Milligan Campus Overlook

51 Things to Do Before You Graduate

  1. Watch an Appalachian League baseball game
  2. Enjoy ice cream at the Shamrock
  3. Listen to Bluegrass at the Down Home
  4. See a play at the historic Barter Theater
  5. Walk through the covered bridge in Elizabethton
  6. Eat a deep-fried Oreo at the Appalachian Fair
  7. Kayak or raft the Nolichucky River
  8. Attend the Rhythm and Roots Festival in Bristol
  9. Hit the slopes at one of 5 nearby ski resorts
  10. Hike with the Buffalo Ramblers
  11. Shop at Mast General Store and eat downtown in Asheville, NC
  12. Go mountain biking on nearby trails
  13. Visit a local museum and learn some regional history
  14. Watch a sunset from the Beauty Spot
  15. Attend a Johnson City Symphony Orchestra concert
  16. Visit the wolves or look through the telescope at Bays Mountain Park
  17. See local artwork at First Friday Festival in downtown Johnson City
  18. Walk across the Mile High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain
  19. Hike up to Roan Mountain‘s Round Bald at night to see the stars
  20. Walk down main street in Tennessee’s oldest town, Jonesborough
  21. Volunteer at a local charity
  22. Go rock climbing or rappelling at the Blue Hole
  23. Attend a potluck dinner after church on Sunday (home cooked food!)
  24. Have a picnic inside the fort at Sycamore Shoals State Park
  25. Drive across the Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway
  26. Go bike-riding on the Virginia Creeper Trail in Abingdon or Damascus
  27. Visit Cades Cove and Clingman’s Dome at Great Smoky Mountain National Park
  28. Enjoy the view of Milligan from the top of Buffalo Mountain
  29. Hike a section of the Appalachian Trail
  30. Learn to fly fish on Watauga River
  31. Listen to bluegrass (and maybe even dance a jig) at Carter Fold
  32. Eat barbecue & fries at Ridgewood, Firehouse, or Dixie BBQ
  33. Hike to Laurel Fork Falls
  34. See a movie at Elizabethton’s State Line Drive-In or Bonnie Kate Theatre
  35. Hike the old Tweetsie railroad at Doe River Gorge
  36. Enjoy a Pal‘s sweet tea and frenchie fries for a late-night snack
  37. Eat country cooking at Shirley’s on Watauga Lake
  38. Cheer on a local high school football team at a Friday night game
  39. Drive the minimum speed limit on I-26 East from Johnson City to Erwin, enjoying the Valley Beautiful
  40. Go to Watauga Lake for a picnic
  41. Worship with friends at “The Well”
  42. Visit Dollywood and Gatlinburg
  43. Go to Speedway in Lights at Bristol Motor Speedway and drive on the fastest 1/2 mile track
  44. See the Brown Mountain Lights
  45. Visit Bristol Caverns, the largest series of caverns in the Smokies
  46. Visit downtown Bristol and stand in two states at once
  47. Attend (or work) the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough
  48. Watch (or participate in) the annual Dragon Boat Races
  49. Cool off on a hot day at Wetlands Water Park
  50. Feel like a kid again at Hands On! Museum
  51. Journey through time at the Gray Fossil Museum.