Travel Log: Bristol

First there were back-to-back weekends at the sport's birthplace and L.A. Then there were consecutive weekends in Sin City and the South's capital city. And that all takes us to the twin city of Bristol -- where the Tennessee/Virginia state line runs directly down the middle of downtown.

The trademark of the unique state border city is the lighted sign that hangs above State Street, touting Bristol as "A Good Place to Live." The sign is said to have been donated to the city in 1910 by the Bristol Gas and Electric Company, and in 1921 the slogan was adopted and placed on the sign after a contest.

But perhaps the historical marker of the city is the music it introduced to the world.

DID YOU KNOW
Ralph Peer recorded 76 performances in four days at 410 State Street in downtown Bristol during the summer of 1927 for what is considered the birth of country music.

WHAT THE CITY OFFERS
Star Barber Shop -- Want a taste of the music that Ralph Peer helped record 80 years ago? Musicians have been performing at Gene Boyd's shop for nearly as long. Bristol and the surrounding area serves a full course of live country music each day, starting with the tiny and neighborly Star Barber Shop, where one chair is used for cutting hair and the rest are for people listening to the bluegrass. The pickin' is every Thursday, starting at 8 a.m. sharp. And in bluegrass terms, that means 7:45.

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Rocky Mount Museum -- From 1790-1792, during George Washington's presidency, William Blount was appointed governor of the Southwest Territory, which made his home the U.S. Territorial Capital. That home is located at Rocky Mount Museum, where visitors are taken back more than two and half centuries to see first-hand how life on the land was carried out at the home of the governor.

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Bristol Caverns -- Want history? Try 400 million years ago. Bristol Caverns allows visitors to take a walk beneath the earth's surface to tour the Underground River that Indians used to attack and escape during their raids on settlers. Retrace their footsteps through this underground walking tour.

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Appalachian GhostWalks -- The perfect way to celebrate this area's past is to reach out to it. Appalachian GhostWalks in Unicoi County provides a walking tour that intertwines mystery, legend and adventure while trying to discover legends of the area from the Bell Witch to the lineage of the Cherokee Indians.

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MUST-VISIT RESTAURANT
Ridgewood Barbecue -- It's country. It's hard to find. It's small. And by the way -- it's the best barbecue you'll eat. The meat is smoked in its own building in this narrow hollow, the cooks prepare it right in front of the customers, and no matter what time you go there you're going to wait in line for a 4 p.m. supper. If the line and the 'cue don't tell the story, it was one of Benny Parsons' stops on his feature, "Buffet Benny" (the photo still hangs inside).

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WEATHER FORECAST
Partly cloudy Thursday through Sunday with highs in the lower 70s all weekend. Click here for the extended forecast.

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