Country Roads

At the end of a country road called Kelly Lane, in Knox County, you’ll find Tennessee’s newest state park, the Seven Islands State Birding Park, a 416-acre place where visitors may linger freely among hundreds of bird species.

Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early was a cantankerous fellow who vehemently opposed secession, yet volunteered for the Confederate Army and was cited for bravery during his raid on Washington.

Perhaps one of the most famous hillbilly moonshiners is a short little guy with an oversized black hat. Snuffy Smith comes to life each day in the comic strip pages along with his wife, Loweezy, their baby Tater, nephew Jughaid, and more.

Come the third weekend of September, the Virginia/Tennessee state line-straddling city of Bristol bursts with music during the Rhythm & Roots Reunion. This multi-stage celebration recognizes the twin city’s title as “Birthplace of Country Music.”

High Knob Tower rises on a peak above Norton, Virginia with an elevation on the deck of about 4,233 feet above sea level.