Quarantine Chronicles: The Open Road
“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.”
When I was a kid, my dad loved driving us around. He brought new gusto to the term “Sunday Drive”. We would just get in the car and go down old dirt roads, we’d drive alongside bayous and make our way through country flatlands. We weren’t really going anywhere, we just went to enjoy the drive.
When I’m feeling this way and I can’t take it anymore, I get in my car and I get lost. I am a sucker for backroad explorations. I love discovering places I’ve never seen or people I’ve never met. Not so easy to do in a quarantined state, but definitely not impossible to take the road less traveled. I have discovered some really beautiful drives in Virginia and since today is National Road Trip day and I’m sure most of us are feeling a little cagey, maybe it’s time to get behind the wheel and let the open road reveal some of Virginia’s beauty.
There have been so many times I’ve been on a trip somewhere and take notice of signage to different little towns or a road that pops out that I can’t help but wonder where it will lead. Here are a few of my favorite little day drives.
Blackwells Hollow Road in Albemarle County
This is a beautiful drive down Route 810 and there are a few cool back gravel roads to explore
Blackwells Hollow Road
Photo by: Bob Mical
Route 5
I love this route and it’s even better on a motorcycle, but this little trip to Charles City is scenic and peaceful. Drive by Osborne’s Landing and have a little walk along the James. How we miss the Lily Pad!
Go out Route 6 to Charlottesville
Add a little time to this jaunt to Charlottesville and enjoy wineries and rolling hills.
Wildlife Venturing
Take a drive to Great Dismal Swamp and enjoy the natural habitat home to many of Virginia’s birds and wildlife.
Skyline Drive
Route 33 to the Blue Ridge Mountains
Just a really gorgeous drive to the mountains!
Cape Charles
Take a trip to Cape Charles. This quaint bay town is sweet and boasts its own brewery and distillery. You can stop and take a nice walk down the bay or cruise their super cute town.
There’s plenty to see and drive through from taking the mountains in on Skyline Drive to exploring Virginia’s rolling hill countrysides. So get out and get to driving!