Bristol VA-TN: Birthplace of Country Music

We moved on to Bristol and experienced a blowout on the trailer on I-81 near Marion, VA. Fortunately our Pressure Pro Alert System went off immediately. We were near an exit so Jerry eased our rig down the ramp to a deserted business parking area and pulled the wheel. We limped on to a tire center at the next exit while rolling on only five wheels, discarded the blown tire, and had them install the spare. Since they had no trailer tires in stock, we waited until we arrived at Bristol to purchase a new tire.

Bristol is unique, as State Street actually straddles the VA-TN line. Shop on one side and you pay TN taxes; shop on the other, and the governor of VA is happy. We stayed at the Beaver Creek Campground near the renowned Bristol Motor Speedway. Our leaders treated us to a delicious pancake breakfast near their trailer, and we quickly traveled in tandem to the Speedway for a tour. Our guide was a big man of good cheer, and to the delight of us all, he drove us at a top speed of 50 mph around the half-mile track in his large van, banking ever so slightly. We learned that racing fans are treated to watching professional drivers average as much as 128 mph over many laps. We also visited the drag-way called Thunder Valley, pathway of motorcycles and “souped up” cars with chutes. The gift shop and visitor center were big hits, but more impressive was the custom executive suite of Bruton Smith, wealthy owner of the track. For a big race, Mr. Smith invites as many a 160 guests to watch from an enclosed, premier vantage point, eat sumptuously on fine china, and taste preferred beverages served from an antique walnut bar. As if this were not enough opulence, Mr. Smith, age 82, owns other speedways.

In the afternoon, we visited the Chamber of Commerce and met an elderly lady, Anna, who provided a driving tour, with the highlight being the small home where Tennessee Ernie Ford was born. Who can ever forget his famous tune, “Sixteen Tons” that was once the most listened to song in America. We also visited his boyhood church, Anderson Street Methodist, which has been totally updated. Then we headed to downtown Bristol and were bedazzled by the restored old train station. State Street was a bustling place with vendors hurriedly getting ready for the annual Rhythm and Roots Festival that would begin the next day. Jerry hired on as a scooter patrolman (just kidding). We returned to an exciting day of music, fun, laughter, and festival food. That evening we had a group dinner at Macados and watched VA Tech come from behind in the last couple of minutes to win a big football game. While the evening was joyful, and the food was fantastic, a sports bar-restaurant is not exactly a place for quiet conversation. However, we were in a festive mood, and we returned to the street for more music. There were numerous bandstands along the streets, and in many businesses, smaller bands and singing groups excited their audiences. The grand finale on Saturday night featured Patty Loveless. There was hardly a place to stand at the end of State Street near the Bristol Arch, and office workers were literally hanging from second and third story windows. Patty was good, but we actually enjoyed some of the other, less famous groups more. A group of gastroentinolgists from Washington D.C. had fans jumping and clapping. There were wild, crazy, joyful, and multi-talented. They were the most unique group at the festival. We talked with some of the Blue Grass entertainers and were impressed with their overall demeanor. One was a songwriter who wrote one of the numbers on Reba’s newest CD (left photo).

Our son, Mark, lives in Kingsport, TN. and works in Bristol for Embarq Communications He (one on the left) and a couple of other employees manned a booth for a few hours, so we got to have lunch with him, wife Christy, and son, Ethan, age 6. The photo of Ethan depicts him straddling the line between Virginia and Tennessee, his home state.