On To Bourbon Country

The races in Bristol were fun. Both races were good, but the Saturday race was really entertaining, with two drivers, one I like and one I don't, vying back and forth for the win, with Kyle Larson (I like) showing the upper hand. At the very end, a driver from the race series, Erik Jones, pulled ahead of both and took the win. I always like seeing drivers from the race series win. He was one of the competitors for an additional $100,000 if he won, plus a chance for a million if he wins other key races during the season, so it was a very good day for him.

Camping at a racetrack for a week is exhausting. Between the sounds of the generators and the partying, it's tough to sleep well. On the other hand, it seems like campers at a race build a little community in a different way than people do at a regular campground. I seem to get some attention as an anomaly: a woman camping at a racetrack alone, walking a little dog around all the time (there isn't that much to do during the week so we walk around even more than usual), and there are plenty of offers to join little groups to socialize. The campground (just a field) beside the track at Bristol puts on some good entertainment over the weekend, with concerts and vendors, and that was fun. And how many concerts do you go to where you can BYOB? There was a great deal of police and security detail present, and they were totally on anything that looked like it might get out of hand, but they also seemed to have the attitude that it was supposed to be just a big party, and very few people would try to get behind a wheel that night. In the end, though, it was time to find a more relaxed environment for awhile.

Mayberry (Mount Airy, North Carolina)

After backtracking to Greensboro, NC to get a new slideout motor installed on my RV, I was ready to head towards Kentucky. There were several options for how to cross over the mountains, roughly the same distance, so I took the route that allowed me to see the most territory I hadn't seen before. It only took a short side trip to visit the town that Andy Griffith came from, which inspired his TV stories about the people of the small town of Mayberry.

Mount Airy has made an effort to sustain some of the elements that America grew fond of on TV. It's a friendly place, a real mix of old and new.

Stunning West Virginia

My route took me though West Virginia, and my original plan was to just drive the interstates and go straight through to Kentucky. The Appalachian areas are full of arts centers, which feature local handiwork and artistry, leaning heavily towards woodworking, musical instruments and textile arts. I stopped at a couple of these centers in the mountain states, including one that had been advertised along the freeway for 50 miles. Nearby, another West Virginia highlight well represented in the tourism ads is the New River Gorge Bridge, the steel arch bridge that appears on the quarter coin representing the state of West Virginia. What the heck, I decided to get off the interstate and go drive out there to take a look.

I'm so glad I went to see the bridge. Not only was the walk down to the lookout point a nice break from being in the driver's seat, but on the scenic drive back towards the freeway I saw the hilliest, prettiest countryside along Laurel Creek and the New River. Up, down and around hillsides, down into gullies, alongside beautiful waterfalls, and viewing homes, cabins and barns that have been around for many generations, I got to appreciate the beauty of West Virginia instead of just passing it by.

Kentucky Bourbon Country

I was enchanted by the fact that my campsite outside of Frankfort featured its own rope swing.
Too bad it wasn't warmer!

The sunset was as enchanting as the rope swing. Wouldn't want to be here during torrential rainstorms, though!

I stopped at two distilleries in the Frankfort area for tours and tastings. I've never been a big Bourbon drinker, but I have had some that I liked, and thought it would be interesting to learn more. It really is an intriguing industry, full of history and culture, and multi-dimensional with great aromas and flavors. My first stop was at the Buffalo Trace distillery.

The bottling process of Blanton's at Buffalo Trace is done by hand,
and the assembly workers seemed to enjoy conversation as part of their day's work.
(So far, this has been my favorite Bourbon.)

I also visited the Woodford Reserve distillery.

No use for mechanical conveyance systems when simple gravity will do just fine

The rickhouses smell divine!

I was surprised to learn how much the seasons and temperature variances contribute to the aging process. While some manufacturers have climate-control equipment, some simply use windows and nature.
This is one of the rickhouses at Woodford Reserve - been around awhile.

As interesting as the tours are, you always look forward to the tasting at the end!

I've loved the old buildings at these historic sites, the culture preserved in the manufacturing processes, the beautiful countryside, and I'm looking forward to experiencing more during my week in Bourbon Country.

Appalachia: Beautiful and Smells Like Rubber

From Florida to Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and now back into Tennessee, I've been traveling through some beautiful hill country. I've also found some gorgeous places to stay, and I'm realizing I didn't take pictures of most of them.

One of the waterfalls seen from the rim walk at Cloudland Canyon

The Cloudland Canyon State Park in northwest Georgia, just above Chattanooga, was the exception. I arrived late in the afternoon on a cloudy day, so I couldn't really enjoy any view as I drove up the switchbacks to get there. But I knew the next morning was supposed to be sunny again so it seemed worth the trip up. Sure enough, on my walk-around the next day, I saw how beautiful the area was. I especially enjoyed the drive back down a different route from the mountain, catching sight of the gorgeous valley on my way to Chattanooga.

I only spent an afternoon and an evening in Chattanooga, but it really was a nice city, and easy to get around. From there, I stayed a night in the Blue Ridge Mountains, then headed down to Martinsville, Virginia for a NASCAR race.

Although it was early, I got there the day after the trackside campground opened up, hoping to nab a site that was as level as possible on the hilly terrain, at the top of a slope, and close to one of the gravel driveways. Rain was in the forecast, and I saw last year how mud could create a challenge. I heard many stories of people needing to hire someone to tow their RV out of there after a wet week. I didn't do too bad - couldn't find quite level, but close enough. I opted for a longer walk to the track in favor of a low-risk site.

My little motorhome parked high and dry in the center, above the Canadian flag, Monday before the race

By Sunday, the hillside had filled up pretty well. I'm about 1/3 way from the left margin, on the top of the hill.

After the Martinsville race (and an RV repair stop in Greensboro, with a return trip due next week after a part comes in) I went to Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is another city that I really enjoyed. I stayed in an RV park on a hillside just out of town with a great view, and within walking distance of a bus stop (convenient for an afternoon contributing to the craft beer economy--there were plenty to choose from with dog-friendly patios).

When I'm in a city that offers tour trolleys, I often grab one of their flyers to see what locations they go to. That and Trip Advisor's "What to Do In..." help me figure out what places might be worth seeing. In the case of Asheville, one of the locations was the Basilica of St. Lawrence, which is open to the public at most times. It was beautiful, and definitely worth the short walk from the bus station.

A unique feature of this building is that the domed ceiling is constructed with bricks - quite an engineering feat!

Gorgeous stained glass windows all throughout 

I also spent a day at the Biltmore Estate and Gardens, of the Vanderbilt family.

Breakfast in the garden room, anyone?

The enormous dining room included a pipe organ at one end...

...and a triple fireplace at the other end, with a spectacular carving. 

The view from the living area is truly picturesque

Now I'm in Bristol, Tennessee for another NASCAR race. I decided that I'm not likely to be in the eastern states again for some time, so I might as well go to another race. The event isn't for another week, but this is hilly country too, so I wanted to stake out a level spot while I could. I was among the first few RVs to arrive. The campground opening was apparently a major deal. As I was arriving, police traffic control was setting up to stop highway traffic and let the line of RVs across the road to the most lucrative sites near the track. I scored on a level site, it's just a short walk to the gate and the entertainment stage, and a reasonable walk to a craft brewery if I get bored. I lost the campsite lottery on one aspect, though - the guy that set up closest to me has a large open-frame generator that looks like it will really sound annoying. Can't win 'em all, I guess.