Are you in town and want to see more of the mountains? Or do you want to go where there is no race crowd?
Well, come along to five great escapes – all just beyond the bustle of the World’s Fastest Half-Mile Track at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Outside the oval, you’ll find great getaways – with parks and peaks and places where waters fall in Virginia, Tennessee and the nearby High Country of North Carolina.
Here are five places where the cool winds blow and the views can’t be beat:
Steele Creek Park
In Bristol Tennessee, just a short hop from Bristol Motor Speedway, a surprising large oasis of land awaits explorers on trails at what was once proposed to be a state park called “Watauga.”
You’ll find walking trails along a small lake with paddle boats for rent ($1 per person per 30 min.) at Steele Creek Park. You can also putt at a public golf course, explore the wild creatures of the nature center, and take the kids on a fun and relaxing miniature train ride ($1).
From downtown Bristol at West State Street, follow State Route 126 south for about two miles. Turn left on Steele Creek Drive and follow signs to the park. There’s a $2 admission charge per car. Want more? Call 423-764-4023.
Virginia Creeper Trail
From the name, you might think people are just creeping along on the Virginia Creeper Trail. On the contrary, you’ll see bicyclists zooming at a pace of about 15 mph on this old rail turned to a trail.
This trail’s name comes from the nickname of the old Virginia-Carolina (or “V-C”) Railway. Some say it was called “The Creeper” because it moved so slow going uphill from Damascus to Whitetop Station.
Trains stopped running on this railroad on March 31, 1977. Within another decade, this track was refur-bished as a multi-purpose trail.
By the end of the next 10 years, a virtual recreation industry grew in Damascus, Virginia – thanks to folks wanting to come to town and be shuttled to the “top” of the trail at Whitetop Station.
Today, they zoom with fun frolics, riding ever-so-downhill to Damascus for a 17-mile journey. But, it sure doesn’t seem like 17 miles. Why, on the first three miles, from Whitetop Station to Green Cove Depot, you really don’t even have to pedal!
In all, the trail runs about 34 miles. You’ll find the trailhead in Abingdon on Green Spring Road, just off I-81 Exit 17. You can also follow U.S. 58 about a dozen miles east of Abingdon to see Damascus, the home of several shuttle services for bike riders. Want more? Visit www.vacreepertrail.com
Hungry Mother State Park
Look for a nature center, sandy beach, full-service restaurant and hiking trails at Hungry Mother State Park.
All of this can be found at Marion, Virginia – and, yes, there is an actual sandy beach, originally made from the sand of Virginia Beach in 1936.
Small boats and canoes can also be launched to explore the shoreline on the 108-acre Hungry Mother Lake.
As for the name, well, that comes from a string of legends that have apparently been linked over the years.
One says that a small child once wandered in the woods more than a couple of centuries ago. And, when some adults found him, it’s told that all he could say were two words – “Hungry” and “Mammy” (or “Moth-er”).
Yes, indeed, that’s a strange story. And historians have speculated for years on where it actually originat-ed. But it was a legend that did capture the imaginations of state park leaders in the grips of the Great De-pression, and that’s what inspired them to name this place.
To get there, follow I-81 north to Marion at Exit 45. Then follow signs to the park, just off State Route 16, about four miles north of Marion’s commercial district. For more, call 276-781-7400.
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Locals love legends. And there may be no wilder one than what might blow in the wind at the Blowing Rock of North Carolina. This village takes its name from a cliff where, it’s said, you can toss out objects and watch them blow back to you from a point overlooking the steep-sided Johns River Gorge.
At Blowing Rock, stories say snow falls upside down, and hats – or handkerchiefs – might blow back to you, if you accidently drop them.
Why, there’s also a legend that says a Native American girl fell in love with a brave from a neighboring tribe. But, they were not allowed to be together. So, distraught, the young brave jumped from the Blowing Rock cliff – only to be blown back into the arms of the girl that he loved!
Want more? Call 828-295-4636 or visit www.blowingrock.com
Big Walker Lookout
Early morning views are awesome at the 100-foot-high lookout tower at Big Walker Mountain near Wytheville, Virginia. But, you can also enjoy a sunset.
Come here, too, for a picnic, especially since the owner, Ron Kime, added a covered shelter for 2015.
Often, Kime said, race fans make their way here. “And they roam around the whole general area. They’re either in ahead of the races or here a day after,” Kime said.
“We’re pretty unique, just in the beauty of the mountains,” Kime added. “You can look in any direction, and you’re not blocked off by the mountains.”
On Saturday afternoons, you can also come hear musicians play on the front porch or meet local crafts-people at the BW Country Store.
To get there, use I-81 Exit 70, and follow U.S. Highway 52 north to Big Walker Lookout at the top of the mountain. Want more? Call 276-663-4016 or visit www.bwcountrystore.com.
jtennis@bristolnews.com | 276-791-0709 | @BHC_Tennis
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