When it comes to an active winter oasis, things don’t get much better than Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Just shy of eight hours from the Hostess City and only a few miles from Boone and Roan Mountain, this slope-side town boasts killer, Western-style slopes with the convenient and cost-effective lures of the South. Highlighted by cozy inns, belly-warming foods and the enthralling majesty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this small Appalachian town sits well with adventurous souls.