Roanoke Rapids

My wife and I Left Virginia Beach at about 8:30 in the morning and headed west on route 58.

First stop was Emporia, we stopped at the Arbys for a drink and a stretch.

We continued west on route 58 looking for route 46 south. It's pretty easy to find, just watch the signs.

46 south was a pretty awesome road, for most of the ride there was no traffic at all. If you are so inclined, a quick check of your map will show you that a side trip to Lake Gaston is just a right turn away off of 46.

Continuing on 46 runs you into 158 which gets you into Roanoke Rapids. Roanoke Rapids in a bustling town with a lot of traffic, so be careful. There is also a Harley dealer there, Collier Harley Davidson has a brand new store that is a great place for a break. From the Harley dealer we headed east on 158 for a very short distance and ate a wonderful lunch at Ralf's barbecue, I highly recommend the buffet. From there we continued east on 158 to River Falls Park just off highway 301 in Weldon. This is a great place to spend some time hiking the trails, or just watching the rapids. There are usually some kayakers around playing in the rapids.

Now on the last leg of our trip we cruised down highway 158 east, making several stops to get a drink, stretch or just take in the sights. We stopped at Merchants Millpond State Park. We didn't go to the park entrance which is off SR 1403, That is probably another trip in our future. Instead we stopped at the ranger station that is on 158 to catch some shade and relax.

We finally ended up on route 17 north to Ballahack road (some of the curves on Ballahack can be deceptive, be careful) and took that to 168. From there it was back to Virginia Beach and home.

All together it was a great day. The round trip was a total of 289 miles.

Edenton

Ok, so it is way too hot for a long ride. How about a Lunch ride. If you leave no later than 10:00am you should be home around 2:30 or 3:00. Just when it is the hottest.


Leaving from the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, head out North Landing road towards Chesapeake. North Landing Road becomes Mount Pleasant road. Follow this to BattleField Blvd. Turn Right and ride to the first stop light. Turn left onto Cedar Road. Take Cedar road to Dominion Blvd. Turn Left on to dominion Blvd.


Now the fun begins. Dominion Becomes Route 17 and it is wide open. It's a good steady run for you and your bike.Stay on 17 until you get to route 158 in North Carolina. You will pass the 17 rest stop which is also a welcome center and pretty good place to take a break.


Turn Right onto 158 and follow it to Route 32. Turn left on 32 and stay on that road until you get to Edonton (approx 70 miles). 32 is a nice senic road and if you are early enough there is very little traffic. 32 takes you into Edenton, follow the signs to the visitor center. They offer guided tours of the historical area, but more importantly, they have information about local attractions (including restaurants) so you can do your own thing. My wife and I ate at Chicken Kitchen 809 N. Broad St. Highly recommended for a good, fast, cheap lunch.


When you leave Edenton, head back the same way you came, but instead or turning back on to 32, stay on route 17 all the way to Elizabeth City. From Elizabeth City there are several ways you can go, the choice is up to you. You can take 158 East to 168 and take 168 North back to Chesapeake. You can stay on 17 to Sunbury and follow those back roads to come out on Ballahack and then back to 168 and home, or you can just stay on 17 all the way.


In all, depending on your return trip this is approx 180 mile round trip.
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