About a Week
6 days · ~620 miles · from Ashland, KY
The mountains that gave America its music and its labor wars: US 23 past the homeplaces of a dozen country stars, the coalfield battlegrounds of Matewan, and Virginia's Crooked Road to the Carter Fold.
This trip chains: US 23: The Country Music Highway · US 52: The Mine Wars Road · The Crooked Road
The Country Music Highway Museum at Paintsville and Loretta Lynn's Butcher Hollow cabin, then the astonishing Pikeville Cut-Through. Overnight Pikeville, Hatfield-McCoy country.
Over the line into West Virginia's US 52: the millionaire town of Bramwell, Welch's courthouse, and Matewan, where the 1920 mine-war shootout is told in the Mine Wars Museum. Overnight Williamson.
South through the mountains to Bristol, birthplace of country music: the museum on State Street and a burger at the Burger Bar. Overnight Bristol.
The Carter Family Fold at Hiltons (Saturday shows), Abingdon's Barter Theatre, and Damascus, trail town of the Creeper. Overnight Abingdon or Damascus.
Wild ponies at Grayson Highlands, then Galax: the Rex Theater and Barr's Fiddle Shop. Overnight Galax.
Up onto the Blue Ridge Parkway past Mabry Mill to Floyd — the Country Store's Friday Night Jamboree if you've timed it, flatfooting to close the week.