WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA
The temperature was forecast to be in the 60s—a rare occurrence for a late December day, particularly on Christmas Eve. Seizing this unusual opportunity, I embarked on a scenic ride connecting Virginia’s historic capital cities: Richmond, Jamestown, and Williamsburg. The mild weather provided an ideal backdrop for exploring the rich cultural heritage and timeless landscapes that define this region.
The route was not new to me. I allowed the prevailing winds to determine my direction and chose to ride from Richmond to Williamsburg. In Williamsburg, I would connect to the Amtrak train and be back to start in 50 minutes. I have done this ride a dozen times previously, sometimes riding from Williamsburg to Richmond and sometimes Richmond to Williamsburg.
The ride connects Virginia’s three historic capital cities. Jamestown was first used in the 17th Century, at which time the capital was moved to Williamsburg. It was in Williamsburg until the late 18th Century, at which time it was moved to Richmond. Today I started and rode to Jamestown Settlement before riding into Williamsburg.
The easiest way to ride is to follow the 52-mile Virginia Capital Trail. It is a traffic-free paved trail that connects Richmond and Jamestown Settlement. Colonial Williamsburg adds another 7-8 miles by street or roads, most with a bike lane next to the main traffic lane. I usually park at Great Shiplock Park in Richmond, which offers free parking at the trailhead at MP 51. It is open from sunrise to sunset.
Since I booked my return trip on the Amtrak at 4:07 pm and sunset was at 4:58 p.m., I worried just a little that I might be back to the car until 5:10 – 5:15 p.m. I assume a few minutes past sunset would not be a problem but nor did I want it to be a problem. So I looked for an option by the Richmond Train Station.
I found my parking by the train station on East Franklin Street. It is right under I-95 and right across from the Seaboard Building. This is prime Rail Baron™️ territory. Rail Baron was a game from Avalon Hill sold in the 1970s. We played it often and it enhanced our knowledge of the railroads of yesteryear. The Atlantic Coast Line ran to Richmond as did the Seaboad Air Line, both are now part of CSX. When I rode the Withlacoochie Rail Trail in Florida the mileage markers remain with the distance to Richmond (R). (See photo)
Those mileage markers would be to the RIchmond Stattion or the Seaboard Building. While the Withlacoochie Trail followed the old Atlantic Coast Line, the ACL and Seaboard merged in 1967.
Parking at the Richmond Station wasn’t free but 4-5 hours and up to 24 hours were both $5.00. There was a sign Pay to Park which showed a meter box or phone option. I tried the phone option by downloading the ParkMobile app. The problem I encountered was to verify the account I had to create meant waiting for a code sent to my email. And I had 60 seconds. But the code would come in 4-5 hours later so that did not work.
I went to the pay terminal and fumbled through the menus. I thought I had paid and it even prompted me with a Thank You. But it didn’t feel right. Then I looked and saw a MasterCard or Visa logo on the box. And I used an American Express card. At the risk of being double-booked I tried again with a different card. And this time it printed a pass good until Christmas morning and two receipts. Oh well. I put the ticket on my dashboard and got ready to roll out to Williamsburg.
I rode under the train station and made my way to the trailhead. It is nearly one mile from the station to where I normally park, but it was all familiar to me. I passed Great Shiplock Park and would have one route decision upcoming in three miles.
I have this mapped to be a Metric Century, 100 kilometers or 62.14 miles. I have done that by getting off the trail and riding some country roads through the Richmond Battlefield Park. It adds about three miles, just enough to make a metric. Today I decided to ride the trail the entire way. I wasn’t worried whether it was 60 miles vs. 62.14 miles.
There were few riders on the trail. It was Christmas Eve after all. It was a pleasant ride to Charles City County. Here, the trail diverts for one half mile (800 m). After the right turn back onto the trail as it parallels Va. Rte 5 I passed a parking lot with a new market / food stop. I was called Market 5 and the eaterery was in what appears to be manufactured housing (a trailer) with two windows for ordering and pickup. Think ice cream shop. I passed it and then turned around to check out the prices. This was around MP 20 on the trail.
A woman came over to help me out. Business looked slow and she was friendly. I wasn’t prepared to eat at this point. Usually I stop seven miles farther down the trail at the Breeze-In convenience store. That is at MP 13 and is 65 km into the 100 km ride. But I had carried gels and a couple Rice Krispie bars and felt good. I was planning to eat at Retro Good Eats, a burger joint in Colonial Williamsburg. I would finish with well more than one hour before the train and a burger and fries while I relaxed after the ride was perfect. And a chocolate milkshake.
I checked out the menu at Market 5 to determine if this place was worthy of a stop on a future ride. I decided that it was. A burger was $12.99. Wings and fries cost $11.99. It might be worth a stop next time. But not today. I wanted to keep riding.
When I came to MP 13 I kept pedaling past the Breeze-In Market. I stopped here last week and the young cashier was very intrigued with my cycling shoes. He had never seen anything like that before.
Cycling traffic started picking up. I was catching and passing old people on e-bikes. And I realized that the old people were all younger than me. Yikes! I’m not ready for that.
At Jamestown Settlement my preferred route connects with the Colonial Parkway. This is a very lightly traveled road between Yorktown and Jamestown. It has a concrete stone surface that is very rough. Avoid this if you want smooth asphalt.
The connecting road between Jamestown and Williamsburg is Jamestown Road. It is a busy road that has a bike lane off to the right on the shoulder. However, the shoulder is not always clean and even in late December, the leaves of fall combined with sand had the shoulder closed in some places. But Jamestown Road is four lanes so taking one of the two travel lanes for safety is encouraged when necessary.
Colonial Williamsburg is usually fun to ride through. The tourist part is closed to vehicle traffic. But if average speed is important then you may not want to be a tourist riding at the speed of, well, tourists. I did my tour, stopping twice when a horse was approaching. I suspect they are used to bikes but I prefer to be stopped so they can see me and pass me without panic.
I went over to Retro’s, finally ready to take a break after 62 miles of pedaling. And then I saw the sign. “Sorry Folks. We close at 2:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve.” It was 2:45 p.m.
I still had more than one hour before the train and looked for a 7-Eleven to grab a drink. I didn’t find one real close but did find one on Richmond Road less than two miles from the train station. When I arrived I saw that it was directly across from KFC and was going to stop there. But Richmond Road was a busy street with other options and I found a Popeyes. I grabbed a breast and rode off to the train station.
A station worker (looks like a conductor but he’s not) came up to me while I was on a bench and asked if I was taking the bike on the train. I told him I was and he said, “You know you need to remove a tire.” I corrected him. “Wheel, not tire.” I chided him a little and said if you go to NTB for new tires but tell them new wheels your bill is going to be a lot more than you expected. He agreed and said that he always makes that mistake.
When the train arrived, a conductor directed me to the car that had the bike rack set up. I played along, removed the wheel, and hung the bike in the rack. Once underway he told me that he thought they were done seeing bikes from the year. I told him about my ride and reminded him that it was 60º out.
As I disembarked and put on foot on the platform in Richmond, my foot slipped and I almost landed on the platform. I put the wheel back on the bike and walked the length of the platform. Near the end I realized I was hearing metal on concrete. A cover had fallen off, most certainly when I slipped or was the cause of the slip.
At the station there was a side exit that was opened and I was immediately in the parking lot where I started. I was back to the car. That was a nice place to finish rather than riding a mile back to Great Shiplock Park. I was glad to have spent the $5.
Although I wrote that Great Shiplock Park was open dawn to dusk, the Trail website states that there is overnight parking there at your own risk. When I parked there last week and rode from Williamsburg back to Richmond, there was a very sketchy scene at the car parked next to mine. If not a drug deal it likely was drug use. I will check the signage the next time I ride from there but on this day arriving back right after sunset, I was glad I parked at the train station.
The first one was Richmond to Williamsburg on Christmas Eve. The second one, one week earlier, was Williamsburg to Richmond. Almost three miles farther in the same amount of time on Christmas Eve despite more sightseeing time in Colonial Williamsburg. Also 43 achievments on Strava segments.
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