North Carolina – Home of the Tar Heels, expansive mountain views, and gorgeous coastlines. We’re all aware of the damage that met our beautiful state in late-September of this year. Hurricane Helene brought an unforgiving amount of rain and flooding to our beloved mountain towns.

This led to a duration where many of our favorite travel destinations were forced to close their doors to anyone wanting to visit. Slowly but surely, assistance made its way to Western NC, and many of the local towns are requesting that we find time to come back and visit again!

We take immense pride in our Camden Cares initiatives year-round. Our teams work together, always finding new ways to give back and contribute to our surrounding neighborhoods, cities, and more.

Hurricane Helene was no different, sparking an immediate donation drive across our region to gather home goods, non-perishable foods, and other pertinent items to support those in need after the disastrous hurricane.

Photo Courtesy of Camden

We were gifted the opportunity to help people who needed it most, and now that donations have been delivered, it’s time we make our individual voices heard by taking the trip westward to visit our favorite locations again!

Local tourism in North Carolina is a pivotal piece of the small-town economies we love to enjoy and support. When Hurricane Helene forced closure, the implications went far beyond the initial damage incurred. It is a blessing to hear that many residents in the impacted areas have returned to their normal ways of life. But with the ending of highway closures and necessary detours blocking travel, many towns are still working hard to revive the rate of tourism that was present before the storms of autumn.

I’ve gathered some information to share on the beautiful mountain towns requesting for visitors to come back and make some new memories!

In the northwestern corner of NC, Blowing Rock is poised as the gateway to our winter getaways. With local Ski Resorts opening back up, the town of Blowing Rock has been highly vocal that they need our visitation to bring their community back to life as they recover and rebuild.

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Nestled high at an elevation of 3517 feet, Blowing Rock offers unforgettable views of the surrounding mountains in the Appalachian region, with bountiful hikes to be enjoyed, and their premiere access to the Blue Ridge Parkway re-opening slowly.

I am an undying fan of Blowing Rock, which is only an hour and fifty-minute drive from Uptown Charlotte. Truly one of the easier day trips to take, I never second guess the chance to go grab some lunch and a beer at Blowing Rock Brewing Company or the Six Pence Pub. Not to mention taking advantage of their fantastic town, full of boutiques and galleries.

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As winter draws closer, the NC ski towns of Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain have also reopened for all those interested in some fun in the cold! Even before the temperatures drop too low, there are many attractions to enjoy, such as their renowned railroad rides and alpine coasters at Wilderness Run.

Beech Mountain is also home to the Land of Oz theme park for those looking to take a nostalgic trip down the yellow-brick-road, or any newcomers looking for a taste of the world of Wicked. It's a slightly longer drive for those closer to the Raleigh-Durham area, but always worth the trip with many gorgeous stops along the way to bask in the beauty of North Carolina.

Places like Asheville, Chimney Rock, and Little Switzerland took much of the brunt of Hurricane Helene. With that being said, be sure to call around before heading that way to ensure you’re able to enjoy all that you’re looking for.

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If I may suggest a couple more must-see locations, Brevard, NC is fully open for guests, along with one of my all-time favorite regions in Andrews, NC.

Andrews Valley Rail Tours offers the most unique pedal rail tour through the area's awe-inspiring valleys. As you make your way through the rolling foothills, you will see spectacular sights and soak up a less-visited area that is sure to blow your mind.

I hope to see these majestic mountain towns come back to life fully in the coming year. In the meantime, I’ll gather friends and family to show them around some of our state's most alluring parts.

Camden is never too far from the fun, in fact we like to be the center of it! We hope this blog has helped give you some ideas for an upcoming weekend road trip and we know the locals of our mountain towns will appreciate your presence with gratitude.

Hop in the car and let’s help support those affected by Hurricane Helene while they make their way back to normality. We’ll see you out there!