Seniors Spend Time Enjoying Bristol

Senior travelers will find Bristol, Tennessee and its twin city Bristol, Virginia, directly across the state line from each other between Tennessee and Virginia. Bristol is part of the metropolitan statistical area of Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport, commonly called the Tri-Cities.

I am quite sure that what caught my eye on Bristol was watching an auto race at the Bristol Motor Speedway. It’s a major draw to the area with seating for, get this…160,000 race fans. More than a million visitors each year experience the thrill of speed at BMS. It is the fourth largest sports venue in America and the eighth largest in the world.

Seniors Visit The Birthplace of Country Music

Bristol may be best known for being the site of some of the first commercial recordings of country music, showcasing Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. The U.S. Congress recognized Bristol as the “Birthplace of Country Music”  in 1998 and Bristol is the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Senior visitors join the locals for the State Street Farmer’s Market where local merchants, fresh food and fun times come together. Read about the history of Bristol and you will discover how it got its name that goes back to the mid 1700s.

Me I enjoy caverns and have visited several over the years. The Bristol Caverns have well lighted walkways that wind through the vaulted chambers and along the banks of the ancient Underground River that carved its huge chambers up  to 400 million years ago.

 Seniors Enjoy Downtown Bristol

A recent funding drive helped to transform a historic building downtown, the old Goodpasture Motor building on Cumberland Street, into the new Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Senior visitors, take a leisurely stroll through Downtown Bristol and you will see how the town is living up to the message on the historic sign which crosses State Street – “Bristol – A Good Place To Live!”  The Believe In Bristol organization was created about 7 years ago. Believe In Bristol is responsible for organizing monthly Border Bashes in the summer, annual Loft Tours in the spring, and other events that showcase the vibrancy of downtown.

And bring along your best fishing pole… the Bristol area has more than 40 square miles of inland lakes and freshwater streams nearby, including the beautiful South Holston Lake where you can net beautiful smallmouth and white bass. The Sam Holston Dam is a nearby earth-and-rock dam and recreation area.

But scenery is not all there is to keep Bristol as one of the most livable cities in the United States as rated by American Demographic Magazine. Southern hospitality abides and is as legendary as the scenic landscape that abounds all around the city. Seniors, set your GPS for Bristol and enjoy the birthplace of country music, take in a race, pick up a few CDs and enjoy your visit. -jeb