Best-Kept Secrets: The first year

In the first year of the Best-Kept Secrets series in 2014, we went looking for a hidden attraction in each of the state’s 100 counties, one region at a time. Here’s what we found:

The series intro — and a trip to the southeast corner

The southwest Piedmont — North Carolina’s land where cultures mingle

In northeastern NC, the pass-through country

Mountain culture and rugged natural beauty in northwestern North Carolina

The northeast corner — a place of rivers, swamps and history

Getting beyond Charlotte’s sprawl in NC’s southern Piedmont

Exploring country roads in and around the Triangle

NC becomes wilder west of Asheville

Northern Piedmont counties retain a strong sense of past

NC’s Inner and Outer Banks a land of pirates, wolves, legends

Discover nature, food and culture south of the Triangle

Creeks, gardens, pastries and other surprises on NC's coastal plain

Off the beaten path between the Triangle and the Triad

Break your rhythm with some altitude in Western North Carolina

As days shorten, our series ends on the central coast

2014 series recap: 100 counties

This story was originally published May 27, 2015 at 8:09 AM with the headline "Best-Kept Secrets: The first year."