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Below is a video of a church in Gray having fun on Back Bone Rock in Johnson County. If you have not been there, it is a beautiful winding drive to get there.

If you are in Johnson City tomorrow (Sept. 15 2007), make sure you swing by and see the Dragon Boat Races at Winged Deer Park.

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Dolly has just announced the largest-ever investment at Dollywood. The raging rumors have been confirmed. For the 2007 season, the park will be building a new $17.5 million steel roller coaster called "Mystery Mine." This will be another Dollywood-only type of ride; this coaster will be one of a kind in America. It will feature a 95-degree, 85-foot vertical drop, a weightless inversion known as a "heart-line roll," a double inversion known as a "rollover loop," and a half-loop climb. It is expected to be heavily themed and serve as a dual dark ride/roller coaster. It will be located in the new Timber Canyon area. Dollywood is certainly trying to stake its claim as being one of the top amusement parks in the nation (I heard it was in the top 25); they keep expanding and expanding with bigger and bigger rides. Soon enough DW will be a thrill-seekers paradise. The have the Tennessee Tornado, Timber Tower (which I heard wasn't that great), and the wooden Thunderhead. Dollywood is very excited about this project; they even built a teaser website that includes artist renderings, construction photos, and low-budget videos telling the legend of the Mystery Mine. If the hype turns out to be true, Dolly will probably get a nice return on this investment. (more here and here)

filed under: entertainment, tennessee

From Negative Source
There is a new concrete park opening in Kingsport, Tennesee this week and a grand opening jam is planned for Saturday. Everyone that can, should try to make it out there.

From Don Fenley
Kingsport, Tenn, resident Mike Ziler is one of the sources for a story on the sport - or is it a spectacle - of Dock Dogs. Ziler, whose 3-year-old black Lab, Gunner, finished third at the national championships Dock Dogs competition with a leap of 24 feet, 8 inches, told Morning Call online that the prize money obviously is not a motivating factor for most contestants, since the top prize usually doesn’t even pay for gas.
”He loves it, and I love the camaraderie” with other competitors, said Ziler.
What Gunner loves is the Dock Dog competition which is gaining in popularity. Still one competitor put the event in perspective by saying
”At the end of the day, it’s just dogs jumping off a dock. The only ones who know how far they jump are the people. The dogs are just doing what they love to do.”

From Deliverance
Alright, you hackers and duffers out there–quit swinging long enough to take a look at the number 2 position in this ranking (scroll down).

Metrogolfmap1Golf Digest magazine conducted a survey that ranked 330 Metropolitan Statistical Areas across the country for access to golf (45% of the score), the value (15%), the quality (15%) of golf and the weather (25%). Our own Upper East Tennessee is only behind the Auburn/Opelika Alabama MSA. Number two out of 330!

The living and the golf in East Tennessee is good. But I knew that all along. Now the rest of you do too.
Read the story…

By R. Neal
Bands with ironic names like Southern Culture on the Skids notwithstanding (check out their “Dirt Track Date” CD if you haven’t already - trust me), Southern pop culture continues to break new ground. Southern art, literature, and music (the genuine variety, not the abominable “Dukes of Hazard” Hollywood style interpretations) have had a profound influence on American culture over the years. This week, a couple of Southern icons remind us why.
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From Kingsport!
By Josh Watson
Here’s a blog of mine you can check out if you get some free time: www.tennwaterfalls.blogspot.com. It’s about waterfalls within a 1 hour radius of the Tri-Cities. There are pictures and directions. I have only been to about 11 and would love for other people to add their knowledge and pics. I really just made it so other people could enjoy waterfalls more, though I do have Google AdWords on there, as well as a donation field. The blog is not for making money, but I have put a lot of time and gas money into it, so I thought I would add those features. Anyway, have a great day.