Today was a slow day, befitting of the beautiful countryside of rural Virginia. We mentioned yesterday that good sleep is important on a bike tour, but not always easy to get. We both felt sluggish today despite the relatively cooler weather. So we were happy to saunter through many fields on back roads and then board the ferry to Jamestown.
We’ve noticed from this tour, and our first, that each state seems to have its own character, recognizable almost as soon as one crosses the border. Virginia is no exception. 
Gone are the center line and white lines marking the edge of the road, replaced instead by narrower, windy country roads with taller and fuller trees encompassing them. Well-manicured plantations adorned with flowering bushes caught our eye on a regular basis. The pace on these roads seemed to slow us almost immediately–not because the pavement was of poorer quality, but merely because we felt in less of a hurry.
Early in the day, a cotton farmer named Jessie of Indika Farms came by to explain cotton farming. We were admiring one of his many fields when he noticed us. Here’s his explanation in the following video.
Our ferry ride across the James River was again a highlight. And the price was right. With plenty of attractions on the other side of the river, however, the locals are anxious to place you where your entertainment dollars can go to work. 
A bicycle tour is demanding on one’s time, however, so we forewent the attractions and found our own entertainment at a local Subway, where supper awaited. This wasn’t just any Subway. It was staffed by Jennifer and Vangie, two delightful and friendly employees who enjoyed hearing about our trip after serving us. We learned about them and their families, too. We parted as newfound friends.
If you’ve not discovered them yet, there are two links in the sidebar to help track our progress on our Mom-to-Mom tour. One is a map and one shows nightly stops and daily distances.