DallasSteve
Texas
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I'm heading to the southern Blue Ridge Mountains area - east Tennessee, west North Carolina, north Georgia - to spend the summer. I'm looking for a place where I won't have to run the AC a lot and I like rain. It's my first trip there. I want a smaller city that would have enough people that it has at least 1 Walmart and maybe a Planet Fitness. Finding a nice RV park in the area with reasonable monthly rates is also a big factor.
There's also the potential I might decide to retire to a smaller city that I like. Or I might decide to make the trip each year and winter in Florida or South Texas (where I am now). I've even thought about buying 2 old RVs and keeping one up north and one down south, then I wouldn't need a tow vehicle. Just close one up when the seasons change and go to the other one. Do people actually do that or did I think of that idea?
I've been researching the area and I see 3 or 4 candidates. If you know the area well and want to suggest another please let me know. The list is in my order of favorites based on my Internet research.
4 - Helen, Georgia
Correction: it has a lot of rain, but the temps are a little warm, and it's very small. I could drive about 15 minutes into Cleveland for Walmart. I think some areas nearby may be higher elevation and lower temps.
3 - Asheville, North Carolina
The weather is a little warm and not as wet, it's a little big at about 100,000, it's a college town, which I like. On the negative side, I've been reading it's having a crime problem.
2 - Crossville, Tennessee
It has good weather, and it's about 12,000. I might like something a little bigger, but it might work. (I moved this up to number 2)
1 - Boone, North Carolina
It has good weather and it's about 20,000. Goldilocks says that might be just right.
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pbeverly
South Carolina
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Helen is a cute little "German" town. It is also a tourist trap with horrible traffic.
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Pawz4me
North Carolina
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You say a good thing about Asheville is that it's a college town. But Boone is much more of a college town than Asheville. When Appalachian State University is in session the population of Boone is about doubled (maybe more than doubled). I don't really consider Asheville a true college town, just a town with a college. Boone is also at a considerably higher elevation than Asheville, so it's cooler and less humid.
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ken56
Tennessee
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I've been to all of these places and out of all of those Boone is the best option IMO. It is a college town too, Appalachian State. Asheville has some very woke crazies in it and you better check out the crime rate there. Homeless are rampant now downtown. Campground choices may be limited too.
Crossville is a great town with lots of golf courses if you golf and other activities to do. The Cumberland County Playhouse is worth checking out. Lots of great campgrounds to pick from too.
Helen GA is a touristy town but isn't overwhelmingly so. Very rural and not an objectional distance to get to shopping.
Other suggestions for you might be Maggie Valley NC, Waynesville area or Bryson city area or the Cherokee NC area.
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magnusfide
On the Road Again and Again and Again...
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I recommend Boone or Crossville. The other places get too crowded,
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johnhicks
Wandering below the Gnat Line
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You're not going to do without a/c in the Helen/Cleveland area. Not enough altitude.
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DallasSteve
Texas
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ken56 wrote:I've been to all of these places and out of all of those Boone is the best option IMO. It is a college town too, Appalachian State. Asheville has some very woke crazies in it and you better check out the crime rate there. Homeless are rampant now downtown. Campground choices may be limited too.
Crossville is a great town with lots of golf courses if you golf and other activities to do. The Cumberland County Playhouse is worth checking out. Lots of great campgrounds to pick from too.
Helen GA is a touristy town but isn't overwhelmingly so. Very rural and not an objectional distance to get to shopping.
Other suggestions for you might be Maggie Valley NC, Waynesville area or Bryson city area or the Cherokee NC area.
Thanks for those tips and thanks to everybody for their comments. I will definitely check out Boone. It sounds like Asheville might be worth a visit but not as a place to stay longer term. Someone also suggested Black Mountain which is close to Boone and Asheville. It appears to have good weather, too.
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ken56
Tennessee
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Black Mountain is not close to Boone, it's east of Asheville about 20 miles. Look at the Lake Lure area....stayed in a condo there a few years back. Its a peaceful place not all that far out of Asheville. Don't get me wrong, the wife and I like the Asheville area as we go to the Biltmore quite a bit being season pass holders. A ton of things to do and see plus great restaurants. Lake Lure/Chimney Rock is more peaceful. You want cool weather in the mountains and I assume peace and quite. Boone offers that....except it can still get hot, just not Texas hot. Love going to the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston too ourselves.
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ferndaleflyer
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20mi is pretty close---Hendersonville, Linville, Saluda, Blowing Rock, Forest City, Newland, Banner Elk, Lots of places in that area. I have no interest in Builtmore but have stayed a few times at the Grove Park Inn. And Asheville has a few draw backs but we have spent some time there in the last few years and haven't been bothered by any of it. Buy a motor home---just unhook and ride to your next adventure.
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DallasSteve
Texas
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ken56 wrote:Black Mountain is not close to Boone, it's east of Asheville about 20 miles. Look at the Lake Lure area....stayed in a condo there a few years back. Its a peaceful place not all that far out of Asheville. Don't get me wrong, the wife and I like the Asheville area as we go to the Biltmore quite a bit being season pass holders. A ton of things to do and see plus great restaurants. Lake Lure/Chimney Rock is more peaceful. You want cool weather in the mountains and I assume peace and quite. Boone offers that....except it can still get hot, just not Texas hot. Love going to the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston too ourselves.
You say Boone gets hot. According to Wikipedia it's cooler than the other 3 cities in my original list. They have a climate chart that shows summer highs in the upper 70s. That might actually be a little cool for me, but I have heat, too. Do you think this data is wrong?
Wikipedia: Boone, North Carolina
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