Alternate Ending to the TransAm
01-06-16, 07:44 AM
#1
Interested Backpacker
Thread Starter
Alternate Ending to the TransAm
This post is for those who would like to end their trip at the Oceanfront versus Yorktown, VA (or vise versa if going eastbound). I call this the Atlantic Connector. I will post another option later for the Ironclad Connector that extends the Yorktown ending point to the Fort Monroe National Monument.
Atlantic Beach Connector
Resources:
https://www.greenway.org/pdf/vaecgguide.pdf - Official VDOT Cue sheet of the ECG in Virginia.
B2B_1stDay_Original_Westbound in Virginia Beach, VA, United States | MapMyRide - Beaches to Bluegrass route / cue sheet from the oceanfront in Virginia Beach to the town of Suffolk – approximately 57 miles
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B51...R0SGVwUVE/view - Google maps interim route for the Beaches to Bluegrass trail. A route that runs from the Cumberland Gap to the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
Description:
Westbound - The official end of the TransAm is in Yorktown, VA at the site of the revolutionary battle. This ending is actually a river that feeds out into the Chesapeake Bay, which feeds to the Atlantic Ocean. So dipping your tire here is indirectly getting to the ocean. For those folks coming from the west on the TransAm / USBR 76 who wish to end their trip at the actual Atlantic Ocean, there is a route that will take you to the Virginia Beach oceanfront. This route will pick up at the Jamestown Festival park prior to getting onto the Colonial Parkway (last 23 miles prior to Yorktown). There is a free ferry system that crosses the James River at this Jamestown location.
Using the East Coast Greenway resource listed above, pick up this route description on page 26 and follow the cue sheet and maps until you get to page 30 of this guide. On page 31, there is a green section on the map that shows a railroad station. This is where you will pick up the rest of the route description on the second resource located on May My Ride.
Notes for the East Coast Greenway section – Once you cross the river on the ferry, there is a state park campground that is required to give space to cyclist who are self-contained, without any type of reservation required. You still have to pay, but you do not need a reservation. This is a nice campground with a swimming pool and shower house. The route continues south towards Smithfield, VA where you will find groceries and a good ice cream shop. Further south, you will enter Suffolk, VA where there are also hotels and grocery stores. There is also a campground off route at Davis Lakes Campground.
The cue sheet I generated on Map My Ride is the official Beaches to Bluegrass interim route to the ocean front. I generated this cue sheet going from east to west, so you will have to reverse the route when you get to the link. It picks up at the train station and heads south on Moore Street. A safety note, when you get to Washington Street, there is traffic on this road and the neighborhood is aging, so ride with caution through this section of Suffolk.
Notes on the Beaches To Bluegrass 1st day ride cue sheet – This route will take you through a metropolitan area and traffic is heavy at times. Try to schedule your trip on this section on a Saturday or Sunday to avoid rush hour traffic. If you must travel mid-week, the route does use lower impact roads, but expect sections of heavy use periodically. Once in Portsmouth, there is a ferry crossing over to Norfolk, so plan on some wait time here. Also, keep in mind, if you are traveling during peak summer months, you will have tourist traffic to contend with the closer you get to the Virginia Beach oceanfront. First Landing State Park is near the oceanfront that offers camping should you wish to spend a few days exploring the Virginia Beach resort area. Once again, Virginia State Parks guarantee a space for self-contained cyclists without a reservation required. Of course, if you style is more upscale, you choices of hotels at the oceanfront are unlimited.
Final note on this option. The Norfolk International Airport is alongside this route (as you go directly past it) for those with international travel plans. Also, for those westbound travelers who want to take a direct route from the mountains to the sea, you can pick up the Beaches to Bluegrass route in Damascus and follow it directly to the oceanfront. See the link to the Google map corridor.
Atlantic Beach Connector
Resources:
https://www.greenway.org/pdf/vaecgguide.pdf - Official VDOT Cue sheet of the ECG in Virginia.
B2B_1stDay_Original_Westbound in Virginia Beach, VA, United States | MapMyRide - Beaches to Bluegrass route / cue sheet from the oceanfront in Virginia Beach to the town of Suffolk – approximately 57 miles
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B51...R0SGVwUVE/view - Google maps interim route for the Beaches to Bluegrass trail. A route that runs from the Cumberland Gap to the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
Description:
Westbound - The official end of the TransAm is in Yorktown, VA at the site of the revolutionary battle. This ending is actually a river that feeds out into the Chesapeake Bay, which feeds to the Atlantic Ocean. So dipping your tire here is indirectly getting to the ocean. For those folks coming from the west on the TransAm / USBR 76 who wish to end their trip at the actual Atlantic Ocean, there is a route that will take you to the Virginia Beach oceanfront. This route will pick up at the Jamestown Festival park prior to getting onto the Colonial Parkway (last 23 miles prior to Yorktown). There is a free ferry system that crosses the James River at this Jamestown location.
Using the East Coast Greenway resource listed above, pick up this route description on page 26 and follow the cue sheet and maps until you get to page 30 of this guide. On page 31, there is a green section on the map that shows a railroad station. This is where you will pick up the rest of the route description on the second resource located on May My Ride.
Notes for the East Coast Greenway section – Once you cross the river on the ferry, there is a state park campground that is required to give space to cyclist who are self-contained, without any type of reservation required. You still have to pay, but you do not need a reservation. This is a nice campground with a swimming pool and shower house. The route continues south towards Smithfield, VA where you will find groceries and a good ice cream shop. Further south, you will enter Suffolk, VA where there are also hotels and grocery stores. There is also a campground off route at Davis Lakes Campground.
The cue sheet I generated on Map My Ride is the official Beaches to Bluegrass interim route to the ocean front. I generated this cue sheet going from east to west, so you will have to reverse the route when you get to the link. It picks up at the train station and heads south on Moore Street. A safety note, when you get to Washington Street, there is traffic on this road and the neighborhood is aging, so ride with caution through this section of Suffolk.
Notes on the Beaches To Bluegrass 1st day ride cue sheet – This route will take you through a metropolitan area and traffic is heavy at times. Try to schedule your trip on this section on a Saturday or Sunday to avoid rush hour traffic. If you must travel mid-week, the route does use lower impact roads, but expect sections of heavy use periodically. Once in Portsmouth, there is a ferry crossing over to Norfolk, so plan on some wait time here. Also, keep in mind, if you are traveling during peak summer months, you will have tourist traffic to contend with the closer you get to the Virginia Beach oceanfront. First Landing State Park is near the oceanfront that offers camping should you wish to spend a few days exploring the Virginia Beach resort area. Once again, Virginia State Parks guarantee a space for self-contained cyclists without a reservation required. Of course, if you style is more upscale, you choices of hotels at the oceanfront are unlimited.
Final note on this option. The Norfolk International Airport is alongside this route (as you go directly past it) for those with international travel plans. Also, for those westbound travelers who want to take a direct route from the mountains to the sea, you can pick up the Beaches to Bluegrass route in Damascus and follow it directly to the oceanfront. See the link to the Google map corridor.
Last edited by Fullcount; 01-06-16 at 11:54 AM. Reason: Added pic of King Neptune at VA Beach oceanfront
