David -

Virginia Route 40 is a pretty straight shot and has fairly moderate traffic.
http://www.virginiadot.org/comtravel...ounts-2003.asp
At the Start - - You can start at Yorktown - ride along the COlonial Parkway to Williamsburg and Jamestown - take the ferry across the James River and head to Surry and Spring Grove - -
At the End - - you might consider cuttin over to the Blue Ridge parkway at Endicott west of Rocky Mount - - then take the parkway to Galax then take the New River Bike Trail down to Fries (backcountry camping sites along trail) there are good county roads to Elk Creek and Troutdale - then a great road through the national forest to Konnarock. The Virginia Creeper Trail to Damascus is a MUST.
Personally - I don't like the AC TransAm routing over Big A Mountain and thru eastern Kentucky. There are far better country roads that follow little valleys in western Virginia and northeastern Tennessee - but that's another story.

Best - J