“For those making travel a priority, or simply looking for a getaway, now is the perfect time to put Boone, North Carolina, ...

BOONE, N.C. — Freddie Pell helps lift a vintage wooden chair off the sidewalk and back inside his art gallery. It's starting to rain in downtown Boone, and he doesn't want it to get soaked — again.

Many Western NC towns that would normally see a surge of tourists for fall leaf season are not only recovering from the storm’s aftermath but also struggling due to the drop in visitors. As Western ...