I had a similar experience in S. Carolina.... only we were yelled at by the police and chased down, being told to "get those fancy bikes off the road."
It turned out that there was some kind of law that said if a path was available, cyclists had to be on it, but we were in Hilton Head, full of tourists on cruisers, babies, and walkers. Some kind people on this board informed me that despite the law, there are plenty of roadies in SC.