Not quite. Lint brush, note pad, mouth wash. Seems they were more interested in him looking and smelling good for the interview than us actually being "Welcomed." The really funny thing is every thing they gave him was branded. Or at least we thought it was funny...until we started exploring the town some more. Passing the Eastman Credit Union, on Eastman Boulevard, going by the Eastman Recreation Fields down near the Boys and Girls Club of Kingsport, sponsored by Eastman....we started to understand the full ramifications of what living in a company town would be like. But we told ourselves, at least he would be working for that particular company.
Saturday night we did a little driving around and grabbed some BBQ for dinner. We couldn't really go to Tennessee and not eat BBQ now could we? Though truth be told, the sauces were good but Russell Street does a better job with their meat. As we drove around we were starting to discover something interesting, but a little freaky. All of the roads led to everywhere. If you got on the "wrong" highway if you just stayed on it it would take you back to where you wanted to go. We wanted to check out Bristol but got on the highway that was going to Johnson City, no problem, it would eventually get to Bristol. The road to Bristol would eventually get you to Kingsport, the roads in town would eventually all meet up. It was a really odd thing to experience. Though it came in handy on Monday when I was exploring on my own. Being directionally challenged in my own town it was nice to just be able to repeat to myself, "all roads will get you there" if I got a little turned around. I sort of liked the idea of living in an area with that feel to it. Seemed more like a mantra than driving directions, "all roads will eventually get you there."
Sunday was our big day to look around. We started with breakfast at Cracker Barrel, hey you look around your way and I will look around mine! When the waiter brought me my jelly I wasn't sure if it was a good sign for staying in Tennessee or a sign we should be going back home.
Marionberries are a Northwest thing you see. So since I could get preserves at Cracker Barrel was that a sign to stay or the fact that they had to spell out that a marionberry was a type of blackberry a bad thing? Hmmmm....
Anyway, we hit the road. The recruiter that first contacted Brent told him about a little town somewhat nearby called Asheville. He thought it might be a little far to commute but he really liked it. He was right, very cool little town. Funky and active downtown, very pretty. But at about an hour and half each way, just a little too far to commute daily. Though I found a house for us just in case we changed our minds.
What do you think? I know, it's a little small but I think I could make it work.
Later in the day we decided to head to Bristol and check out the track. We had seen the exit from one of the many highways that will get you there so we headed off in that direction. After we left the highway and started in the direction we figured the track would be we started to get a little worried. You would have guessed that getting off the road there would be signs pointing you in the right direction, nope not at all. But we held to our "all roads will eventually get you there" mantra and ended up in the backwoods of Virginia. Just when we were starting to give up hope that we were ever going to find the track this came on the radio. I kid you not...I had to take a picture (once I stopped laughing) just to prove it!
Another sign? Who knows, but it was hilarious.
Eventually we found the track and took a look around. We watched the tour group get a run around the track in a minivan. Not something you see everyday! So back on the road for us.
One of the interesting things to see in the TriCities area is the Quilt Tour. Yep, the Quilt Tour. On the sides of barns out in the country they have painted traditional quilt patterns. You can buy maps of all of the quilts and go looking for them. We spotted a few here and there though we didn't do the actual tour part.
After getting a feel for the area we went back to Kingsport. We were talking about how it was small but manageable. Different but didn't seem too horrible. All of the things you start to weigh when considering a move. As far as the 500,000 people though? Only if they were counting all of the bodies buried in all of the local cemeteries as well. And that would probably still be pushing the population estimates! So as we hit town again we also hit the rain. Or I should say the rain hit us. It came down so hard and so thick we ended up pulling off of the road to let it pass...twice!
See how that tree looks a little softer? That was the rain and that was when it was finally light enough to drive again! Oh my goodness.... I made a joke that it was because we were saying nice things about the town and we weren't supposed to like it or move there so we were getting a sign!
Monday morning came and Brent headed off to his interviews. I took my camera in hand and headed off to downtown Kingsport. We had seen some interesting things driving around on Sunday and I wanted a chance to take a few pictures before we left (shocking, I know!). Now here is where I have to admit to being judgmental. You know we all have these preconceived notions about people in other parts of the country. One being that people from New York are rude and people from the South are polite? Well let me tell you my recent travels flip that one for sure! When I was in NYC last fall everyone there was as nice as could be. If you were standing on a corner looking lost someone would ask you if you needed directions. Every store we went in to people were friendly and helpful. Only out at the bar Saturday night did I run in to anyone that was overtly rude, and they were drunk so that would happen anywhere.
But downtown Kingsport, Tennessee? Not the same story. As I walked around camera in hand (which back home is usually a conversation starter)I saw probably 20 people and no one said a word to me. Even when I smiled and said hi. It was odd. And rude. And odd. But downtown was still interesting and I took a lot of shots of random things. (all of the pictures will be going up on facebook soon)
Now there was one person who wanted to chat. Jimmy Horton. Who is Jimmy Horton you are asking yourself right now. Well Jimmy owns and operates this fine establishment.
It was actually a lot of fun to talk to him and to hear the history of this local chain. Always nice to run into someone who takes pride in what they do.
Brent's interviews were over, we were ready to leave town. Sharing our day's adventures with each other while waiting in line at the airport to check into the flight we decided that over all it wasn't that bad of a place. Maybe not the place for us, but not that bad really. We could make it work, the good was probably a little better than the bad...then we got to the front of the line to check in and heard our flight was delayed due to plane maintenance that would have us leaving and hour and half later than we were scheduled so we would be missing our connection in Atlanta. (remember the foreshadowing? Yep, exact same issue, same time delay, two points start a line...) So we renounced Tennessee right then and there in the airport and we were booked on another flight with another airline and actually made it home an hour earlier than originally scheduled.
I don't know if the universe really does give you overt signals when you need to make a decision or if you just look for things to fit what you are thinking anyway, but I do know that Kingsport, Tennessee, though lovely and quaint is just not for us. Rain storms, people who don't say hi, and a one company town wrapped up in an airport with hour and half time sinks...yeah....no. Thanks though, it was interesting.
So wish I would have gotten a picture of the drive through gold and silver exchange...
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