The Tri-Cities of Va/Tn are the absolute best place to grow up

My hometown, Abingdon, was about twenty minutes from where I spent all my time, Bristol. Because this area is so small, people tend to lump the neighboring cities and towns together as one big area.

Bristol is best-known for the Bristol Motor Speedway (Nascar) and having the state line run through the center of the city.

The Tri-Cities boasts beautiful views, great backroads for fun drives, and true Southern hospitality. So, without further ado, I present you with the reasons why the Tri-Cities of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee is the best place to grow up.

Bristol is teeming with Southern hospitality and small-town charm

If you were looking for a genuine, Southern town to visit or live in, look no further! Over the summer, you can smell someone’s grill going almost every weekend, making most neighborhoods have the overwhelming wonderful aroma of BBQ, hotdogs, and hamburgers because what’s more Southern than getting together for food? Answer: nothing.

Upon paying a visit to almost anyone in the area, you will most likely get welcomed into their home (barring you take your shoes off first), offered sweet tea and some sort of food, and treated with the utmost generosity. Southern hospitality is alive and well in this region.

Nothing beats the Bristol Motor Speedway

Nascar is a big deal in this area: after all, “it’s Bristol baby!” Race week is probably the biggest and busiest time in this area. Home of “the fastest half-mile,” the Bristol Motor Speedway is a crucial part of the region. Schools let out early for the races, companies offer free tickets for employees, and tons of non-profits take advantage of the fundraising opportunities and set up booths outside.

Over the Christmas holiday, they convert the track to the amazing and breathtaking Speedway in Lights wherein they cover the race track with beautiful, elaborate Christmas light displays.

They also put out a carousel at Speedway in Lights for the kids.

Rhythm and Roots is the best festival ever

One of the greatest parts about Bristol in September is the Rhythm and Roots music festival. Boasting country, folk, and blues music, this festival is a hotspot for venders, musicians, performers of varying types, and tourists, alike!

The city blocks off State Street (you guessed it: where the state line runs down the middle) for the weekend and you can buy tickets for just one day or all the days.

If you haven’t been to this festival before, I highly recommend it.

The Johnson City Mall

A mall may not seem like a hotspot to tourists, but for Tri-Cities locals, the JC Mall is where it’s at. The mall usually offers some fun activity for kids as well as tons of shops and an awesome food court.

The best fast food place – you’ve probably never heard of it

The true hidden gem of this region is Pal’s Sudden Service. There are several Pal’s restaurants throughout the Tri-Cities area, however, there are none located outside the region. They offer the best hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and shakes in town and don’t forget the cheddar rounds; they’re a must! So stop by this amazing place if your in the area and you won’t be sorry.

Bays Mountain in Kingsport

The beautiful Bays Mountain in Kingsport boasts not only trails for biking and hiking, but also an awesome planetarium, nature center, and animal enclosures.

Long drives to the South Holston Lake with friends

Bristol’s highway 421 is the best “going for a cruise” road that takes you to the lake and if there’s one thing Bristolians like to do in the Summer, it’s party at the lake.

We pile in our vehicles and head down this gorgeous road, grab some beers, and load up our boats for an awesome day of driving/cruising the lake. This lake ends at the dam where, “there are catfish big enough to swallow a man.”

The beautiful views of Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport

If there’s anything Tri-Cities residents know, it’s that our views are the best. Our sunsets are breathtaking and with the mountains framing the view, you just can’t beat it.

Because we’re a small area, we also have a minimal amount of light pollution, so you can stargaze more easily at night.

You catch crawdads in the creeks

Tri-Cities residents truly know how to entertain their kids while waiting on the food at a cookout to finish. If you grew up in this area, you probably spent a lot of summer days catching crawdads in the creaks.

Being late for work because there was a slow trailer in front of you is a legitimate excuse

Unless your taking the interstate, you’ve probably spent a lot of time in Bristol getting stuck behind farm vehicles moving at less than 20 miles per hour. It’s so common that that’s generally a valid excuse to give to your boss if you end up late for work.

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Growing up in this area was beyond amazing.

The Tri-Cities are filled with wonderful, kind people, genuine Southern hospitality, beautiful views and hiking trails, and some of the best Southern foods.

I will never forget or cease to love my home or the people that reside there!