Thought I'd share a bit of a backstory, since my trip to the Tri-Cities have come full circle.  Back in 2006, I was a volunteer coach for the Northwestern Wildcats, and the head coach and I had become such great friends, I was invited to her hometown in Southern Indiana.  Her and her husband wanted to show me some unique cultural experiences, which even at times, shocks them as locals.  We tried fried squirrel at a country bbq, I picked corn straight from the field to grill, they handed me a shotgun to shoot some cans as targets, and all the small-town gossip.  On my drive down, I witnessed pro-life billboards and got pulled over by a police officer on the dark country roads.  He had never seen a California license before.  They took me into Cincinatti and onto a casino river boat.  The list goes on.  It was the point on, that piqued my curiosity of American ways of life.  So, I blame them.  It was just all so fascinating, almost like all of my senses were awakened.  

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Flash-forward to today, I offered a travel giveaway for those that pre-purchased my new book.  They happened to win, so we road tripped together from Indiana into NE Tennessee.  They thought I rigged it, but the true winner couldn't go, and they were the alternates.  

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The Tennessee Hills were just as I expected.  It was nice to have my friends with me, so they could observe as well.  "Why does everyone have their shirts off?"  Well, that was interesting, even though it was hot.  The traffic lights takes lots of patience.  We stopped at the welcome to Bristol sign by walking on the train tracks.  Perfect way, since this area was founded by the train system, transporting natural resources as a crossroads.  I mentioned the Scotch-Irish rich heritage, and just at that moment we spotted a stonewall church, that could have been mistaken as Ireland.  We first stopped at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, then onto State St., where the road is split by Virginia and Tennessee.  Great photo ops!  Pretty happening area with plenty of shopping and music venues.  

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We had to keep going, since we were on a rigorous pace, but they really wanted to see the Motor Speedway, since being NASCAR fans.  140K spectators can fit in the bleachers, and they said they'd like to revisit just for a race.  Into Johnson City, you're welcomed with lots of commercialization, being the largest of the area.  Pretty much any national chain you can imagine, but the real magic was the downtown, where we sat down for some real bbq at a brewery.  We could not stop talking about the extraordinary portions with such a low cost.  Just when I thought they were going to be tired, they wanted to walk the downtown.  We got a dose of the train, loud enough to blow your eardrums.  Can't imagine having a condo, right next to that.  Pretty authentic though, considering that's been the scene for decades.  I love the sound of the train.  It's almost like a time-capsule where that same sound lives on today, as it did maybe hundreds of years ago, serving the same purpose.  Maybe things change around the tracks, but that's the one constant.  We ended up building model trains the next day, which was intense.  We got a great history lesson on the significance of the train system, and inside the venue, there was a replica of the train system covering the region.  Even in a hot and muggy day, we squeezed in time for the great outdoors.  Sure, weather is the talk of the town, but we kept pushing and jumped on a bike to ride the Tweetsie Trail, which used to be a train track.  

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Then, we headed to Boone, watched a historical performance of Daniel Boone at the settlers of the area.  Maybe the best thing, I've watched.  No wonder it's been going for 72 years.  

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I dropped them off in Charlotte, as I headed back to the Tri-Cities to make chocolate and a book signing.  On the 4th of July, I visited Kingsport, which was the completion of the most patriotic journey of America.  This was my last welcome sign to visit, so it was very emotional.  It's one of those moments where time stands still, and you're in the moment, like in the movies when it's love at first sight.  I was standing there with gratitude, thinking about all the moments this country has brought me.  I went to the grocery store, Food City to eat some dinner and compare the prices back home.  I was thinking of smuggling the food, since it was 1/3 the price.  My final day brought me back to Bristol, where I stayed at The Bristol Hotel and delivered a book talk inside a conference room.  I wish I could have stayed longer, much longer.  It was neat to be taking a shower in Virginia, while the view out the window was Tennessee.  

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The area was just as expected.  The food was great, especially the desserts.  The music was accessible.  I loved the train culture.  There's plenty of nature in between the Tri-Cities, but people are complaining that too many are coming to move.  Can't fight the appeal.  I liked the fact that you could live on a farm, a mega-mansion, an apartment, or a single-story home from any of these cities.  Any kind of lifestyle you want and surrounded by hills and meadows.

 

The iconic images are the steeples of the churches, and they are everywhere.   And, baseball fields are prominent in these hills.