Day 104, Nov 4. Petersburg to South Hill, VA

After a good night's sleep at our host, Laura's Airbnb, we headed over to the Dixie Restaurant in downtown Petersburg, VA. The breakfast was great and the staff was very friendly. I highly recommend it next time you find yourself in Petersburg. I was even able to order grits, a favorite of mine.

We had a nice chat with Franny, one of the owners

Petersburg is an interesting town. It was one of the oldest free black settlements, and was important to the Union during the Civil War. It has a long history in transportation and tobacco.

Like many towns it has weathered the loss of industry, and the financial hardship that follows. However, the town seems to be coming back. We were amazed at the number of warehouses being converted into apartments and condos. In fact, the Airbnb we stayed at Thursday night is a good example of the renovations taking place. There are also many nice restaurants and a number of historical sights to visit.

The "bike" path. Loose gravel would have 

made the trip hazardous and looooong.

After breakfast, we headed toward South Hill, a 65 mile journey. Google Maps suggested two routes. The shortest included 42 miles of bike trails! Unfortunately, as we looked over the route, we noticed that the bike trails were unnamed. Hmmm. Usually unnamed bike paths are right along side of a busy road or are dirt two-tracks deep in the woods. We were not optimistic, so reluctantly chose the longer route. Shortly however we turned onto US 460 and began to regret our decision. US 460 is a busy 4-lane road. It began with a shoulder which disappeared a few miles in. After one too many cars passed close enough to give us both adrenaline rushes, began plotting my own route. We ended up taking Route One for most of the day. In the past Route One was way too busy to consider, but this section was wonderful. A four-lane divided highway with very light traffic. Though we had to ride 63 miles, the light traffic and beautiful scenery made it a pleasant ride. Tomorrow is another 63 mile day, this time to Creedmore, NC. A new state and only 30 miles away from Alicia, John's sister in Cary.