7/25/26 My husband…read moreand I like to go on a cave trip every year for our anniversary. This year, we traveled from Ohio to the Bristol area. We took a trip to Appalachian Caverns on the second day of our trip and it became the 28th cave/cavern that we have visited in the US. We loved our tour here and our tour guide Roger was great! He was so funny while having a great balance of knowledge to share. We heard so much new information while on the tour and loved hearing about the bat population. We also got to see two bats while walking through. The bridges over the water were our favorite part. So beautiful! We highly recommend stopping in for a tour!

So they give tours about every hour or so. I think it was about 45 minutes. They had 2 tour guides…read morewhile we were there . But our tour guide complained alot about his life. We did joke around about some things, but at least pretend you enjoy your job. They had a couple cute doggos that greet you while you are there. They also have a little store with a lot of different kinds of rocks if that is your thing.

About five miles out from Abingdon and well worth the drive down the country roads to get there,…read moreWhite's Mill and mercantile is a restored/working 18th century water mill that produces the best coarse ground yellow grits I have ever had (my first taste was the White's Mill Grit Cakes served at Abingdon's Bone Fire Smokehouse and I've never looked back/had better since). The goodness of those yellow grits are the main reason I'm writing this review, but the mill itself and the adjacent "mercantile" country store (where you can find said grits available for purchase stored within a chest freezer alongside other White's Mill milled grains (like cornmeal, flour, white grits etc.). I've never seen anyone attending the mill any time I have visited thus I cautiously wander around inside with at least one buddy in tow as the interior looks every bit as old as it's 1790 establish date (the 1866 restoration notwithstanding). From the entrance level there are rooms both upstairs and down, the lover level revealing a cool living room type of space complete with a hearth/fireplace and a lot of huge, aged and complicated-looking gears and other oddly quiet antiquated mechanics in motion. It feels like entering a portal to another time; braving the creaking stairs within the mill is an adventure in and of itself. The mercantile is an old house-turned-store next to the mill stocked windows-to-walls with goods, wears, and--let's be real--junk. If you like being overwhelmed with multiple rooms full of stuff and sifting through troves seeking treasures, get thee to this out-of-the-way country store. Aside from grain, jellies, and jams, you can find all kinds of antiques and other random oddities that only rural bric-a-brac magnets like this place can accrue. As a final testament to the boss quality of White's Mill yellow grits: when I moved to Japan I brought two bags with me that I keep squirreled away in the freezer for days when I have a fever for the flavor. To cook coarse yellow grits: boil 4 parts water and add 1 part grits. Stir every few minutes for about 25 minutes until they reach a naturally creamy consistency. Experiment to find your flavor by adding seasoning, cream/milk/water, cheese, other stuff etc. -or- let them cool and make polenta-like grit cakes :)

The Abingdon Sculpture We stopped in a park in this little city while we were on our road trip…read morethrough NC. This park had all kinds of public art and statues and things. This is one of the cooler looking designs and landmarks for the town. We love seeing things like this and adding it so others can see.

This marker is located on the Tennessee side of State Street and recalls an important military…read moreleader. It reads, "Evan Shelby. Born in Wales, 1719, he came here about 1771. A veteran of Braddock's Campaign and Lord Dunmore's War, he commanded a successful expedition against Chickmauga towns, 1779. Member of the North Carolina State Senate, 1781, and brigadier general of militia, 1786, he declined governership of the State of Franklin, 1787. He died December 4, 1794, and is buried in East Hill Cemetery." Online, there is more information. "Evan Shelby was born in Tregaron, Cardiganshire, Wales, in 1720 (some sources give 1719). His father was also Evan Shelby; his mother was Catherine Davies Morgan. The family moved to the American colonies in about 1734, settling first in Pennsylvania, but later moving to Maryland. The younger Evan worked on a farm near Frederick, Maryland, named "Mountain of Wales"." "Shelby served as a captain, scout, and surveyor in the French and Indian War, and was present at the fall of Fort Duquesne. In the 1770s, he built a fort, store, and trading station near the Virginia/North Carolina border, near present-day Bristol, Tennessee, which included perhaps the first distillery in the region. He led a militia group to the Kanawha River site of the Battle of Point Pleasant during Lord Dunmore's War." "Shelby signed the Fincastle Resolutions and actively supported the war for American independence, serving on a boycott committee and eventually taking the lead in defending Virginia's western frontier. He rose to the rank of colonel in 1777, in raids against the Chickamauga. In 1787, he became a brigadier general in western North Carolina, and was even elected governor of the State of Franklin, a post which he declined." [Review 14992 overall, 494 of 2021, number 271 in Tennessee.]

Love the history. Knowledge is power. Showed off the area to West Coast visitors. ThEIR…read morecomments: Lovely small town. Great weather when we (Group 1) were there in the late Spring! (Group 2) All Leaf views extraordinary (last) Fall. (Both Groups) People unbelievably friendly! Smiles everywhere! Safe place, no lunacy! Quite inexpensive compared to other places around the country.

Installed in 2014, this historical marker was placed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. It is not…read morean official Commonwealth of Virginia marker. It is located on the Bristol border of Tennessee and Virginia next to where the rail line crosses State Street. The marker is in excellent condition. It reads, "On this site was formerly located the Bristol general Confederate Hospital. it was housed in the former Exchange Hotel erected in 1858 (later known as the Nickels House). The building was demolished in about 1898. Sick and wounded soldiers were brought here by train for medical and surgical treatment. Bristol was approximately halfway between the battlefields of Virginia and the south. Over 100 men who died in this hospital are buried in East Hill Cemetery six blocks east. This marker placed by James Keeling Camp 52. Sons of Confederate Veterans." From to a news article https://heraldcourier.com/news/local/bristol-civil-war-hospital-finally-gets-honored/article_fda0d902-ce72-11e3-b891-001a4bcf6878.html, "Confederate injured were thus transported from battle via the era's "interstate highway" and to Bristol's Confederate Hospital. They were then quickly taken to a ramp of entry at the hospital... Exact numbers of patients served and soldiers who died within the hotel, which operated from 1862 until the end of the Civil War in 1865, are not known." "As the guys died," Hawthorne said, "they were put on the back porch (of the hospital), loaded into a wagon that went up the dirt trail -- about straight up the steep bank, to East Hill Cemetery." East Hill Cemetery is nearby: https://www.yelp.com/biz/east-hill-cemetery-bristol?hrid=SpdF3SgglzNChTsdrCXqxA [Review 15002 overall, 504 of 2021, number 1281 in Virginia.]

I love these roadside attractions and historic markers, I actually seek them out if I'm in close…read moreproximity. This one is easy to find and there is plenty of free parking street side if you don't mind walking a few blocks. The are two points of interest here one a monument just off the sidewalk the other above the street. According to Wikipedia; A Bristol Tennessee/Virginia sign was erected over the two states on State Street. According to Bristol Historical Association's booklet The Historic Bristol Sign, the Bristol Gas and Electric Company donated and erected a sign in 1910 to advertise Bristol with the lighted slogan "BRISTOL VA-TENN-PUSH! - THAT'S BRISTOL" (pertaining to the continued growth and future prosperity of the two cities). A slogan contest was held in 1921 and the sign was changed to BRISTOL VA-TENN - A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE and it has stuck all these years. The sign is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and contains 1,332 light bulbs. If you're in the are you might as well check it out...

Me and my wife recently visited a City of Bristol, tennessee. We stopped here once in the morning…read moreand then we came back later at night to check out the sign all lit up. Thankfully that there wasn't any tourists here at all checking out the sign and getting cool photos with it which gave us a great opportunity. The sign is absolutely beautiful and it's a great historic monument. You can read all about the history about it on the Tennessee side and the signs importance. Thankfully the sign isn't too distracting if you're driving right through it.

Been there since I was born and they recently upgraded all the facilities. If you are into the…read morelibrary, try this spot. Nice people and layout.

Regional magazines are worth the stop . This fine facility is a collaboration of Tenn and Va…read more.Recharge your mind ... Think outside of your cell box .

April, 2025. We visited Abington, Virginia quite a few years ago. After discovering the Virginia…read moreCreeper Trail at that time, we promised that we'd return "someday" to bike at least part of the trail. This trail is a nationally-acclaimed Rails-to-Trails that extends for 34 miles and over 47 trestle bridges. While best known as a biking trail, it's actually a multi-use trail with bikers, walkers, stroller pushers, runners, equestrians, and more, especially near the access points. In the past, the trail started near Whitetop, went about 18 miles to the center point near Damascus, and ended in the charming town of Abingdon (or vice versa). Unfortunately, Damascus was hard hit by Hurricane Helene, and 18 trestle bridges were destroyed as well as many portions of the trail so the Whitetop to Damascus portion of the trail is currently closed. The 18-mile stretch from Damascus to Abington IS open. While there are bike rental companies, as well as shuttle services to take you to the trail's start, we brought our own bikes. We decided to ride the 8.5 mile segment from Abingdon (elevation: 2,020' to Alvarado Station (the old train stop at 1,750') and back. This "lower" section is considered a relatively easy to moderate stretch through rolling farmland and forests and over beautiful trestle bridges. As mentioned, our turning point was Alvarado Station, where we enjoyed our picnic lunch on a bench river-side. The stop also had drinks and snacks available for sale, a water refill station, restrooms, and a big, friendly dog eyeing our lunches! The trail is wide in most areas, and is very well-maintained. There are multiple access points with parking lots, information kiosks, regular mileage markers, benches, photo ops, and some restrooms. In a relatively recent development, e-bikes are now allowed on the trail. With its restaurants, breweries, shops, local theater, and more, make some extra time to visit Abingdon!

Love riding the Virginia Creeper Trail. Most people ride it from Whitetop Mountain down to…read moreDamascus, but it's just as enjoyable riding the section from Abingdon to Damascus, and back. Both routes offer beautiful scenery and make for a great ride. ‍

This marker is located on the Virginia side of Bristol, next to the station and it points out the…read morehistory. There is some parking nearby. The marker reads, "The Rev. James King donated land for railroad facilities here in 1848, before the town of Bristol took root early in the 1850s. The first passenger train arrived on 1 Oct. 1856 on the railroad later known as the Norfolk and Western (N&W). In 1858, the line later known as the Southern Railway was completed from here to Knoxville, TN. Bristol became a manufacturing and commercial center. The N&W built the present station, the fourth on this lot, in 1902-1903. It served both railroads until passenger and postal service ended by 1971. The station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, is among the last of its era on the original N&W line." It is marker K-124 and was erected by the Department of Historic Resources in 2018. [Review 19567 overall - 1409 in Virginia - 538 of 2023.]