Flashing Lights: Takumi's Photo Archives: Valentine's Day 2011 Trip

One year ago today, I set out on my first roadgeeking trip of the year. The objective was to clinch VA 38 past and present, and to see how my BA4 did on a longer trip. It wasn't necessarily a photo-based trip, at least not at first, but it slowly became one for about an hour or so.

I started out somewhat late in the afternoon, because I had to work in the morning. I set out from Colonial Heights at about 3:00, and got caught behind a school bus, so I didn't make it to SR 708 (which was part of VA 38 from 1933 to 1951) until about 3:30. Even when I got to it, there wasn't much on it aside from lots and lots of trees. It's a horribly substandard route that would need lots of work to become primary if traffic counts ever warranted it. The route still has some distance signs on it, but I missed them all. I didn't successfully take any pictures of the route until I hit the village of Mannboro, where 708 meets SR 612.

Mannboro's pretty small, and 708 travels northwest from it to VA 153. When it was VA 38 the two routes duplexed north for a few miles until Scott's Fork, where VA 38 begins today. After a few nondescript miles, VA 38 changes streets several times. Here's the first, at SR 614, which heads to US 360 to the north and Blackstone to the south.

Afternoons in the winter, especially sunny ones, aren't the best time to take pictures as a roadgeek. I found this out on this trip. I think this is the only VA 38 reassurance shield westbound (actually heading north-northeast at this point).

Amelia Courthouse is where VA 38's west end is now. Its several turns are well posted. I lost more of these to the sun.

Distance sign on eastbound US 360 Business just past the end of VA 38. I went the wrong way to follow old 38, something I didn't know at the time, so I went back out to the US 360 bypass and found my way back to it.

Sunset wasn't as impending as this photo makes it out to be. SR 656 was US 360's original routing through Amelia and I took it from the bypass back to old 38, now SR 681.

Morven, where old VA 38 meets SR 616, Genito Road. This segment of Genito was once VA 149, and the west end was here. Since this is the middle of nowhere, the route was dropped even before VA 38.

Approaching the old west end of VA 38 at VA 13. I turned east here.

Bannerless VA 13 reassurance shield just east of old 38. There were several of these, but I think this is the only one that had a distance sign.

VA 13 turns east here. To reach US 60 and US 522, you continue north from this intersection. This may have been where VA 49 continued north.

Bannered VA 13 reassurance shield approaching Powhatan Courthouse. US 60 and VA 13 are so close together at this point that businesses here have an entrance to each.

Now in Powhatan Courthouse at this point, behind the courthouse itself. This is where VA 300 meets the ridiculous VA 300Y, which isn't a Y at all and just runs to the next street over.