In 1998, I rode from Charlottesville to Williamsburg, Virginia, and back. My route back to C'ville was the Transamerica Route, with the exception of going through Richmond instead of circling around it. The route east was one of my own development that crossed the James and then followed the Appomattox River east to Petersburg.
You might find the eastword route useful to ride in reverse. Be aware, however, that Southside Virginia is very rural, and while that makes for a pretty ride through tobacco and grain fields over roads traveled by Phil Sheridan in pursuit of Lee's Army in April 1865, you won't find many places to stay. I camped at a place called Bear Creek Lake State Park in Cumberland County, and it was the only place I could find for miles around.
My home-made cue sheets are on my website at
http://tomrevay.tripod.com/ . Look at the menu on the left for "Cue Sheets," and click on the Civil War item. (I'm one of these guys who's nuts about the War Between the States, and I love riding around battlefield areas.)
I've developed a route for another Civil War bike tour that begins in Washington DC and ends in Richmond, getting there via Harper's Ferry, WV, and Winchester, Harrisonburg, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Appomattox Court House and Amelia Court House, Virginia. I haven't had the time off from work to do this yet, however, and I also don't have a good route to get into Richmond from Amelia. Richmond is sprawling all over the place, and roads that only a decade ago were country lanes are now multi-lane, divided thoroughfares, which aren't pleasant to ride on.
The rest of it, from Amelia to Roanoke, might be useful to you. If you'd like what I have for this route, drop a line back here.
.................Tom
