Nashville to Washington DC via 81N late September 2009

Hi Everyone. 

This is my first post, so I hope I'm providing appropriate information for you all to base suggestions on.  

We will be travelling from Nashville, TN to Washington, DC at the end of September.  Our route will be I-40 East to 81 North, leaving Nashville early on a Saturday morning.  We are looking for suggestions for a lunch stop and any interesting roadside snacks we shouldn't miss along the way.  

We're pretty familiar with the areas up through Knoxville but certainly won't discount any place you suggest that we've not tried. 

Thanks in advance for your help! 

If you are considering lunch in the Tri=Cities, get off at Hy 36(just north where I-26 crosses I-81). Turn left(west). On the left is the Crazy Tomato. Good pizza and Italian. Stop at Pal's for a 32oz ice tea for the road. If in the mood for BBQ go east on I-26 for about a mile. Get off at Eastern Star. BBQ just down the road. Also a new BBQ stand across from Crazy Tomato. Have not tried either BBQ. The famous Ridgewood Barbecue is probably 20 miles east. Many, many love Ridgewood. It is good, but not my favorite. 

I'm one of those who would recommend Ridgewood, it's worth the effort.

If you decide to go to Ridgewood, the quickest way to get there from 1-81 is to get off at exit 69(Blountville exit) and make a right on to TN-394. Take TN-394 until it ends at Rt11E/37. Make a right on to Rt 11E/37, go about 5 miles and hang a left on Rt 19E towards Bluff City. Go about 3 miles and make a right on Old Elizabethton Hwy(you'll see a Shell station over on the left on 19E before you turn right) Ridgewood is about a mile on the right hand side. Total driving distance/time from the time you get off of I-81 to Ridgewood is 11 miles and 14 minutes. To get back to I-81 north, just reverse the directions until you get back to I-81 north.

Also, another good BBQ joint is in Kingsport Tn. Pratts BBQ  Some say almost as good as Ridgewood. Take I-81 north to exit 57B(I-26 west) to exit 1(W. Stone Dr.)Keep right at the fork to go onto W. Stone Dr. Pratts is about 3 miles on W. Stone Dr

1225 W, Stone Dr. Kingsport,Tn   total driving dist from I-81 is 12 miles

http://www.prattsbbq.com/

Off of I81 in VA....Stop in Roanoke and go to the Texas Tavern great hotdogs and burgers. I can drive there but dont know street names so have to mapquest it.