July 8, 2023 - Trip to Fredericksburg

 This was my 2nd trip of Summer 2023, which would go on to be the best single season of my life for travelling. It was also my first trip of July 2023 and my first trip involving Spotsylvania County since June 2021, well before I started taking pictures.

On the trip, I took 397 pictures, which was at the time my 2nd biggest trip in picture count, right behind May 18, 2023. The trip would start falling down the ranks on August 9.

And despite the title and headers, this trip does not enter the city limits of Fredericksburg, but the trip comes close enough to the city that I just call it the Trip to Fredericksburg.

Part One - To Fredericksburg

The trip started at 9:22 AM with my first picture, about 5 minutes after I left my house. Just after that picture, I made a stop at the local McDonald's to get some breakfast, and I got back on the road at 9:39 AM.

My first picture of the trip.

Around 9:42 AM, I entered Orange County for the first time during the month, and I passed SR-657 (Albano Road) at 9:45 AM. 2 minutes later, I reached Barboursville, where I turned north onto VA-20. I reached the roundabout at VA-231 at 9:53 AM, but I didn't have the same photo luck with the VA-20 North sign, so I failed to get a picture of it.

My first picture in Orange County on the trip.

Entering Barboursville on East US 33.

At the VA-20/VA-231 Roundabout.

I entered the Town of Orange at 9:59 AM, reaching the US 15/VA-20 concurrency a minute later. At 10:01 AM, l left the concurrency and continued north on VA-20. A minute later, I passed the north end of VA-20 Business, and passed the airport at 10:06 AM.

Getting welcomed to Orange with 2 Speed Limit signs.

At US 15 in Orange.

VA-20 splits from US 15 again.

At 10:12 AM, I reached US 522, and reached Locust Grove 10 minutes later. I entered Wilderness Battlefield at 10:24 AM, and at 10:27 AM, I reached the north end of VA-20 at VA-3. I turned east onto VA-3, almost immediately entering Spotsylvania County.

The intersection of VA-20 and US 522.

VA-20 and SR-611 intersect in Orange County.

Approaching the north end of VA-20.

At 10:32 AM, I passed through the intersection with SR-610, before passing SR-620/SR-1942 at 10:36 AM. Just after passing through that intersection, I took a picture that made it onto the background of Hunty Roads. Just over a minute later, I turned south onto SR-620 (the second intersection with the route).

VA-3 at SR-621 in Spotsylvania County.

Approaching the western SR-620 intersection on VA-3.

This photo made it onto the background of the website.

At 10:45 AM, I accidentally turned east onto VA-208, using the route before turning around at SR-1223/1187. I went west on VA-208 back to SR-620, and turned south back onto the route. At 10:49 AM, I turned left onto SR-1290, and turned the camera off for over an hour.

On SR-620 approaching SR-627.

The intersection of SR-620 and VA-208.

SR-620 at SR-1187 going past some neighborhoods.

Part Two - From Fredericksburg

After I left the neighborhood at 12:05 PM, I turned back onto North SR-620. I used the route back to VA-3, reaching the intersection at 12:14 PM. At 12:18 PM, I re-entered Chancellorsville Battlefield, passing by SR-621 just 3 minutes later. At 12:24 PM, I re-entered Orange County, reaching the intersection with VA-20 under a minute later.

SR-620 heading north through northeastern Spotsylvania County.

VA-3 heading west through some woods.

The intersection of VA-3 and VA-20 looking west on VA-3.

Instead of going south on VA-20, I continued west on VA-3 through northern Orange County. At 12:30 PM, I passed by the near-hidden designation of VA-375, which serves Germanna Community College. Just under a minute later, I crossed the Rapidan River into Culpeper County.

Continuing west on VA-3 through northern Orange County.

Entering Culpeper County and leaving Orange County.

I passed SR-647 at 12:34 PM, and 4 minutes later, I passed SR-663. At 12:42 PM, I reached the east end of the VA-3/US 522 concurrency, and I continued straight on the concurrency. Less than a minute later, I reached US 15/29, and turned south on those routes.

There's also a SR-620 in Culpeper County that intersects VA-3.

Approaching SR-647 on a somewhat recent widening of VA-3.

VA-3 at SR-600 in Culpeper County.

Approaching SR-663, with the Blue Ridge Mountains visible in the far background.

The east end of the US 522/VA-3 concurrency east of Culpeper.

US 522/VA-3 at South US 15/29.

At 12:45 PM, I reached US 29 Business/VA-299, and continued south on US 29 away from Culpeper. A minute later, I made a stop at a gas station, and got back on the road at 12:52 PM. At 12:56 PM, I reached "the big turn" at the SR-609 intersection, and entered Madison County a minute later.

US 15 leaving US 29 south of Culpeper.

US 29 reunites with its business route, which turns into VA-299.

US 29 South heading towards the Blue Ridge and "the big turn".

Entering Madison County on US 29.

I reached the north end of US 29 Business in Madison at 1:03 PM, and reached the south end at 1:05 PM. I continued south on US 29/VA-231, before reaching the west end of the VA-230/231 concurrency and getting VA-231 swapped out for VA-230. Shortly after, I reached the south end of the VA-230 concurrency and at 1:12 PM, I crossed the Rapidan River again, entering Greene County.

At the north end of Madison's Business US 29.

US 29 and VA-231 heading south in a Greene-Orange-Albemarle distance lineup.

US 29 continuing south from VA-230.

US 29 enters Greene County.

At 1:13 PM, I turned west onto SR-633, before reaching SR-608 at 1:17 PM. I turned right onto SR-608, before reaching US 33 a minute later. Also at 1:18 PM, I took my final picture of the trip on US 33 West.

Approaching SR-609 in Greene County.

On SR-633 somewhere in a rural area.

SR-608 ending at US 33 southeast of Stanardsville.

My final picture of the trip, on US 33 slowly approaching Stanardsville.

After:

The trip would go down as the 2nd biggest I've taken in photo count, right behind May 18th. As of July 8, 2024, this would still be my most recent time in Spotsylvania County.

It would also be my most recent time on VA-3, and my most recent time on VA-20 north of Orange.