When your camper van breaks down mid-expedition, you learn two things fast: patience is non-negotiable, and sometimes the most memorable parts of a road trip happen when you are forced to stay in one spot.

My girlfriend Paige and I aren't the type to over-plan our lives in 15-minute increments. But when you set out from our hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, to drive a 35-year-old, 1991 Ford Econoline camper van over 7,000 miles across the country, flexibility becomes your best asset.

As AI-generated speech becomes harder to distinguish from real voices, Asheville voice actors are seeing early work disappear and raising concerns about consent, compensation and trust in audio media.

Hundreds of UNC Asheville students walked out of class Friday to protest university plans to develop 45 acres of forest on South Campus. Protesters argue the proposed project threatens campus identity, environmental integrity and community trust.

Inside the Zerbini Family Circus, motorcycles roar through the “Globe of Death” as performers balance danger, tradition and family. The traveling circus blends centuries-old roots with modern thrills under the big top.

The Linville Gorge, often called the Grand Canyon of the East, sits just an hour from Asheville, close enough to feel familiar, but new enough to remind you where you are. Dropping 2,000 feet into a Blue Ridge valley, the gorge was protected in 1964 under the Wilderness Act, one of the first designated wilderness areas in the Eastern U.S. That title keeps it rugged: no motorized equipment, few bridges and trails that can change with every storm.

Inside the Zerbini Family Circus, motorcycles roar through the “Globe of Death” as performers balance danger, tradition and family. The traveling circus blends centuries-old roots with modern thrills under the big top.

Spotted this week at UNC Asheville: a mama bear and two cubs on the Quad. Students froze, phones came out, and the Quad turned into a mini wildlife show.

Four months after Hurricane Helene, businesses along Swannanoa River Road remain stalled by prolonged road closures and delayed insurance payouts. Monteath’s Auto, a 40-year family-run shop, faces mounting losses, looting, and uncertainty as owner Bob Buchanan waits for clarity on whether rebuilding is even possible.