Tri-Cities & Appalachian Highlands

East Tennessee launches you straight into a region where ridgelines rise, banjos echo, and factories hum. The Tri-Cities and Appalachian Highlands aren’t just postcard pretty—they’re packed with industry, innovation, and a whole lot of history.

In Bristol, the music never stopped. Dubbed the “Birthplace of Country Music,” the city recorded the genre’s first commercial tracks in 1927 and now celebrates that legacy at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. And shifting gears, the Bristol Motor Speedway puts a different kind of roar in the air—its 150,000-seat track is one of NASCAR’s loudest and most legendary venues.

Looking to Kingsport, this city doesn’t just make noise—it makes things. Eastman Chemical Company, headquartered here since 1920, employs thousands of people and anchors the region’s manufacturing economy. Meanwhile, Johnson City balances grit and growth, thanks to East Tennessee State University and a thriving healthcare sector that keeps the region smart, healthy, and employed.

Still, you can’t talk Highlands without talking farmland. Greene County leads the pack with cattle, dairy, and cornfields rolling through its hills. And when it’s time to breathe deep, Carter County delivers—Roan Mountain erupts in rhododendron blooms every summer, and Watauga Lake is a haven for boaters, anglers, and anyone needing a reset.

History? It runs deep. Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area honors the Overmountain Men—Revolutionary War heroes who marched right through here en route to victory at Kings Mountain.

Whether you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail, catching laps at Bristol, or two-stepping at a bluegrass jam, the Tri-Cities and Appalachian Highlands are all about balance. Find roots and reinvention, tradition and transformation, all in one unforgettable corner of Tennessee.