With the late afternoon sunshine piercing through the tree canopy above the road leading into the Tsali Recreation Area on the Graham/Swain County line, the sounds of “One Alone Together” by F.J. McMahon echoed out of the truck speakers, windows rolled down with a cool fall breeze swirling around me.  

As the federal government shutdown continues, North Carolina residents may be left with a patchwork of closures, service limitations and uncertainty across the region’s parks, forests and federal agencies. While some federal programs will continue without interruption, others have scaled back operations, leaving communities in the state’s westernmost counties to rely on a mix of official websites and local offices for updates.

There’s a certain feeling you get when you cross over the Graham County line. For most “outsiders,” whether it be nearby East Tennessee or origin points from any incoming direction, it’s a sense of genuine curiosity and wonder, where you don’t know what to expect around the next curve. And that’s half the fun, you dig? 

When Hurricane Helene slammed into Western North Carolina in late 2024, public attention focused on damaged homes, washed-out roads and the rigid bureaucracy meant to help with recovery, but the widespread physical damage was closely followed by a slow-moving economic catastrophe unfolding among the region’s small businesses, farmers and local governments. Now, eight months later, help may finally be on the way. 

Returning for its 15th installment, the annual outdoor race, the Tsali Ultra, will be once again held at Tsali Recreation Area on Fontana Lake in Graham County. 

As the temperature drops in Western North Carolina, the fun only heats up. The holiday season here is filled with events and activities aimed to celebrate the best way we know how — with friends, family and visitors alike. 

The annual Stecoah Harvest Festival will return Oct. 18-19 to the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville. 

The U.S. Forest Service reopened the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Trail and all other facilities in Graham County will reopen on Oct. 11 

Rising Americana/old-time ensemble The New Quintet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a $20 million grant from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to modernize roads and improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.