I haven’t seen my brother and sister-in-law in Cincinnati since becoming a Nomad in July of 2025. I planned a trip to drive there over Labor Day weekend. My first stop was Johnson City, Tennessee. I’m still deciding where I want to settle down. During my research to find the perfect place for me, I googled: small cities and towns in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia that are progressive, affordable, have a mild winter and summer, and have good hiking nearby. Google basically said you’re SOL. It did give me some options that had most of my ‘wants’… In Tennessee there was Johnson City, Maryville, Crossville, and Cookeville, and Roanoke in Virginia.

Johnson City seemed cute. I wasn’t there long enough to get a real feel for it. They had a little Labor Day celebration going on.

From there I stopped at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and drove up to Pinnacle Point for a fantastic view of the countryside.

For lunch I went to a restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky. My late husband’s family is from there. I asked the waitress if Corbin is progressive, and she said no. I kind of knew that anyway but I thought I would ask.

I arrived at my brother’s place and we stayed up late catching up. They loved their birthday presents. This evening, I’m taking them out to a fancy restaurant for their early Christmas present.