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North Carolina, the first colony to officially sanction independence, invites travelers to explore places with resonant history and personal stories along the path to freedom. From re-enactments and historic site tours to performances and outdoor recreation, America 250 activities connect seekers with more than facts and figures. A handful of highlights: Prelude to Revolution — Halifax Resolves Days (April 10-12) in Halifax commemorates the adoption of NC's call for independence. Tryon Palace in New Bern showcases the past with a robust calendar of tours, exhibits and presentations. NC Trail Days (June 4-6 in Elkin) includes hiking on the Overmountain National Historic Trail and other treks that speak to natural and human history. Outdoor dramas — "The Lost Colony" (June 4-Aug. 22 in in Manteo), "Horn in the West" (June 26-Aug. 8 in Boone) and "Unto These Hills" (May 30-Aug. 22 in Cherokee) — bring history to life under the stars. For more possibilities, try a filtered search of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resource's comprehensive calendar.

Competition heats up in the Queen City with Bravo's production of Season 23 of "Top Chef" centered in “the emerging and diverse culinary hub of Charlotte” with episodes also shot in Greenville, SC. Brittany Cochran, executive chef at Stagioni in Charlotte, and Oscar Diaz, whose restaurants include the MICHELIN-recognized Little Bull in Durham, join other competitors when the season premiers March 9. NC culinary notables with airtime as guest judges and diners include a contingent from the Charlotte area (Greg and Subrina Collier, Uptown Yolk; Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown, Supperland, Haberdish, Ever Andalo; Joe and Katy Kindred, Kindred and Hello, Sailor; Eric Ferguson, L'Ostrica; Chayil Johnson, Community Matters Cafe) as well as Asheville (Meherwan Irani, Chai Pani Restaurant Group; William Dissen The Market Place Restaurant) and Raleigh (Cheetie Kumar, Ajja). Sam Jones of Sam Jones BBQ, Lewis Donald of the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival and Monk family members of Lexington Barbecue fame will also find screen time, as will previous NC contestants Jamie Lynch (Church & Union and La Belle Helene, Charlotte), Ashleigh Shanti (Good Hot Fish, Asheville) and Savannah Miller (M Tempura, Durham). Find more details about Season 23 and the kickoff Quickfire Challenge at Charlotte Motor Speedway here. 

The first phase of the Catawba Indian Nation’s $1 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino is on track to open in March in Kings Mountain. The initial development will feature more than 1,300 slot machines, 22 table games and sports betting kiosks plus a 40-seat restaurant and bar. When completed in 2027, the 16-acre complex will include more than 2 million square feet with a 24-story, 385-room hotel. In 2021, the tribe opened a temporary casino space. The resort's name pays tribute to 18th-century Catawba Chief King Hagler and the city of Kings Mountain, which is off Interstate 85 west of Charlotte.

Lejeune Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville will welcome a new signature attraction with the June 8 opening of the Carolina Museum of the Marine. Paying tribute to North and South Carolina Marines and Sailors, the 25,000-square-foot museum promises to inspire visitors with artifacts, personal stories and immersive Marine history. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune was established on May 1, 1941, as an amphibious training facility. Paths through the 5-acre Lejeune Memorial Gardens lead to the Beirut Memorial, the Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Montford Point Marine Memorial and the 9/11 Memorial Beam from the World Trade Center.

Raleigh, High Point and Charlotte have become the forever home of the largest North American collection of Danish recycle artist Thomas Dambo’s celebrated troll sculptures with the creation of seven outsize figures. An additional dozen, a collection dubbed “Trolls: A Field Study,” have made their North American debut in Asheville with a residency at the NC Arboretum through Feb. 17. At Raleigh’s Dix Park, the awakening began with five trolls crafted from natural and reclaimed materials that are connected via storyline to one each in High Point and Charlotte, which come with a quest to find The Grandmother Tree. The NC seven join more than 150 other Thomas Dambo sculptures that have transformed public spaces, forests and greenways across five continents and attracted a devoted following that pursues the artist’s global Trollmap.