Sullivan County

Bristol, Virginia. I mean Bristol, Tennessee. I mean Virginia. Okay, both.

State Street is the boundary between two cities: Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee. It runs right through their common business district which was where we had lunch today at a restaurant called 620 State.

On down the road we stopped in Gray, Tennessee to view a Pliocene - epoch assemblage of fossils from 4.9 to 4.7 million years ago.

It seems that back in May 2000 Tennesse was widening State Route 75. Geologists discovered rather interesting finds at the construction site and Governor Sundquist said, "Go around.! Go around!" (Those are my quotes but you get my drift.)

Anyway, it turns out that the earth moving machines discovered a semicircular sinkhole in a pond environment that contained fossils of ancient plants and animals.

I'm talking stuff you wouldn't see walking around Tennessee today.

Alligators. Rhinos. Saber-Toothed Cats. And lots and lots of Tapirs. So many tapirs that experts have said it is the world's largest tapir fossil find.

What the heck is a tapir you ask? Google it.

Only 1% of the site has been explored. Future fossil recovery is projected for the next 100 years!!!!

Staying in Knoxville tonight chilling out. Watched the end of Virginia Tech beating Liberty. Sandra will be happy.En savoir plus