Visitors to Italy’s summer hotspot Lake Como are spoilt for choice when it comes to souvenirs, but a can of local air probably isn’t top of their shopping list.
22.10.2024 - 18:07 / thepointsguy.com
In a typical fall, western North Carolina rolls out a red, yellow and purple carpet of leaves, welcoming visitors to experience autumn along the high crest of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. This is not a typical fall.
At the end of September, Hurricane Helene dropped a deluge of rain in North Carolina's mountains. The ensuing floods devastated many communities, washed out miles of roadway and dozens of bridges and left the region reeling. The fall season — and $2.1 billion in visitor spending providing the livelihoods of thousands of North Carolinians — seemed lost. Locals focused on recovery and rebuilding. Aid workers, not tourists, descended en masse.
In late October, with fall color peppering the mountainsides, two of the region's major draws — the city of Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway — are closed to visitors and in heavy recovery mode. The Blue Ridge Parkway's North Carolina section is unnavigable, and Asheville is currently restoring essential utilities and services across the city. The Biltmore Estate, one of Asheville's most popular destinations, reopens on Nov. 2, in time for its annual Christmas at Biltmore celebration; other parts of Asheville and the Parkway face a longer road to welcoming visitors.
However, other towns in western North Carolina are open to visitors and are actively seeking fall foliage tourists to boost their economies. "The far southern and western counties, especially those in and near the Smoky Mountains, were largely unaffected by the storm," says Scott Peacock, director of tourism and marketing communications for Visit NC. "Fall color is emerging in those areas, so visitors can still enjoy the beauty of the season." To assist with travel planning, Visit NC launched NC Southern Mountains Travel, an index of counties and communities welcoming visitors, and maps showing regions to avoid and spots where fall color is popping.
Here are a few of our favorite western North Carolina mountain towns open to visitors right now, plus tips for visiting responsibly.
The tiny mountain town of Highlands is charming to the core. Located just six miles north of the Georgia border, it's well-positioned for leaf peeping, waterfall chasing and other outdoor exploration. Stay at Trailborn Highlands, a chic 63-room hotel that opened in September and highlights local experiences through guided hikes and other activities.
The annual Highlands Food & Wine festival (Nov. 7-10) will donate $125 from each ticket to its Shot at Redemption Sunday brunch to local recovery efforts. If you go before the festival, make a reservation at Lakeside Restaurant for a fine dining experience or enjoy casual wood-fired pizzas at Four65 Woodfire Bistro + Bar.
Just a mile apart, these near-twin
Visitors to Italy’s summer hotspot Lake Como are spoilt for choice when it comes to souvenirs, but a can of local air probably isn’t top of their shopping list.
A little more than a month after the remnants of Hurricane Helene killed residents, destroyed homes and businesses, and felled thousands of trees in western North Carolina, workers at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., got a round of applause Wednesday when they stood a tree up — a 28-foot Fraser fir that will be one of 57 Christmas trees displayed this holiday season in the estate’s 19th-century mansion.
Only a third of Brits who set a travel budget stick to it, according to a new study.
Airports throughout the world are experiencing a post-pandemic renaissance. They have emerged from the ashes of being virtual ghost towns and have been resurrected into not just the bustling transport centers they once were, but also completely transformed and markedly improved incarnations of their former selves. With that rebirth has come a new and renewed generation of airport dining options—a combination of classic joints and newer entrants—working to satisfy the palates of a traveling public that no longer wants to settle for subpar predeparture meals.
Oct 30, 2024 • 9 min read
Each autumn, in college towns across the United States, the fervor for football can almost feel religious as students, alumni, families and other fans fill stadiums, rooting for their teams to reach a bowl game and, just maybe, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
The holiday season is nearly upon us, which means it's time to book those flights to see your parents, in-laws, siblings, family, friends, or even that solo getaway you so desperately need at the end of the year. But before you do, make sure to consider all your flight options because some airports are simply better than others for holiday travelers. To help you find the right ones, MarketWatch conducted a survey of 3,000 Americans to learn more about their holiday travel habits. The team found that 61 percent of respondents plan to travel this holiday season, 36 percent intend to fly for the holidays, and they expect to pay an average of $1,869 on holiday air travel.
Tues. Nov. 5 is fast approaching — it's time to get out and vote in the 2024 presidential election.
It’s a season of savings for travelers seeking flight deals.Spirit Airlines has dozens of flight deals with one-way fares under $50 to popular destinations including Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, and more. The lowest price spotted in the promotion was just $11, for a flight from Las Vegas, NV to Sacramento, CA. The airline also has a variety of $20 flights including Dallas, TX to Atlanta, or Los Angeles (LAX) to Las Vegas. The deals are listed on the “Popular Flight Deals” within Spirit’s website.
Before I joined TPG in early 2022, my knowledge of credit cards and the world of points and miles was limited, to say the least. Authorized users ... what are those? Free night awards? Don't know. Chase's 5/24 rule — never heard of it.
Washington has proof North Korean troops are present in Russia, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters in Rome on Wednesday.
Oct 21, 2024 • 8 min read