Five Days in Sullivan County, Building to the Big One

Best time: Wednesday through Sunday

Wednesday, Sept. 16: Settling In

Focus: First Steps Downtown

Late Morning

If you are flying in, you will land at Tri-Cities Airport in Blountville, a short drive west of the city. However you arrive, point yourself toward State Street first. It is the fastest way to get your bearings, and the pavement itself is the Tennessee/Virginia line, which makes for a useful landmark all week.

Lunch

Bristol Bagel & Bakery on State Street turns out New Jersey-style bagels, hot and cold sandwiches, and a daily soup. An easy, unfussy first meal.

Afternoon

Work in a stop at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It is the quickest way to understand why this region claims the title, and it frames everything else you will see this week.

Late Afternoon

The Pinnacle is Bristol's open-air shopping district off I-81 Exit 74. Bass Pro Shops, Belk, and Best Buy headline a roster of more than 75 retailers, and there is a 12-screen cinema plus a trampoline park if anyone still has energy to burn.

Evening

Tennessee Hills Distillery sits right in front of The Pinnacle, so you can roll straight into dinner. Spirits and beer are made on site and the barbecue comes off their own smoker. If you have never toured a working distillery, this is the one to start with! Hours run shorter earlier in the week, with the bar opening at 4 p.m. Wednesday, so call ahead about the tour.

Thursday, Sept. 17: Out of Town, Back for the Lights

Focus: Small-Town Stops & a Thursday Doubleheader

Morning

Start with coffee at South Fork Coffee in Bluff City, a donation-based shop run by a local community center, then head out to Osceola Island on the South Holston. It is a favorite with fly anglers for its clear water and quiet walking trails.

Late Morning

Carry on to Piney Flats for Rocky Mount State Historic Site, the first territorial capital of the Southwest Territory. It is hard to get farther from the noise of race week without leaving the county.

Lunch

Hickory Tree Grocery Store is worth the detour: a working country store where the griddle turns out burgers and the specials change by the day, still decorated like the farm building it used to be. Ask around and somebody will tell you about the bluegrass that used to get played by the wood stove.

Afternoon

Head into Blountville, Sullivan County's seat of government and one of the oldest towns in Northeast Tennessee. The historic district makes for an easy self-guided walk, anchored by the Old Deery Inn beside the courthouse. Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson all stayed there when it was a working tavern on the Great Stage Road, and the front door carries Jimmy Carter's signature. Hours inside are limited, so check ahead if you want more than the walk.

Early Dinner

Eat early tonight, because the track lights come on sooner than you would think. Bond-o To Burgers is right there in Blountville, a short drive from the speedway, and it closes at 7 p.m., so aim for the front end of the dinner hour.

Evening

Race week's first engines fire up at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Bush's Beans 200 (ARCA Menards Series) rolls off at 5:30 p.m., followed at 8:00 p.m. by the UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics, the race that kicks off the seven-race Craftsman Truck Series Chase.

Pro Tip: Thursday starts early, so pick your lane. Get to the track by 5:30 for the full doubleheader, or take your time over dinner and arrive for the UNOH 250 at 8:00. Gates open at 1:00 p.m. either way.

Friday, Sept. 18: A Kingsport Detour, Then Racing Under the Lights

Focus: Kingsport's Own & Friday Night's Food City 300

Breakfast

Start the morning in Kingsport at The Bagel Exchange, which turns out genuine New York-style bagels and sandwiches. Worth the short drive over from Bristol.

Morning

Spend the morning in downtown Kingsport. Wander the shops, then walk a stretch of the Kingsport Mural Trail, a self-guided route through public art that tells the city's story one wall at a time. If a menu somewhere lists a Kingsport Original Long Island Iced Tea, it is worth asking about, since it has built a following of its own around here.

Early Lunch

Nick's Family Restaurant has fed Kingsport since 1938, and the fried chicken is what built the reputation. The sides more than hold their own. There is a fenced-in play area out back if you have kids who need to burn off some energy first. Eat on the early side today, because the Fan Zone opens at noon.

Afternoon

Head back to Bristol and into the Fan Zone. Live professional wrestling runs in the Guest Welcome Village from 12:45 to 5:30, free with Fan Zone access and no separate ticket. WWE and NWA Hall of Famer Ricky Morton headlines a card that also includes Kerry Morton and Bristol native Axton Ray, and fans can get photos with the wrestlers inside the Village. When the ring is quiet, there is shade, giveaways, and displays on the rest of the county if you are thinking about stretching the trip.

Evening

Cup Series practice and qualifying run through the late afternoon, then the Food City 300 goes green at 7:30 p.m., the third of nine Chase races in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Post-Race

There is a concert on the Food City Fan Zone stage after the checkered flag if you are not ready to head in yet.

Saturday, Sept. 19: Heritage by Day, the Big One After Dark

Focus: A Full Day Before the Main Event

Breakfast

Pal's Sudden Service is the fast, local answer, a Northeast Tennessee institution where the cheddar rounds are what regulars order without glancing at the menu. Hit the drive-thru and eat on the move.

Mid-Day

The Holston Heritage Museum in Bluff City keeps Saturday hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and admission is free. It tells the story of the families who first settled the river valley, and it is a quiet change of pace before the speedway takes over your evening.

Lunch

Ridgewood Barbecue has been smoking hams in Bluff City since 1948, down a back road not far from the track. Order the blue cheese with your hand-cut fries. It is a local ritual, not a garnish.

Afternoon

Backyard Terrors Dinosaur Park is exactly what it sounds like: dozens of full-scale dinosaurs, all built by hand, spread along a wooded walking path with a dig site where kids can turn up fossils. Admission runs on donations, and the gates stay open until dark. If you would rather catch wrestling a second time, it runs today from 12:45 to 3:30, but you would need to leave Bluff City around noon and give up both lunch and the dinosaur park to make it.

Evening

Get back to the track in time for the pre-race concert at 5:30 and Driver Introductions at 6:45. The Bass Pro Shops Night Race goes green at 7:30 p.m., 500 laps under the lights and race three of ten in the Cup Series Chase. Stay in your seat afterward, because the night closes with fireworks over the speedway.

Sunday, Sept. 20: No Rush

Focus: A Slow Drive Toward Home

Morning

Ease into Sunday at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport. Take the wolf habitat loop, or make the climb to the fire tower if you want one more long view before you go.

Brunch

Two Dads Cafe in downtown Kingsport is a dependable stop for a proper Southern breakfast before you get back on the road. The biscuits and gravy have earned a loyal following.

Before You Go

Nothing is on track today, so there is no reason to rush. The Kingsport Carousel runs Wednesday through Sunday but does not open until early afternoon, so if you can hold your departure that long, one last ride is a fine note to end race week on. It sits inside Pal's Roundhouse, it was hand-carved by more than 300 volunteers, and it is still a dollar.