varietal grapes and five blends.

- It all starts in the vineyard.

You have to have good grapes to have good wine.

And I think that's kind of been a passion is to study and figure out which varietals will grow here, so that we can have the high quality that we we want.

- [Clay] Watershed is a very fruit forward blend of Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot.

- [Tim] It has this really kind of amazing, to me, lavender smell to it, which is a signature of Lemberger grape.

- [Clay] The Chardonel is made from a hybrid grape that's a cross between Chardonnay and Seyval.

- It has really good acidity, lots of fruit, and then we have it in oak barrels for eight months so it has a lot of vanilla and might get a little bit of coconut in there, too.

- [Clay] The Chloe Rosé is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Lemberger with a touch of Muscat.

- It's very refreshing.

It's dry, bone dry, and we usually sell out of it in about two months.

You can tell it's very young.

You can smell the fruit.

So we harvest- - [Clay] Marked Tree hosts vintner's dinners and tastings, where Lance educates guests about wines yet to be released.

- [Tim] What he does is he kinda walks you through what was happening that year.

What was the growing season like?

What was the weather like?

How much the production was.

- [Clay] Marked Tree also hosts festivals and small music concerts.

It all happens in a setting that attracts people like Dolores and Jim Nunn.

- You get great mountains that way, great mountains this way.

You got apple orchards, vineyards.

It's a great place to hang out.

- [Clay] And Dolores loves that the staff knows her name.

- They know your dog's name.

They know your kid's name, your husband's name.

They're just friendly.

And the wine's good, yeah.

- [Clay] Tim and Lance say customers like the Nunns are the best advertising they could have.

- [Tim] They're coming here for the place.

They're coming here for the vibe.

They're coming here because they wanna unwind, and I want them to just experience what we have to bring to the table.

[gentle guitar music] - Marked Tree Vineyard is at 623 Deep Gap Road in Flat Rock, and they're open daily.

For more information visit their website at markedtreevineyard.com or give them a call at 828-513-3773.

Well, that's it for tonight's show.

We've had so much fun out here at Black Mountain Chocolate Bar in Winston Salem.

And remember, you don't have to wait until Valentine's Day to enjoy delicious chocolate.

And if you've missed anything in today's show, remember you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org.

Have a great North Carolina weekend, everyone.

[bright music] ♪ ♪ - [Announcer] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, across the Piedmont to 300 miles of barrier island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

[gentle music] [bright music]