10/04/2024
Bryson City was fortunately spared from the devestation of Hurricane Helene, local business eagerly anticipating our fall travelers. Come experience the beauty of the Smoky Mountains, help support our Appalachian community ๐๐
We've been getting tons of messages from readers begging us to cover the NC towns that were NOT affected by Helene, and are not near the area where rescue/repair efforts are essential.
As mentioned in a CNN story yesterday, the Visit NC website says that, while most of Western NC should be avoided, there are areas in the far western part of the state that are "ready and welcoming visitors."
As of October 3, those include the counties of Cherokee (Murphy area), Clay (Hayesville area), Graham (Robbinsville area), Macon (Franklin and Highlands area) and Swain (Bryson City area).
After hearing about the devastating economic impacts these largely unaffected towns will suffer by losing tourism revenue from peak Fall season, we've made a decision to share our stories about these towns, along with warnings to follow directions on DriveNC.gov for alternatives to roads through affected areas.
We did not make this decision lightly, and will continue to provide updates on the towns that have been affected, as well as promoting them once they are ready to welcome visitors.
More info here: https://www.cnn.com/travel/tourism-guidance-southeast-helene-aftermath/index.html