Trail & Local Sites of Interest Review: Virginia Blue Ridge Railway (Nelson County)

Rural Nelson County has got to be one of the prettiest counties in Virginia and I'm lucky it's only about 40 minutes away from my house.  Tucked away in the middle of Nelson County is the VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE RAILWAY TRAIL (LINK!) - one of the rails-to-trails that are becoming more commonplace all over the United States.  I had wanted to ride this trail two years ago when Eddie & I spent a few days in Nelson County, but the weather did not cooperate.  I knew I wanted to come back one day and ride this trail, and today was the day!

The trailhead is located in Piney River on Route 151 at what appears to be an old depot.  There is also a caboose on display.  Currently a local organization is trying to raise funds to build a cover for it.  There is one portapotty here at the main trailhead.  The trail is crushed gravel so I was glad to have a mountain bike.

I was a little daunted by the fact that the trail goes entirely downhill.  I do not like long uphills and am a weak cyclist.  But at least I was biking by myself, so I figured however long it took, that would be fine.  If I had to stop and walk, that would be fine, too.  Luckily, I discovered that it's a very gradual grade and I never had any problem on the return trip.  I had to downshift in a few places, but for the most part, it was very easy at the speed I rode (which was not fast).  You can see the elevation chart here at the end of my ride.

For the first mile or so, there was something very sweet-smelling along the trail... almost like perfume!  I didn't see any blooms so I have no idea what was making that scent.  It smelled wonderful.

At mile 1.7 at Rose Mill Road, there is a smaller trailhead with parking.  This one had what looked like an actual restroom instead of a portapotty.  After this point however, there are no restrooms, portapotties, or trail access.  You're pretty much on your own.  The trail was a bit isolated for my taste if I were running it alone.  However, I felt totally safe on my bike, even though I didn't see another soul until about a mile after the turn-around at the end.  The trail is about 6.5+ miles in one direction.

The trail description says the trail ends at the Tye River Depot but I didn't see anything that looked like a depot.  There was this cool weigh station and car display, though.

My mother happened to call me just as I was passing under U.S. 29.  So when she asked me where I was (because the call was breaking up a bit) I said, "You know where 29 crosses over the Tye River at the boundary of Amherst and Nelson Counties?"  Of course, yes, she knew exactly where that is.  "Well, Mom, that's where I am!  Under Route 29 on a bike trail!"  That was kind of fun.

I was surprised that I biked faster on my return, uphill trek back to the trailhead.  Maybe I was doing less sightseeing.  There were a number of bridges to cross, including this lovely (short) covered bridge.  I enjoyed the views of creeks & the river when crossing the bridges.  At least, I'm guessing I was crossing some creeks.

The trail is also used by horses, but I didn't see any "evidence" of recent equine use.  Every bridge has a sign requiring those on horseback to dismount before crossing.  They even provide little stair steps to assist.  It took me a few bridges to figure out that's what those must be for.

When I was about a mile from the finish, all of a sudden, I felt a "thwack" as something went down the front of my slightly unzipped jersey and down into my sports bra.  Was it a bug?  I couldn't tell.  I didn't really feel anything moving but I tried looking down to see.  Then I thought I felt something but wasn't sure.  When I got back to the truck a few minutes later, I was pretty sure there was something in my shirt.  I stripped it off (just as a car pulled in next to me with kids so I went around the other side of the truck where they couldn't see).  I pulled my sports bra a bit loose (still hooked, don't worry!) and there was a BEE in there!!  I gave a loud yelp as it flew away.  I have no idea why it didn't sting me the whole time it was in there.  

I put my shirt back on and went around to the other side of the truck and told the father that I don't normally strip off my shirt in parking lots but there was a bee inside!  He laughed and said he understood.  What a crazy ending to a very nice, leisurely ride.

After my ride, I decided to patronize some local businesses and places of interest.  I'll list them here and try to put links if they're available.

MAC'S COUNTRY STORE (LINK!) in Roseland - I got a turkey on toasted whole wheat bread, which was loaded with deli turkey.  The young woman who helped me was very nice and the place was starting to get busy with locals by the time I left.  Apparently the fried chicken and burgers are the best around.  I was looking for a bit of a healthier option today, and the sandwich hit the spot.  There are tables to eat in the store if you want.  This is also an Exxon station, in case you need gas!

TRAGER BROTHERS COFFEE (LINK!) in Lovingston - I wasn't quite sure where to park, so I parked on the street in front of the large two-story house where the sign was.  Then I walked up the driveway where the entrance sign was, and I saw the shop in back of the house.  It was completely open to the outdoors and featured a nice little seating area to the left.  If the temperature hadn't been climbing on its way to 98 degrees, I might have had a cup of coffee, but since I don't like iced coffee, I decided to stick with the water I got at Mac's.  So I simply ordered 8 ounces of ground Viennese beans.  I put the bag in my truck and then decided to stroll all the way down Front Street and see what I could see.

VILLAGE ANTIQUES (LINK!) in Lovingston - I always enjoy seeing the old things in these stores because very often, my parents also have these things in their house, inherited from their parents and grandparents.  The store was not cluttered like antique stores can be.  It was almost artistic in its presentation.  I bought an antique thimble with a poodle on it for my mother-in-law.  I don't know if she has any room on her thimble shelf, but it reminded me of her dog Rocky that she used to have.  I signed the guest book before I left.

After leaving Lovingston, I was fortunate enough to be able to stop at...

OAKLAND HISTORICAL MUSEUM (LINK!) - This is run by the Nelson County Historical Society and isn't open very often.  There was a man at the front desk and he has lived in Nelson County his whole life.  He gave me an overview of every room and was obviously (and understandably!) very proud of where he grew up.  There were rooms dedicated to the history of the county in general, the home's history as a tavern, the musicians of Nelson County, the rural electrification project of the 1930s and 40s, and Hurricane Camille in 1969.  All the displays were so well done and I really enjoyed talking to the man.  I spent an hour there and was able to see it all.  I could have spent longer if I had watched all the videos they had available, but I prefer reading and seeing artifacts to watching videos (some of which I can see later on YouTube, if I want).  There was a suggested donation of $5 per adult at the front desk, which I paid before I even went in, and I also signed the guest book.

Finally, I ended my trip with a brief stop in Amherst County at:

REBEC VINEYARDS (LINK!) - My absolute favorite wine of all time is called Sweet Sofia.  The owner of the vineyard is from Bulgaria (I think) and the recipe for this came from his grandfather.  It is flavored with some kind of herbs/spices - I have no idea what - it's just so different and delicious.  Usually when I buy Sweet Sofia, I buy it by the case.  Today I only bought three bottles because now that Eddie and I are empty nesters, that ought to last a few months.  I also discovered today that his wife sells Vera Bradley bags and she had a bunch hanging up and in clear totes for sale.  I found the prices to be quite reasonable so I bought two.  I had planned to go purse shopping at Kohls later and I much prefer these to anything I would have found there.

In spite of the heat today, I was able to enjoy a lot of what Nelson County has to offer.  These days, the county is mostly known for its 151 Corridor of breweries, wineries, and distilleries, but as you can see, there are other hidden gems waiting to be discovered.  I hope to have some more reviews of this beautiful county before the summer is over.  Happy Trails and Happy Adventures, everyone!