Fred and Friends go to Abington

I wake early and walk outside to find a cool and cloudy morning.  Today is Saturday September 5, 2009 and we have a trip planned with a group of friends to drive our Miatas to Abington Virginia.  We meet at nine o’clock, everyone seems in a good mood and excited about our trip.  The first part of the trip is a drive up the Interstate to Bristol which is not very exciting but it does get us closer to our destination in a short period of time.  Leaving the interstate we pass Bristol Motor Speedway on our way to US421.  The road begins rather sedately and crosses the beautiful South Holston Lake.  We then begin to climb steeply uphill where the road tightens into a series of wonderful curves.  Reaching the top I take a deep breath and then drop down the mountain through another series of tight switchbacks.  Reaching the bottom we are treated to a beautiful mountain valley called Shady Valley.  We stop at the Country Store for a break and as I climb from the car I see plenty of smiles.  Leaving Shady Valley we drive north on SR133 towards Damascus Virginia.  This is a nice road which travels through Cherokee National Forest and follows beside a pretty stream.  The curves through here are a little more open and makes for a nice relaxing drive.  Suddenly a rock wall appears and the road travels through a rough hole cut through the wall.  I make a quick turn into a parking area and we stop for a photo.  This is known as Backbone Rock; this unique land mark is seventy-five feet high, twenty feet wide and was originally used for a railroad tunnel.  Continuing north we soon arrive in the town of Damascus which is busy with bicycle traffic from the Virginia Creeper Trail.  We turn west on US58 and head towards Abington which is about sixteen miles. 

We arrive in Abington about one o’clock where we stop to enjoy a nice lunch at a place called the Wildflower Bakery.  We sat outside on their deck under some nice shade trees enjoying a relaxing afternoon lunch and fun conversations.  Following lunch we checked into the hotel after which some folks visited a winery, some explored shops around town and some simply relaxed around the pool.  We all met for supper around six thirty and then headed to the Barter Theatre for an eight o’clock play.
The Barter Theatre is a beautiful historical little theatre which sits in the heart of Abington.  The play was called Forever Plaid and is a musical about four young men in 1964 that are tragically killed and are given a second chance to perform for us. They sang together in wonderful harmony and mixed in humor along the way which blended right in with the songs never missing a note.  The songs came continuously without an intermission which worked well for keeping the atmosphere alive.  The play proved to be a wonderful event and is definitely one of my all time favorite performances.  After the play we visited for a while then headed for the hotel and a good nights sleep. 

The next morning we have reservations at a local bike shop to go for a ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail.  The trail is actually an old Rail Road bed which was abandoned in 1977 and taken over by the US Forest Service.  The trail begins at Whitetop Station and flows gently downhill for seventeen miles to the town of Damascus. We arrive at the Bike Shop at eight o’clock where they select bikes and then shuttle folks to the top of Whitetop for the ride down the mountain to Damascus.

I am unfortunately the odd man out as I don’t feel my knee can handle the bike ride.  Not to worry for the Little White Mouse and I go for an outstanding drive through the mountains of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee.  Leaving Abington I take US58 through Damascus then continue east on US58 towards the town of Volney.  The road is still damp from an overnight rain but the pavement is smooth and the curves are great.  Just prior to reaching Volney I take a chance and turn south on a small road SR743. The road is narrow and the pavement rough and I almost turn around but decide to just go slow and stick it out.  I soon come to an intersection with another road and 743 widens into a true two lane road.  The pavement is still rough but the scenery is wonderful and I am enjoying the morning.

Reaching the North Carolina State Line the road is recently paved and is both wider and smoother.  From here it is called SR194 and what a great find, for this proves to be one outstanding curvy stretch of road.  Following a run which is impossible to put into words I arrive in the small and scenic town of Lancing North Carolina.  Looking at the map this should be a small nondescript town however at some point in its history this was a prosperous area.  I am so taken with this town I stop and walk through the town looking at the old buildings many of which are art galleries.  Continuing on I take SR88 which will take me to the town of Trade.  This road travels through mountainous farming communities with many nice old white frame homes and beautiful barns.  The road along here is still curvy but a little more open and I enjoy a wonderful run through here.  Reaching the town of Trade I turn west and head towards Mountain City Tennessee and the Snake.  The Snake can be described as being similar to US129 the Dragon.  The road makes a steep uphill run through some very sharp switchbacks and the pavement is great, oh and it also has an ample dose of Tennessee State Troopers with Radar Guns.  Up the mountain and down the mountain I have a nice run however I am always on edge wondering when I will see the next trooper.  Reaching Shady valley I turn north onto SR133 towards Damascus and I stop at Backbone Rock Picnic Area for lunch.  I enjoy a nice relaxing lunch before heading towards Damascus and then to Abington.  The loop from Abington is about one hundred twenty miles and took me around three hours including stops.

Arriving in Abington I drive to the bike shop and my timing was perfect for the shuttle had just arrived.  Everyone was all smiles and it sounds as if they had an enjoyable ride.  They stopped along the way at a small cafe for lunch and the weather cooperated.  Sorry I missed out but maybe next year.  The time is around two o’clock and some folks want to head straight home.  We say our goodbyes and everyone heads out on their own way.

David, Jean, Debbie and I decide to take a longer route home by way of Rogersville.  Leaving Abington we take I81 south past Bristol and turn north onto I26 towards Kingsport.  We exit onto SR91 then turn south onto SR347 headed towards Rogersville.  This route turned out to be a pleasant surprise.  The road begins with some very tight turns and then opens up into a wonderfully curvy road through some beautiful farmland.  We rode along past farmland, houses, creeks and country churches.  Somewhere along the way I came around a bend to find the road full of Wild Turkeys.  I stop to let them cross the road and then continue onward enjoying the afternoon.  Arriving in Rogersville we drive through the historic downtown area which I always find interesting.  Leaving Rogersville we take SR113 which is another nice little country road and heads towards Morristown.  We soon arrive at I81 where we join the traffic and head towards Knoxville.  Our side trip added about an hour to the drive versus taking the interstate and was well worth the extra time.  Arriving home I pull the car into the garage, shut down the engine, pat the dash and say “thanks Little Mouse for a wonderful trip”.

My special thanks go out to Jean Nelson for the original idea of this trip and making arrangements for the whole event.  I would also like to thank all of our friends for their company on this most enjoyable trip.

Fred Ellis