Day 233 - Bristol, TN-VA

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

No doubt where you are in this town!

Quiet morning in Bristol

Bristol is one of those unique state line towns.  It is literally split down the middle on State Street, which is the main street of the historic downtown district.  On one side of the street, you are in Virginia.  On the other side, you are in Tennessee.  As a matter of fact, as I crossed the road on my walk in town, I was lucky enough to pass right over a brass plate in the center of the street that showed the state line.  If I had crossed in a different spot, I would have missed it!

Recording Studio Sign

Tuesday morning in downtown Bristol before 9 a.m. is very quiet.  Norma and I walked from the train depot at one end of town, under the big metal sign that shows which side of the town is in Virginia, and which is in Tennessee.  We were in search of breakfast on this beautiful spring morning, and it took a while to find a place that was open.

We passed by various shops and store fronts, all of them closed, and unfortunately, many of them empty.  We finally found a coffee shop that served breakfast; it was also connected to an Apple store.  Both were located in old, renovated buildings downtown.

Nascar Mural

Country Music in Virginia Sculpture

After our breakfast, we continued walking several blocks, passing by three old theaters, some renovated for new use.  At one empty lot there was a huge mural devoted to Nascar.  Bristol Motor Speedway is located nearby.  Another mural on the Virginia side had a silhouette of the state (I'm glad the Eastern Shore of Virginia was not left off) with rusted metal music instruments arranged on the wall. 

Tribute to Country Music

We crossed to the Tennessee side and ended up in a pawn shop in an old five-and-dime store building that still had an old soda fountain in operation.  The shop had tons of guitars and shotguns, coins, fishing rods, and jewelry.  Farther down the street was another mural devoted to country music, since Bristol is acknowledged as the birthplace of country music. 

The State Line

Bristol was a great place to do my walk this morning.  If you've been following me for a while, you know that historic districts are my favorite locations for photo walks.  I can always find interesting architecture, items in store windows, and unusual details.  Bristol was no exception.

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Visit my photography show, "My Maryland," at the public library in Urbana, Maryland, on the lower level of the building.  It is there until the end of April.

Hurricane Sandy Relief: Donate to the Red Cross, and I will mail you a 5 x 7 print from any of the photos I have posted on my blog OR any photo on my website.

Forward to me via email a receipt for donating to the Red Cross. Tell me whether the photo is from the blog or the website, and Include its title along with a mailing address. The name on the receipt to the Red Cross must match the name of the mailing recipient. Send the receipt and the photo request to camscamerashots@gmail.com.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com
Follow me on Twitter: @camscamerashots
Email:  cam.miller@comcast.net

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so