Southwest Virginia, northwest North Carolina, and southeast Tennessee share a common cultural heritage that includes the tradition of Appalachian mountain music. The 1960s television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies popularized banjo instrumental music; Dolly Parton continues to be a country legend; and Doc Watson helped to popularize bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Each of these examples has roots in Appalachia, and this article aims to share highlights of an RV trip that helped us learn more–albeit just a tiny sample about some of these musical traditions that continue today.
The Crooked Road is a 300-mile song-only highway linking geographic locations in Virginia that offers a variety of music venues. It extends from Clintwood, south to Hiltons, and east to Ferrum.
We picked three Crooked Road stops for our RV trip: Abingdon, Floyd, and Galax. In addition, we added Pigeon, Forge, Tennesse as a stop that, although it is not part of the Crooked Road, it is a nearby outlier link that showcases these same music traditions.
Trip planning was an easy task. The duration would be five to six days, and our focus would be music and local food specialties. Although we typically prepare meals in the RV, this trip would rely on local restaurants for most meal choices. In addition, we made a list of potential activities at each stop, including dry camping possibilities. The one wildcard planning factor we had no control over was November temperatures (i.e., a comfort level consideration).
Our first stop was Abingdon–home to the Barter Theatre (which today is the State Theatre of Virginia). We purchased theater tickets online for a performance that evening. Ample street parking is available near the Barter, and one can stroll around the downtown area on Abingdon’s main street if time permits. Because we arrived late in the day, we only had time for a nice dinner at Jack’s 128 Pecan and then walked back to the theater.
The Barter has an interesting history. It is the United States’s longest-running equity theater (i.e., labor union affiliated). The Barter opened its doors for theatergoers in 1933 during the Depression years. Admission was 35 cents or the equivalent in vegetables, dairy products, or livestock, hence the name Barter Theater, and four out of five early theatergoers paid with bartered goods versus cash. Most initial theater seats, lighting fixtures, carpeting, paintings, and tapestries were dismantled from the Empire Theater in New York City, transported to Abingdon, and installed in the Barter. In 1961, the Barter organization renovated a nearby building as a smaller theater and a second stage. Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, Hume Cronyn, Gary Collins, Frances Fisher, Larry Linville, John Glover, Jim Varney, and Wayne Knight are examples of well-known stage and screen stars who performed at the Barter early in their careers.
The performance we watched was a new play titled Go Tell It on the Mountain, and it was on the second stage. It is a musical with a mixture of gospel songs that focus on Christmas in the Appalachian Mountains, and the play and lyrics provide a nice blend of cultural setting and mountain music to serve as a teaser for our next three stops.
It was late evening when we left the Barter. Earlier that day, we asked and received permission to spend the night dry camping in a nearby Cracker Barrel parking lot. Our RV was one of six, spending the night in the parking lot. It was a chilly night, with temperatures dipping to the mid-40s. When dry camping, the LTV furnace is a bit noisy but works well and easily keeps the inside sleeping temperature at 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Breakfast at the restaurant the following day was convenient, country-style, and tasty.
Charging our various electronic devices on RV trips is easy when in a campground and with an electric hook-up. However, dry camping requires additional considerations. Our 2017 Unity Twin Bed model has an always hot receptacle (two USB-A ports) in the bedroom area. We use one of the smaller upper cabinets, including this receptacle, as a charging station with a hub, rack for electronic devices, and short USB-A to USB-C cable connections. This works great for our iPads and iPhones but not for Apple watches. The factory-standard Apple watch cable is USB-C only, so it will not work off the always-hot USB-A receptacle. Our solution, which we figured out while on the road during this RV trip, was to buy a third-party USB-A Apple watch charging cable at Walmart for less than $10, plus a cigarette lighter plug-in adapter (also less than $10 and includes a combination USB-C and USB-A port for use in the cab while driving. In short, it took thought-time plus about an hour out of our next trip day to figure this out, but problem solved!
Driving time to Floyd is about two hours. Interstate 81 through southwestern Virginia is always a pretty drive, and when we left the interstate near Pulaski, it was country roads and a rural setting for the remainder of the drive.
The June 14, 2024, edition of the Smithsonian Magazine stated that Floyd is one of the best small towns to visit in 2024. The Blue Ridge Parkway is only about six miles away, the town population is less than 500, and there is only one stop light. Because of its small size, most activities are walkable, and choices include a country store, farmers market, boutiques, thrift shop, antique store, ice cream parlor, plant store, art galleries, gift/craft shops, winery, restaurants, bakery, art school, and one grocery store.
Our Floyd discovery stop began with Chic’s Antiques and Variety on Main Street. Unlike typical antique stores, Chic’s includes a small section of local, whimsical artwork, and the prices are reasonable. Also, some artwork is printed as postcards (e.g., a cute travel memento one can send to friends or grandchildren).
Next on our discovery stop was the Chateau Morrisette Winery and Restaurant. The location is a short drive out of town and near the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance. It was lunchtime, so we began with a meal stop.
The restaurant falls into the elegant category (unusual for such a rural location). Most seating is either with a mountainside view or near the fireplace. The menu included a nice variety, but we opted for just soup, salad, an appetizer–all delicious, and a glass of their wine.
It’s a short walk from the restaurant to the winery. Although the winery building’s exterior architecture is not special, the interior is distinctive. It’s a one-of-a-kind building that includes wine tasting, retail space, and wine production. As we approached the entrance door, we had to navigate around a very large but friendly black dog greeter who demonstrated ownership of the entrance area that served as his resting spot. The dog belongs to the winery, and we later realized that the dog is also represented in caricature label branding for both the winery bottles and the barrels used for aging.
The Chateau Morrisette Winery is a family-owned business. They planted the first vines in 1978 and produced their first commercial wines in 1982. During the production facility tour, we learned that the building was constructed using reclaimed material from the St. Marie River and a Seattle warehouse. In addition, it is one of the largest timber-framed structures in North America and is very impressive from an architectural perspective.
The tour included the entire production process from start to finish, and when it ended, it was time for wine tasting. An added touch was that the wine tastings were free, and we bought a few bottles to enjoy over the upcoming holidays. We left the winery wondering how the evening activities might measure up to the nice afternoon we had just experienced, good food, and good wine. The only thing missing was good music.
It was late afternoon when we arrived back in Floyd. The Friday night music jamboree was still a couple of hours away from starting, so we purchased a light snack at the Floyd Country Store and then checked out some of the local boutiques and craft shops. The steps going to an art gallery across the street from the Floyd Country Store had an interesting lyric painted on the concrete step risers.
The art gallery merchandise was equally enjoyable. It included various fine-art items, including three large and unusual ceramic guitars, which reminded us that it was time for the Friday night music jamboree at the Floyd Country Store.
The Floyd Country Store (aka Farmer’s Supply Company and Cockram’s General Store in the early 1900s) has been a community meeting place for 40+ years. In the 1980s, two previous owners played in a bluegrass band and practiced in the store on Friday evenings. Local town folks would knock on the door and ask permission to come inside and listen to the music, which began the Friday night music jamboree sessions.
Today, food and music are the two main components of the Floyd Country Store business plan (albeit there also is a small merchandise section). The short-order restaurant plus bakery is always busy, and during the day, there are tables and chairs in the store for sitting down and enjoying snacks and meals.
A transformation takes place on music nights. The tables disappear, the chairs are moved to the sides and rear, creating a dance floor area, and merchandise items are packed into a side room all in preparation for the music event.
The music performances we watched started at 6:30 pm and ended at 10:30 pm. The store sells general admission tickets for seating, and limited reserved seating is a nominal added cost. Each admission ticket also includes a raffle ticket for items given out during the intermission. The first music group consisted of a vocalist, guitar, banjo, and mandolin instruments. They played gospel music for an hour, the dance floor remained empty, and there was a short break after their performance.
The second group consisted of musicians playing fiddle, guitar, and banjo instruments (no vocalists). They were introduced as a dance group, and the moment they started playing, the dance floor filled and stayed full for the remainder of the night. The dance styles were rhythmic and unique. Some danced clogging, but most danced flatfooting, hoedowning, and jigging. Solo dancing was common. Their body movement was mostly footwork, and the music alternated every other song from fast to slow. It was easy to see that dancing was an essential part of community life in this part of Virginia.
We left the music jamboree for another night of dry camping. Earlier that day, we asked and received permission to stay in a parking lot just outside of Floyd. The outside temperatures were slightly colder, dipping to the upper 30’s. The following day included two more stops before leaving Floyd. Our first stop was the farmer’s market. It’s small in size but contains vendors selling vegetables, freshly baked bread, wine, and a variety of other items, including some craft items.
Our second stop was the Floyd Center for the Arts. In addition to a small art gallery, they offer classes throughout the week (most are about three hours long) in stained glass, clay concepts, soap making, and needle felting.
We left Floyd for the next of our music venues, the Rex Theater in Galax, Virginia. The Rex opened in 1940 as a movie theater. Today, it is a small but very nice venue for local, regional, and national music performances. In addition, the Rex is home to the Blue Ridge Backroads Live, a weekly FM radio show that broadcasts live bluegrass music within a five-state area, and one can also listen to the broadcasts on the internet.
The music performance we watched was Bayou County, a Credence Clearwater tribute band. Although not even a close cousin to bluegrass content, it was a remarkable and faithful celebration of Credence Clearwater’s iconic music.
We spent the night dry camping in downtown Galax at a Harvest Host location that was only a three-block walk to the Rex Theater. Our host was the Briar Patch Marketplace and Café (including the antique store). We ordered some take-out items from the Café for an evening meal, which we ate in our LTV before the Rex Theater show. This was our coldest night of the trip, with the outside temperature dropping to 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
Our final music trail stop was Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It was a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Pigeon Forge, so we got an early start and arrived at the theme park shortly after it opened. The show schedule for the day included nine musical performances to choose from, and we could attend six performances. The show highlights were Heidi Parton’s A Christmas to Remember and Christmas in the Smokies.
Heidi Parton’s A Christmas to Remember reconnected us with the bluegrass genre and included a fantastic video and audio musical interaction with Dolly Parton.
Christmas in the Smokies was an excellent closing performance for our RV trip. It included a 9-person orchestra, a couple who provided signing for the hearing-impaired, and was an hour of non-stop dancing and music that included Go Tell It on the Mountain a repeat song from the start of our RV trip.
This was a long day for us—the drive from Galax, plus all the shows at Dollywood. As we drove to the campground for the last night of our RV trip, we enjoyed viewing some of the local holiday lighting.
Reflections and Lessons Learned
- The Virginia Crooked Road is a great choice for RV touring.
- Dry camping is a good option when touring; several possibilities are often available.
- Three to four days is a good rule of thumb for black tank storage limits when dry camping.
- Floyd, Virginia, is a charming small town, and we recommend allocating one to two full days for the visit.
- Although music was the focal point for our RV trip, Floyd County additionally has an artisan trail that highlights a variety of studios, galleries, shops, and farms that are part of the greater artistic community.
- Charging electronic devices while dry camping may require special considerations.
Summary
This was a nice holiday trip that left us with a greater appreciation for the Appalachian song, dance, music, and culture; plus, we returned home with some fine wine to help rekindle these RV travel memories over the upcoming months!
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