Day Trip to Farmville: Biking the High Bridge Trail and Scouting Green Front Furniture

Last weekend we took a short day trip to Farmville, about an hour from Richmond, driving into the heart of rural Central Virginia. Our goal was a family bike ride on the newly opened rails-to-trails park near town: High Bridge Trail State Park. The ride and the shopping detour made for a perfect low-key outing.

High Bridge is hard to miss — a very tall steel-and-wood skyway that spans the Appomattox River. The bridge itself dates back to the 1850s and even factored into the Civil War at the end of the conflict when both armies attempted to use fire as a tactic. The original stone piers were replaced with steel in the early 1900s. Today the bridge stretches nearly half a mile and rises about twelve stories, which is equal parts awe-inspiring and heart-racing.

Convincing Sherry to ride across the bridge was my small triumph of the day; she had her own reasons to be excited too. After the bike ride we headed to Green Front Furniture, a legendary warehouse complex full of discounted furniture and accessories (they claim to have the equivalent of more than eighteen football fields of inventory). Even if much of it is out of our budget, it’s a great place for inspiration and to see current shapes, patterns, and trends.

Some pieces were jaw-dropping. A snakeskin-ish patterned couch priced at $3,639 on sale caught our eye for its unique texture and surprisingly understated presence. It was plush and inviting, though probably too specific a look for us long-term. We did take a moment to sink in before our toddler Clara insisted we keep exploring.

Mirrors, chairs, and benches provided plenty of inspiration. Two mirrors — one $900 and one $460 — looked surprisingly similar in style when placed side-by-side, and we both favored the left one. A bold leather chair priced at $1,491 felt like a dream piece, the kind of statement chair that would instantly elevate a room. We admired it from afar and gave it a few approving glances.

Other finds sparked DIY ideas. One chair combined an interesting pattern and painted edge that suggested how a thrifted frame could be reupholstered and detailed to look modern and intentional. Another chair paired classic unfinished wood with crisp, contemporary fabric, showing that you don’t always have to paint wood to update a piece.

One clever coffee table doubled as an ottoman with a removable tray and a wooden interior wrapped in leather on the outside. It instantly sparked a DIY plan: retrofit a rectangular thrifted coffee table by building a wood frame, upholstering it, and attaching it to the tabletop — then add a tray for practicality and even nailhead trim for flair.

Green Front had its share of eccentric pieces, too — a monkey chandelier priced at $399 that featured one monkey attached to the ceiling, holding four others by their tails. It was ridiculous and brilliant at once. Imagined spray-painted white in a kid’s room, it might be the perfect over-the-top focal point.

This next find came from a nearby shop called The Sleeping Bee: a versatile shelving unit we could picture filled with dishes in a kitchen or potted plants in a sunroom. It was a reminder that small shops near big warehouse stores can yield equally useful treasures.

Not everything was a thousand-dollar object. The discounted section produced great bargains and high-quality finds: bone-look knobs for $1.99, a cute blue stool for $40, and a nearly three-foot-tall mirror priced at $129. Our favorite steal of the day was a three-foot glass lantern reduced from $99 to $49 — we could picture one or two of them on a porch with giant candles. We didn’t buy them that day, partly because we didn’t want to carry them around while Clara needed a snack.

Back to the trail: the ride itself was gentle and family-friendly. Much of the High Bridge Trail is crushed gravel and nearly flat, with bathrooms and picnic benches along the way. We rode about nine miles since we weren’t ready to tackle the full 31 miles with a two-year-old in tow. Clara was a fantastic little passenger in our iBert front-mounted seat — we could easily talk to her, sing songs, and play “I-spy” as we pedaled.

Photographing the two of us proved challenging — many of Sherry’s attempts from above turned out less-than-flattering — but a friendly hiker rescued us with a much better group shot. Despite sweaty palms and occasional nerves on the bridge, the ride was refreshing and memorable.

We’re already planning a return trip in the fall to enjoy cooler weather and autumn color along the trail. It’s an ideal family day trip: part outdoor adventure on a historic rails-to-trails path and part treasure hunting through one of the region’s largest discount furniture outlets. Have you taken any similar bike-and-shop trips? How do you keep toddlers happy while you browse — front seats, snacks, or both?

P.S. We also shared Clara’s monthly photo outtakes recently — one of them involves a very political-looking gesture that made us laugh.