With a liberal dose of sunscreen applied, I hit the road through Virginia. Along the way, I spotted a swath of buildings in various states of disarray. Clearly, a tornado had touched down here.
20 some miles later, I was in Bristol, on the border between Virginia and Tennessee. Mike wasn't kidding when he said that they would be waiting. The Fire Chief of the Bristol VA Fire Department (different from Briston, TN, as you'll find out) was in the station, with a local TV news crew. A quick on camera interview to plug my ride, and we were off to see the sights. Chief Bolling showed me State Street, which serves as the border between the two Bristols. The street signs bear both state designations, but the really unique feature is more down to earth: bronze markers in the double yellow lines.
After geography, I learned about history. Chief Bolling took me out to lunch a the Burger Bar on Piedmont Ave. The place has been there since 1942, and has an important country music history connection: On the way to a concert, the driver bearing Hank Williams stopped in for a coffee. He asked Hank if he wanted anything, and he declined. The driver got his coffee and hit the road again, discovering once he reached their destination that Hank Williams had died, making the Burger Barn the last place he was seen alive. History aside, the service was great and so was the chili burger.
I got a couple of snapshots of one of their historic rigs in the firehouse before I left, too. Thanks to Chief Bolling and the guys from Bristol Fire for the support!
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