Small Town Travel Series:

Things to do in Bristol, VA

Olivia and I absolutely fell in love with the charm of downtown Bristol VA. The town is very unique in that the main street yellow lines actually divide the town in half, where one-half of the street is in Virginia and the other half is in Tennessee. Also, Bristol is known as the “Birthplace of Country Music;” and they actually have legal documents to prove it. So I hope you enjoy my take on what I consider to be the best things to do in Bristol VA.

Suggested Itinerary:

Day 1:

• Check-into The Bristol Hotel
• Explore downtown
• Dinner at Vivian’s Table inside of The Bristol Hotel
• Drinks (and hopefully music) at Lumacs Rooftop Bar (part of the hotel)

Day 2:

• Breakfast and Coffee at Blackbird Bakery
• The Birthplace of Country Music Museum
• Lunch at Taste and a Wine Tasting at Nicewonder Farms and Vineyards (both are located at the same place, inside the gated community of the local country club – and they will be opening an Inn and Spa on site in 2020)
• Explore the area or head on to Abingdon, Va for another day of exploration like I did (more details on this to come soon)

The Bristol Hotel

I am becoming a complete fangirl when it comes to unique, local boutique hotels. And The Bristol Hotel has everything you could want in one! The rooms are clean, spacious, and modern. The shower is huge and it quite literally made me desire to use it when I first saw it.

The Bristol Hotel offers great in-house dining at Vivian’s Table and entertainment and views at their Lumac Rooftop Bar. Plus, everything mentioned in this itinerary is with-in walking distance from the hotel. I would return to Bristol just for a “staycation” at The Bristol Hotel.

Vivian’s Table

I can’t express how much I love being able to get my hands on a five-star dining experience in the comfort of my hotel… especially in a small town such as Bristol. And Vivian’s Table did not disappoint! Our waiter was very attentive and made great suggestions. Also, the atmosphere is relaxed, yet extremely elegant and upscale. Plus, the location downtown is perfect.

Our Menu:

• Spicy Pimento Cheese Dip served with flatbread and tortilla chips*****
• Caesar Salad, romaine hearts, focaccia, parmesan, garlic dressing****
• Pappardelle Bolognese, house-smoked brisket, roasted tomatoes and onions, shaved Brussel sprouts, and basil****
• Sea Scallops, vegetable risotto, confit mushrooms and shallots, veal jus*****

**Stars indicate my personal opinion and preference on a scale from 1-5

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum

If you know me well, you’ll know that I’m not a huge museum fan. I don’t like to read (ironic for someone who writes for a living right? lol). But the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is the perfect museum for people like me… because it is extremely interactive. There are several videos and theaters that tell you different stories. Plus, they offer a variety of hands-on exhibits that let you experience the knowledge instead of just reading plaques on a wall.

Nicewonder Farms and Vineyards

While they are still working on several projects right now and aren’t completely open to the public, keep an eye out for any news on Nicewonder Farms and Vineyards and their Farm to Table restaurant that should be any day now. The restaurant, Taste, will be the prelude to the Inn and Spa and is also being built on-site. This will make Nicewonder Farms and Vineyards a true destination for tourism in itself. I hope to get back and visit myself once this project is finished in late 2020.

We had the pleasure of talking with the chef, Travis Milton, for quite a long time during our time at Taste. Olivia and I were both very impressed with his humble, yet impressive background story. It has been very important to him to give the area that he grew up in a dining experience that can help the area grow.

Conclusions:

Thanks for reading about what I believe to be “Things to do in Bristol VA”. I TRULY recommend it and think it would be a great weekend getaway for you. The Bristol Hotel is absolutely breathtaking and this small town and the surrounding area has tons to offer visitors!

If you are feeling really adventurous, get a tattoo at The Bristol Tattoo Company (located on State Street). I got my first tattoo here and I loved the experience and the owner 🙂

I hope you guys have been enjoying my Virginia Small Town Travel Series! And if you don’t know what I am talking about, follow me on Instagram (@katie.wineandweekends) to follow along!

Until next time,

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XO