We arrived at Kingsport, Tennesee for a four-day stay – thus far on the trip, we’ve done mostly shorter visits, since we’re trying to get to family in Alabama before M’s birthday. The morning was quiet – some projects at the camper, and prepping for our explorations.
Kingsport History
Kingsport, Tennessee was established after the Revolution along the Holston River. It was a staging ground for the pioneers heading west and quickly became a crucial point for shipping supplies. After the Civil War, the city struggled and ultimately it was redesigned in 1917 as a ‘garden city’, with green space and buildings for industry.
Have you seen the Halloween movies? If you have, you’ll love to know that Nick Castle, the original Michael Myers, lives in Kingsport and still makes surprise appearances at haunted houses in the area, which is fun!
A Half-Day Of Fun
By lunch, we were ready to go. We went to Pal’s Sudden Service for burgers and fries – and we do NOT recommend it. The burgers were bland, the fries were soggy – we would have been better off with macaroni and cheese at the camper! But we didn’t let it slow us down.
We headed to Bay’s Mountain State Park and saw the show in the planetarium, which was nice and relaxing. We had intended on doing the barge ride, but it was chilly and we hadn’t brought jackets. Instead, we headed back to the camper, and had movie night while it rained – it was cozy and sweet, and honestly…that was my favorite part of the day.
Andrew Johnson and Greensborough
On Day Two, we started off early with breakfast at Aunt Bea’s. M enjoyed her BLT, but my eggs were…warm at best, and the service was slow (however, in all fairness, the servers were very busy). We went to Mass at Notre Dame Catholic Church, then headed to Andrew Johnson’s house and Tomb. He was the 17th president, following Lincoln, and led during the Reconstruction period. We learned a lot about him and his family – most of whom suffered from and eventually died from tuberculosis. It was interesting, but not exactly a feel-good stop!
After, we went to Scoop Dog Creamery for ice cream – it was delicious, but stick with a scoop or cone. My shake was too thick to even get through the straw! Then we wrapped up with dinner at Southern Craft BBQ. It was good, but very slow, and in Tennessee, there’s so much good barbecue….
Camper Life
When we arrived at Kingsport, we ran into a bit of an ant problem. One thing we’ve learned on the road is, that when you see bugs, treat them immediately! They can get into all of your things and what didn’t seem like a big problem can turn into an infestation in no time. Fortunately, as soon as I saw the ants, I ran to Walmart and picked up some supplies, then treated our gear and the area around the camper. By morning, there were….soooo many dead ant bodies, but we managed to dodge an infestation.
Another thing to know about RV life is that not every day is thrilling. Generally, at least once at every stop, sometimes more, we have ‘camper days’ where we don’t venture out. Instead, M does schoolwork or crafts or hobbies, and I take care of work, do laundry, or read a book. It’s important to plan on having these because…we have responsibilities, but camper days are also when we recharge and relax. And sometimes those quieter days are highlights when I just get to enjoy spending time with my daughter.
Leaving Kingsport
We ultimately left Kingsport a day early because a thunderstorm with gusty winds and possible hail was moving in. Always watch the weather! I prefer not to drive in a storm with our tow-behind camper, so we try to avoid it if possible – especially if the storm promises winds and hail. The rain started about an hour from our destination in Chattanooga, but wasn’t severe right away and we DID manage to get parked and set up before the storm unleashed.
