Sep15. "Paved Road" was a Two-Track

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40936417
 

   Originally we had hoped to have arrived at Tappahannock yesterday and continue on to Belle Isle State Park today. But as we were delayed by the runs, we were blessed with loving relatives who picked us up there to take us to Kay's sisters' get-together.  
   Our bicycling routing software took us from the hotel along what were mainly country roads for about 15 miles.  We played leapfrog with a school bus that would almost catch up to us, then stop to pick up more kids.  Finally it passed us.  It must have gone down a side road as we noticed it behind us again. We had fun saying, "Have a good day at school!" to the waiting children. After this morning traffic, the roads quieted down. We did have a logging  truck come up behind us and with no room for them to pass us, as the road was only about 1 1/2 lanes wide there, we got off at a driveway to let them pass.  
We then crossed Highway 17 to continue on some more low-traffic roads, according to our maps.  The side road started out paved with no center line which usually indicates low-traffic but then we came to a fork in the road. The way we were supposed to go was a two-track and was also gated with a sign saying "private." The other fork was gravel.  Checking a different map showed that the gravel road was a  dead end in a couple of miles.  So we back-tracked to Highway 17 which was the most direct route and at that point,  we weren't sure of any other way without a lot of figuring.   It was a busy road, but it was a 4-lane divided highway and most of the time had a good shoulder. 
   We stopped at a convenience store and got talking with a couple of farmers about their operation.  We also found out a lot of logging happens in this area and a paper mill is located not too far away.  Kay counted around 27 logging trucks today, 16 full and 11 empty.
     After coordinating by text as to each other's location as we headed north and they headed south, Kay's sisters and their spouses picked us up at a 7th Day Adventist church building near Tappahannock--the first time since the start of our trip that our bikes had been given a ride.    They brought a balloon and we celebrated over a great meal at Belle Island State Park in a large home overlooking the Rappahannock River.  

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