Shopping in Boone

Since 2001, Extreme Snowboard and Ski has populated the slopes of Sugar Mountain Resort with snow sportsters outfitted with rental and retail equipment, as well as apparel from brands such as Neff, Loki, and Grenade. The ski shop’s prime location at the entrance to mountain makes it a convenient stop for downhillers in need of rental skis or snowboards, a new pair of Spy or Smith goggles, or equipment tuning performed by the onsite repair technicians. The tech team treats skis and boards with the help of a Wintersteiger Micro 91, restoring their functionality and refining their bottoms until they can slide over snow with powder-cutting grace.

Sprawled across more than 200,000 square feet of retail greenhouses, Painters Greenhouse shelters nearly 700 varieties of flora, all cultivated start-to-finish by a staff of knowledgeable green thumbs. Retiring from their 320-acre farm in Pennsylvania a few years ago, owners Brad and Deenie Owen sojourned to North Carolina to helm Painters Greenhouse, where they aim to increase the production of native plants, vegetables, and water garden plants—all with sustainability in mind. Their vast inventory of perennials, annuals, herbs, and shrubs is joined by an impressive variety of native species—plant life that occurs in the area naturally and is beneficial to the local ecosystem. Blooming baskets and potted ferns mingle with decorative planters and space-saving gardening containers, while aquatic plants provide good hiding spots for squirrels scuba-diving inside Painters' decorative fountains.

Named the best toy store in Western North Carolina by Mountain Xpress for five years running, Dancing Bear Toys overflows its two locations in Asheville and Hendersonville with an ever-evolving stock of high-quality playthings from top designers. Co-owners since the first store’s opening in 1993 and sisters since well before, partners Erika and Sarah routinely travel to the New York City International Toy Fair to scope out the latest and most exciting boons to kids’ imaginations, from wooden trains to broccoli-eating robots. Within the shops’ colorful walls, giant stuffed animals from Melissa and Doug smile down on Playmobil action figures, educational kits and puzzles, and a variety of children’s books, movies, and games.

Humans can find the missing pieces for their homes and kitchens with the lightly used furnishings and appliances at Second Chances Thrift Store, but homeless animals are the ones that really benefit the most from each sale. That's because the shop donates all proceeds to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, a no-kill shelter and a foster program for homeless animals that might otherwise roam the streets with their possessions in a handkerchief tied on a stick. A large inventory of kitchen appliances, books, and furniture flows constantly through the store. Additionally, shoppers can find antiques peppered throughout the selection, identifiable by their black-and-white appearance.

Combining experience in lampworking, glass blowing, and jewelry design, the three resident artists of Asheville Glass Center lead workshops and classes to share their passion for manipulating molten glass. The two- to three-hour intro courses teach neophytes to craft borosilicate marbles and soft glass beads, and more in-depth classes result in intricate implosion flowers and sand-cast solid forms. The center also offers open studio time for more experienced artists who wish to work alone, like the winningest three-legged racers.

In 1950, John Searcy loaded up his pickup truck with car batteries and began peddling his wares to wholesalers. Two years later, John formalized his operation and began Interstate All Battery Center, a battery retailer and service center that spans the continent from Austin to Anchorage powering cars, hearing aids, and cameras. Interstate All Battery Center charges gadgets and vehicles with more than 16,000 types of power solutions, and eases environmental taxes on the planet with a robust battery-recycling system. In a year, Interstate All Battery Center recycled 850 million pounds of batteries—just enough energy to grant immortality to one Furby.