It’s no surprise that the most common question we get asked at the Welcome Center is “What’s to do around here?” Meaning, what’s to do in Murphy, NC or Cherokee County. Honestly “around here” includes a pretty large region - surrounding counties like Clay and Graham, into Tennessee, and even North Georgia.

The question is hard to answer - not because we struggle to think of things to do, but because there’s SO MUCH to do and it depends on what a person’s interests are.

It might be surprising to hear those same questions come from many local folks as well. You got family coming from out of town and you want to give them something to do, send them somewhere to eat, and show off #wherewncbegins. It’s been something of a foregone conclusion that the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce has the 411, the buzz, the scuttlebut on what’s happening, when and where, with who and for how long.

The question of “what’s to do around here” helped us reframe the content of our blog - “Where WNC Begins” into 3 sections that we plan to regularly feed content to: 

• Daytrippin'
• Local Savor
• Guest Spot

Daytrippin’

Panther Top. Copyright 2020 Riley Lachance

This summer Riley Lachance took us on the road as he explored some of the popular hiking, biking, kayaking spots in Western North Carolina. Those were some of our most popular posts and watched videos we produced this year. We’re looking forward to our last excursion of the year with him, and to many more adventures in the new year. 

But there’s another group of folks who enjoy the great outdoors … at a leisurely pace. To that end, we’re adding a new section called “Daytrippin’.” 

This column will be about trips you can take in one day. Trips that let you start early and get home by dinner. Trips that won’t wipe you out physically or financially. Whether scenic walks, or scenic drives, we’re going to introduce you to the milder side of the great outdoors.

By the way, we’re taking suggestions on a name for this column: some of the contenders are “Leisurely” “Downshifting” and “Sunday Drive.” To get an idea of the type of content we’re talking about, the first post features the Hiwassee Loop: a trip Sherry took with her husband JR and his mistress.

Local Savor

A "mess" of ramps.

What comes to mind when you think of savor? Food? Things or experiences to be treasured, cherished? In some way, these expressions helped feed the title of this column as it will focus on things that add spice and flavor to the far Western North Carolina experience, making #wherewncbegins unique.

The heritage, traditions, the culture and geography are all rich areas for exploration. We hope to fill this column and whet your appetite with articles that explore these areas. And we look forward to getting YOUR two cents worth. Yes. YOURS.

There are “community scholars” among you (you know, memaw and papaw) who make the best drop dumplings, who know everything about polk salad or how to prepare ramps; who have advice about when, what and how to plant, pick, and can everything. Someone out there is sitting on a treasure trove of historical images, video, audio recordings that reveal something about the nature of WNC that makes it so special. We’ll be tapping into the cultural resources and community scholars to help us reveal all of WNC’s Local Savor.

This may seem like an initiative beyond the scope of what a Chamber of Commerce does, but the fact is Chambers of Commerce are forces for good not just for the work we do for our valued members, but also for the efforts to help keep local residents informed about what’s happening in the community and region. To that end, we look forward to your input and yes, your help in finding and sharing the stories that make #wherewncbegins so special and unique.

Guest Spot

Where WNC Begins will feature a monthly guest post from a member of the Chamber starting in October.

Many of you may be familiar with the Jewish proverb, as rendered in a modern English translation, “...there is success through many advisors.”

This monthly column is reserved to tap into the experience and wisdom of our members. They each have their skillset and area of expertise to give insight and information about local resources that are available to us. Information that can keep our winter heating bills down, services we may need like free medical, dental and vision panels to keep us healthy, or financial advice to keep more money in our pockets.

Some of the ones we are looking forward to hearing from in the upcoming months include Cecelia Crawford’s piece on how loved ones of Domestic Violence victims can be a source of help and encouragement; and Patt Pratt’s piece in November about making sense of Open Enrollment for healthcare coverage.

Everyone is busy trying to figure out life in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. With proper planning and a healthy mix of creativity and ingenuity the chamber is committed to serving and working with all of you in one capacity or another for the rest of 2020 and on into the future.