Residents Can Cut Summer Travel With Cheap Local Options

By Kelly Cales

Published: July 20, 2008

BY KELLY CALES
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

With gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, many families are finding that a vacation is a luxury that just isn’t affordable this summer.

Local travel and chamber of commerce officials say there are ways to salvage some summer fun and go easy on the wallet. It’s a great time to become a tourist in your own backyard, they say. With special events throughout the summer, folks can find something for everyone and many are free.

Living up to its birthplace of country music nameplate, Bristol, Va.-Tenn., serves up a collection of sounds at different concert venues during the summer months.

* Music and Movies in the Park is held every Thursday through July at Cumberland Square Park. Starting at 6:30 p.m., the event features a different band and movie each evening. 

* Aug. 15 completes the Border Bash concert series on State Street. The fun-filled event includes children’s activities, crafts, concessions and music. Say You Will, Reagan Boggs and The Maid Rite String Band will perform starting at 6 p.m.

* It’s Great on State concert series wraps up on Aug. 28 and will feature three bands playing in the 800 block of State Street. Starting at 5 p.m., will be the bands, Southern 76, Rise Phoenix Rise and Downstroke.

The warm summer months are usually a time for festivals and most events are free or have only a small admission fee.

This Saturday through Aug. 10, the town of Abingdon, Va., will host its 60th annual Virginia Highlands Festival. This year’s festival features several musical acts, including headliner Chubby Checker; arts and crafts; literary events; special tours and tastings; historic lectures and re-enactments; plus other exhibits.

If you want the kids to keep up with reading this summer, check out the Bristol Library’s summer reading program for children and teens. For “Days of Our Lives” fans, the library’s Discovery Series 2008 may spark interest. Television executive Gary Fogel will speak on Aug. 14 about his work with the soap opera.

Several attractions in the Tri-Cities region that have free admission, though donations are often appreciated.

* The Gray Fossil Museum offers a free self-guided tour, though a $3 donation is suggested. It includes a movie, interactive displays and a scavenger hunt. Admission for a walk-in tour ranges from $3 to $5.

* Visitors can check out the world’s only guitar-shaped music museum inside the Grand Guitar, off of Interstate 81’s Exit 74. Built in 1982, the three-story, 70-foot Martin guitar houses a collection of rare and unusual instruments shaped like a shovel, elephant and even an armadillo.

* If you feel a need for speed, the Bristol Experience Fan Zone at the Bristol Motor Speedway’s Bruton Smith building is the place to be. Here you can experience the thrill of racing while playing one of their X-Box games. The Fan Zone also features props used in the movie “Talladega Nights,” trophies, interactive photo displays and other exhibits.

For the outdoor lover, the Tri-Cities region offers three lakes and more than a dozen parks. These parks are great for picnics, bicycling, walking trails and grilling out. Most of them offer playgrounds for the kids.

KELLY CALES is a multimedia intern who can be reached at (276) 669-2181.