Boone

This college town is home to Appalachian State University (ASU) and its 18,000 students. Suburban sprawl has arrived, especially along U.S. Route 321, with its clusters of fast-food restaurants, motels, and a small mall. Closer to ASU, however, you get more of the college-town vibe, with organic-food stores and boutiques. The town was named for frontiersman Daniel Boone, whose family moved to the area when Daniel was 15.