Shadrack Campground, Bristol, Tennessee
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Here’s a few pictures from our drive from Ohio to Tennessee yesterday:
Wow! Much of our drive was like this!
What a sign! Guess you better know exactly where you’re going. . . .
More pretty mountains
We’re parked in a valley, close to a mountainside covered in Fall trees. It’s beautiful here! Trees in Ohio were just beginning to turn, but here, they’re well on their way.
Our morning view . . . .
. . . . until they left!
Much better!
Getting to our site was a bit tricky, since we had to go down and around a hill in order to get to our spot. Getting out will be even trickier!
Here we are, with no one around.
Here’s some interesting information about Bristol – the town is actually in two different states! Tennessee (which everyone’s heard of because of the NASCAR racing) and Bristol, Virginia. Its downtown is literally split down the middle of the street (State Street)! It’s the only town in the United States that can claim that. The two cities share a library, water system, and emergency medical services. They also take turns paying the electricity bill on the city’s giant welcome sign which takes over 1300 bulbs to illuminate each night. In 1856, cities were separated, and Virginia’s Bristol became incorporated into Goodson VA, but everyone continued to refer to its train depot as the Bristol Station, so in 1890, Goodson once again took the name Bristol. I’ll try to have more on that later, if we get a chance to visit downtown.
And from Bristol, Tennessee’s website:
Before 1852, what is now the heart of the City of Bristol Tennessee / Virginia was part of the vast plantation of Rev. James King. Rev. King had a son-in-law, Mr. Joseph R. Anderson, then a merchant of Blountville, Tennessee, who when learning that two railroads would meet upon the King land, foresaw that the site would be ideal for the founding of a city.
On July 10, 1852, Anderson contracted for 100 acres of the King plantation: forty-eight acres in Tennessee and fifty-two acres in Virginia. On July 16, 1852, he chose the name “Bristol” for his planned city, narrowly edging out the name “Paradise” by only one point. The survey of Bristol began August 1, 1852 and continued for three days. During the summer of 1853, Mr. Anderson had a combined residence and business house erected on what is now the southwest corner of State Street and Martin Luther King Blvd. This was the first building erected in the Town of Bristol and was the beginning of this city. Anderson moved his family from Blountville to this house on September 18, 1853. The Bristol post office opened in this house on November 5th. His general mercantile store opened for business on December 24th of the same year. Banking began in 1854. This corner is now called the Birthplace of Bristol.
Samuel Goodson, who owned land that adjoined the original Town of Bristol at its northern boundary (Beaver Creek was the divided line), started a development known as “Goodsonville”. In 1856, that town and the original Bristol, Virginia were merged to form the composite town of Goodson, Virginia. However, the Depot continued to be known as Bristol, Virginia. In 1890, all the development on the Virginia side returned to the name “Bristol” and so remains today.
The main road here is also interesting. You often have to do a U-Turn to get to where you’re going. Sometimes as much as a half-mile past where you want to be. That means an additional mile to get to your destination. The road is four-lanes with a median in between and little “alleys” for you to turn around. Much like the “radar alleys” on the expressways. You know. Where the police sit waiting for speeders.
Well, we just jumped right back in it today. A short hike that turned into five miles! Fortunately, it was mostly flat. It was a good opportunity for us to begin to get back in shape after a month of mostly socializing. We could certainly tell a difference!
Blaine took us to Steele Creek Park for our initiation back into an active lifestyle. It was beautiful there, and well used, especially by the King University students in late afternoon. They were all running toward us in groups or singles, as we were heading back.
And away we go!
We don’t know if this waterfall has a name – there were no signs.
This was the steepest part today, and it’s not really the trail. Just a jaunt up to the top of the waterfall, but the view was better from below.
It was the little side trips that added mileage.
We saw neither quarry nor cave . . . . .
Here’s what happened this evening!
Sites are extremely close together – only 20′ wide!
Thus ends our first day back on the road. Beautiful wasn’t it?