☔️ Rainy day fun

Banner House Museum – Learn about the history of Banner Elk with a tour of one of the houses of the town’s early settlers, built around 1870. Guided tours are $5 per person.

The Drawing Room – A hands-on art studio where children and adults can paint ceramics, create crafts or join guided art activities. It's specifically geared toward families looking for a creative indoor activity.

The Turn Indoor Golf – Try one of several TrackMan golf simulators that let golfers of all skill levels play famous courses indoors. The venue also has a casual lounge setting, making it a good option for families with older kids or mixed-age groups.

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) – Free admission, rotating art exhibits and programs exploring the history and culture of the High Country.

Blowing Rock Community Library – This charming nonprofit library has been part of downtown Blowing Rock since 1923. It's an easy place to spend an hour or two on a rainy day. Browse the used book sale, work on the community puzzle or find a good book. There are regular story times and author events throughout the summer and fall.

Moses H. Cone Manor Craft Center – Browse handcrafted works by Southern Highland Craft Guild artists inside the historic Cone Manor, with demonstrations offered during warmer months.

Children's Playhouse – A hands-on children's museum designed for kids from infants through about age 8, with imaginative play areas, art activities, climbing spaces and interactive exhibits.

Mysterium Escape Adventure – Put your teamwork and problem-solving skills to the test at one of three escape rooms. Groups have a set time to solve clues, crack puzzles and complete the mission. (Reservations recommended.)

Mystery Hill – Part science museum, part mountain oddity, this all-weather attraction includes the famous gravity-defying Mystery House, hands-on exhibits and historic collections. 

Turchin Center for the Visual Arts – Appalachian State University's free contemporary art museum features rotating exhibits from regional and national artists, making it an easy stop downtown.

Ashe County Cheese – Visit North Carolina's oldest cheese plant, watch cheese being made through viewing windows (when production is underway) and sample local favorites. (Try the cheese curds.)

Parkway Theater – Catch a movie in one of North Carolina's oldest operating movie theaters, a longtime downtown favorite.

"First Friday Art Crawl," 5-8 p.m., Downtown Boone. Monthly art crawl along King Street with local artists, live music, and wine tastings in shops and restaurants. Free admission at the Turchin Center. Free.

"The Shared Table: Daingerfield's + Peppervine, Daingerfield's at Westglow Resort,” 224 Westglow Circle, Blowing Rock. A one-night collaborative dinner with two acclaimed chefs, three courses with wine pairings, and locally sourced ingredients. Reservations limited. $125 per person.

"42nd Annual Crafts on the Green," 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Gazebo Park, Beech Mountain. Over 30 local artists and artisans sell jewelry, wood turnings, photography, paintings, pottery, and more. Live music, food, and a kids magic show on site. Free.

"Junior Naturalist Day," 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Grandfather Mountain, 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville. A full day of nature activities for kids ages 5-12, including sessions on ornithology, meteorology, paleontology, entomology, and a salamander hunt. Included with park admission. Purchase tickets in advance online.

"Music on the Lawn," 5:30-8:30 p.m., The Inn at Ragged Gardens, 103 Sunset Drive, Blowing Rock. This week: Harris Brothers. Free outdoor concert on the inn's lawn. Cash bar and lawn menu available. Bring a lawn chair and arrive early. No pets, coolers, or outside food and drinks. Free.

"Summer Concerts at the Jones House," 5:30 p.m., Jones House, 604 West King Street, Boone. This week: The Wilder Flower and The Foreign Landers. Free outdoor concert on the lawn. Bring a blanket or chair. Rain or shine. Free parking downtown after 5 p.m. Free.

"Village Summer Concert Series," The Village of Banner Elk, 140 Azalea Circle, Banner Elk. Friday: My New Favorites, an Asheville-based Americana band with Appalachian roots and original music. Saturday: Adam Rose, a North Carolina musician and recording artist. Both shows on the outdoor stage between Sorrento's and Bayou Smokehouse. Free.

"Live Music at Boone Saloon," 9:30 p.m., Boone Saloon, 489 West King Street, Boone. Friday: HMM, Kendrick w/ The Great Dane Band (Jam Rock). Saturday: North State Grass + Suns of Stars (Jamgrass). 21+. $5 cash at the door.

Price: $2.75 million for a 4,417-square-foot home with five bedrooms, five baths and a three-car garage on a 0.54-acre lot.

The home: Originally built in 1957 and expanded from a two-bedroom cottage about 20 years ago, the home was featured on the Blowing Rock Tour of Homes after its renovation.

Features: Highlights include a vaulted great room with a stone fireplace, a chef's kitchen, multiple covered porches and patios, a lower-level family room and a main-level primary suite with a large dressing room.

Location: The property sits across from Broyhill Park and Cannon Garden and is within walking distance of downtown Blowing Rock's shops and restaurants.

Flooding prompts rescues: Nearly 10 inches of rain last weekend flooded roads across Boone and Blowing Rock. Emergency crews rescued a person stranded in the Tweetsie Railroad parking lot, a driver stuck in floodwaters on Deerfield Road in Boone and a woman who fell into swift water in Foscoe after slipping down a bank. (Watauga Democrat)

Boone man linked to police officer arrest: A Boone man accused of selling mushrooms and marijuana near Appalachian State University is accused of asking a Charlotte police officer and former college friend to use confidential law enforcement databases to identify an undercover officer investigating him, according to court records. The man and the officer were arrested. (Charlotte Observer)