Every fall, our car club’s Appalachian region does a multi-day event of drives and parties called Appalachian Adventure. This year the event was held in Kingsport, Tennessee. We spent several days having fun with friends, and meeting new ones from other regions. We got there early on Thursday to work the registration desk, then enjoy a cocktail party. The next day, all the cars were parked on the golf course for a participant judged show for the morning. After lunch, we were off on our first event of the weekend. There are some wonderful old barns and pastoral scenes in East Tennessee.
Friday afternoon, we were treated to an opportunity to drive on the track at Bristol Speedway. After a safety briefing, we were led in a long procession onto the track, which required us to make one lap to get to the pit lane for staging. My Sweet Babboo tried hard to convince me to stay in the car while he drove up on the banking, but I said no chance! He drifted up a bit, just to have some fun with me. But I got out of the car when they parked, and let him enjoy driving the track without me shrieking. Every car could go, even the SUVs. I went up to an observation platform to watch as the pace car took groups of 8 out onto the track. The pace car was leading them at about 70 mph!
Saturday, we did an all day drive to two of the dams in the area. We drove alongside the river for quite a bit.
We stopped for a break at a rest area with lovely views of the rock formations.
Then we went to the top of South Holston Dam. South Holston Dam is an earth-and-rock dam 285 feet (87 m) high and 1,600 feet (490 m) long, built to control flooding and provide some hydroelectric power. The dam is constructed in a terraced design, looking like steps. This is the water side that holds the South Holston Resevoir.
On the other side, you get an idea of how it is constructed. The electric plant below looks tiny from this high up.
After that, we stopped by Weir Dam. According to Wikipedia, this is an aerating labyrinth weir, approximately 1.5 miles below the main dam. The weir helps to deal with the fact that the water coming out of the bottom of the dam is cold, dense, and oxygen depleted. The water also tends to have unpredictable re-circulation currents. The weir oxygenates the water, which helps aquatic insects, vegetation, and fish—particularly bass and trout. The weir also prevents the water from refluxing back up to the turbine at the dam, and calms it down for boating, fishing, and swimming.
After the tours, we drove a portion of The Snake, a twisty road through mountains and valleys. It is Hwy 421, and we were on it for over 20 miles. The yellow sign below was seen often.
Back to the hotel, we had a fabulous awards banquet on Saturday night. I was having so much fun with long time friends that I totally forgot to take pictures of the food! It was wonderful, especially dessert – choice of a cheesecake with fresh blueberries or a chocolate torte with a strawberry and blueberry topping. My Sweet Babboo and I got one of each and shared both of them. Yum!! It was a fun weekend, and a much needed break.
Now it is back to reality. This coming Saturday is a big event with another car club, so I am looking forward to that. It should be fun with the weather looking a bit cooler. What are your plans this week?
From My Carolina Home 
Looks like a great trip, Carole, and what a treat to have had the Mini on the Bristol track!
My husband went to college in Bristol, and several of his friends live in the Kingsport area.
Those curves ahead road signs look very familiar to this WV girl!
This trip sounds like it was so much fun.
This week I’m preparing for a Ryan’s case for smiles fundraisering garage sale.
I enjoyed your car club trip. Thanks for the photos and the words!
What a fun trip! I know folks in the Kingsport area, very pretty country! I am planning on some Oct fun for a week when my sister and friend are in town. I like to have options in case of poor weather. A couple of quilt shops on the list!
Hi Carole. WOW! What a great weekend! Bristol Motor Speedway…every Nascar fan’s dream. I love to watch short-track racing and Bristol is my favorite! I thoroughly enjoy your travel photos when out and about in the Appalachians. One of my top U.S. bucket list items is to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway from Shenandoah NP to Great Smoky Mountains NP, and see everything in between! I’m going on a scrapbooking retreat this weekend, Thursday to Sunday. That will be lots and lots of fun with friends I’ve known for 20 years. Girlfriends, Wine and Chocolate…it doesn’t get any better than that! Susan
Thank you! We did that a few years ago, taking a week to drive the Shennandoah and BRP, stopping at all the hiking spots, seeing all the waterfall and gorgeous views. But, with Helene damage, it will be another 2 years before the entire BRP is open again. However, you can still drive long sections now getting to Mt Mitchell park, all the way to Pisgah Inn. You can get to Little Switzerland from the side roads, and the NC Arboretum is accessible from the parkway again.
I do enjoy reading about your car club adventures ..great fun
That looks like a lot of fun, and such pretty country, too! How fun for your hubby to get to drive on the race track. I think I would have watched from the sidelines also! We seem to have a lot of appointments this week, but are trying to squeeze in a drive up in the mountains to see the fall color tomorrow.
East Tennessee is beautiful and your trip looks lovely. I wouldn’t have been able to ride the Bristol track, either…no way!
What a lovely few days. I am so glad the weather was behaving. The dams look so interesting. My husband would have loved the opportunity to try driving on that racetrack. We once took a tour at Daytona and walked on the track along the steep embankments. That was a little scary. I would have gotten out of the car, too!
so beautiful. and what fun!! racetrack was a special treat (now try watkins glen)
I remember back in the late 60’s-early 70’s when 70 mph was the speed limit on I-90 across WA state. I made several trips when hubby and I were dating in a Corvair with the engine in the back, almost felt like I was flying! There was talk at the time those cars were not safe at any speed! We were married 51 years, 55 mph suits me today!
Sue
What a wonderful trip! Lovely countryside. I would have loved to do circuit on the track. On my ‘bucket list’ is to drive a Formula 1 car on the racetrack. Unfortunately it’s not possible to just take a drive I’ve been told. Oh well! Maybe I could do a Parachute jump 😂
Mary :))
What fun! beautiful photos Carole, really exceptional. Nice that you could take your own car to the track…. except I would probably not want to drive my own car 😛
We have gone to West Virginia’s Summit Point to drive BMWs super fast, it is a blast and not my car, haha
Thank you for sharing such a really enjoyable adventure
I’m glad you had a good trip. You were in my neck of the woods; I live about 2 hours from Kingsport. Hope you have good weather this weekend.
This looks like a great event in beautiful countryside. A lovely way to get together. And being able to drive at the Speedway was an extra bonus!