Every now and then, my red neck shows. Sundays from February through November are among the days. I lurve me some racin'! I was brought up with it. Just kind of how it was for me growing up. Some kids have football, we had racing. I was lucky enough to find someone who enjoys a good pot of boiled peanuts and the scent of racing fuel as much as I do. We used to go to several races a year but over time, we have let the tickets go. Bristol is a favorite though and up until now, there has been a wait list to get tickets. We thought our only chance was through a friend that sometimes has extras. Then came Daytona and we saw a commercial for Bristol. We looked at each other in utter disbelief. Could it be? Monday morning you bet your sweet ass I was on the phone with a sweet woman in East Tennessee who confirmed that there were tickets, good ones at that, still available. Two please!
Then was on to the harder part, finding a hotel room. Let me explain. Bristol, and the surrounding towns are tiny. Like, nothing there tiny. So the hotels are there pretty much for the 2x a year race fans. And those fans pay dearly. Several hundred dollars a night for the motel 6. I was no looking forward to finding a room on such short notice. But, we found a great deal in Asheville, NC which would be about an hour-ish drive. Fine. Done. Called mom and asked her to come along and watch Nathan. No problem. Holy Crap we are going to Bristol! Then, mom calls and says her friends have a cabin in Maggie Valley which is about 30 minutes from Asheville. Longer drive but a house and free..... This trip was meant to be. Getting the house meant we could rent a mini-van and travel in a little more comfort. I know a MV is not tops on many people's list but they have their usefulness.
We got up early on the 21st and made the drive. overall, it was uneventful. Cabin was great. SO glad I wasn't driving though. This puppy was on the side of a mountain and this Florida girl likes her flat land thankyouverymuch. Had dinner with our friends in Bristol that night and came home. Long day but worth it. Nathan did not sleep until 4am. yeah, that sucked. But, I knew he could sleep all day the next day with my mom so we made it through.
Our personal babbling brook. It sounded so nice all night.
First family vacation.
Our home away from home. 2 bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs and a living room/kitchen upstairs. Hot tub on the porch. Amazing views.
Sunday we got up pretty early and headed into TN. Stopped at McD's for breakfast on the road. Note to self: ask for cutlery next time. I ate my eggs, biscuit/jelly, sausage, hash brown and pancakes with my fingers. It was amusing so all is forgiven. I slept since I was up with N all night. J was a good sport about making the mountain drive with no company.
A little about this track we love. It is 1/2 mile oval with about 160,000 seats. It is its own valley set in the valley of the mountains. Its loud. Very loud. I don't think there is another track that immerses you in the whole experience as much as Bristol does. You can see everything from every seat. There is an energy there that just can't be beat. The walking up hills sucks but whatever. Not sure how we managed to walk uphill both coming and leaving but some things are just not meant to be understood I suppose. I wish I would have taken a picture from the top of the hill. Next year! Typically there is a lot of action at this track. With 43 cars in 1/2 mile, beating and banging is bound to happen. Not this year. Sadly, the guys all behaved. I was a little disappointed in them. Again, maybe next year they will act up LOL Overall, we had a really great day and Im happy we made the trip.
About 3/4 of the track in view. Waiting for everything to start.
We take headphones and scanners so we can listen to the drivers during the race. Yes, I know we look silly but everyone else has them too.
We love pre-race. You can see the crews standing in their lines during the National Anthem and all. Its really a neat thing to see.
Drivers getting in their cars just before rolling off.
Pace laps. Everyone is on their feet.
This is about 2-3 laps. I started following the leader but then tried to catch the whole field. This was my first time using the video feature on the point and shoot so its a little shaky. You get the idea of how small the track is and how crowded the racing is.
Monday we drove into Asheville to walk around. Then we went to this little wild life center. Nothing fancy but it kept us amused for a couple hours. Jeremy was smitten with the otters.
Came home Tuesday and had a pizza dinner with some friends. Great way to end our first family vacation.
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