Day 8 - Rest Day in Trois Rivieres

La Route Verte 2007
August 29, 2007, Wednesday
Day 8 - Trois Rivieres

We had reservations at the International Hostel right in the middle of town or in French known as the Auberge  International de Trois Riviere.  I had stayed here about 5 years earlier and had no problems.  It's not plush but centrally located, and reasonable.
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Touring Gear

I thought I would ramble a little bit here about gear. This year I decided to go light.  No panniers, no trailers, no camping.  In fact when we didn't stay at hostels it was either with friends, or what in French they would describe as Auberge or gites (bed and breakfasts). Since my goal was to keep it light as possible I limited my self to a handlebar bag, a seat post bag, and what is known as a bento box to carry my camera and some sunblock.


The seat post bag I used was by a small company called "Detours ".  I first heard the husband and wife owners of the company speak about light and fast touring I thought, "Wow, that would be both different and fun".   I got something called the High Tail EXP , which supposedly has a 5lb. weight limit but I think I loaded it with more.  The handlebar bag I got at REI .  Both bags had use a KlickFix system that makes it extremely convenient to take the bags off the bike.

As you can see, since I had the bag over its weight limit it did sag a bit.  In fact on some of the rougher trails it did rub against the tire once or twice but no major difficulties.  I did have some trouble removing the bag by flexing it upward.  Of course it became more difficult, when I had more gear strapped to it like you see in the picture above.  The Bento Box although limiting in the amount you can carry is great purely for its convince factor.  It is a great place to store a digital camera since it sits right in front of you and all you have to do is tear open the Velcro to access the camera.

So here it goes with a gear list....In the Handlebar bag I carried....

1. Medium weight combination lock
   
2. Cateye - Front Light
   
3. Flash card reader for camera
4. Cellular phone and charger
   
5. One pair of "Primal" lightweight Tatoo arm warmers
   
6. Ball cap
   
7. Small lightweight towel
   
8. Sunglasses
   
9. Clothes line
   
10. Dr. Bronners Liquid Soap
    
11. Toothbrush/Toothpaste
    
12. Disposable Shaver
    
13. Sunblock
    
14. Eagle Creek "Undercover" Security Belt"  containing*:
    
15. *passport
    
16. *cash and coin
    
17. energy bar
    
18. Google Notepad and pens
    
19. Maps
    
20. Tire Lever
    
21. Patch Kit
    
22. Pocket Knife
    
23. Spare Inner Tube
    

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1. Rear Seat Post Bag
   
2. Two Bike Jerseys
   
3. Patagonia Lightweight Rain Parka
   
4. Two Polyester T-Shirts
   
5. Yellow Protective Rain Cover
   
6. REI Sahara Convertible Pants
   
7. Pearl Izumi Black Mountain Biking Shorts
   
8. Black Polyester Button Up Bike Jersey
   
9. Two Pairs Bike Socks (Camelback and Google)
   
10. One Pair of Polyester Underwear
    
11. One Pair of Padded Bike Underwear
    

All of this fit just perfectly into the bags which really didn't leave room for souvenirs but it was worth it.  It also meant having to do laundry every other evening which meant the liquid soap got a lot of use, along with the clothesline.  Also with less stuff to carry it was easier to get up in the morning and just go.  Obviously this meant that campgrounds were not an option but compensated for the greater expense by staying in hostels and with friends, in addition to motels.

15 miles

350 Cumulative Miles

Day 7 San Francois-du-Lac to Trois Rivieres 


Day 9 Trois Rivieres to Quebec City

Day 7 - Saint Francois-Du-Lac to Trois Rivieres

2007 La Route Verte, Quebec

Day 7 - August 28, 2007, Tuesday

Saint Francois du Lac to Trois Rivieres

On the whole, Quebecois breakfasts are not too different from what I am used to in California, a nice muffin, some good coffee. Well ok, a fruit parfait, with chocolate and maple syrup on the side is not normal, but it sure was good..  Although I don't recall the cost it wasn't too expensive.  We stopped in a little breakfast place in Pierreville right on the main road about 3 quarters of a mile from the river.

After breakfast we hopped back on the bikes for our trip to the riverside town of Trois Rivieres (Three Rivers).  You have to be careful on the local road out of Pierreville for truck traffic.  So when you see the bike sign pointing you away from highway 132; follow the signs.  It was not only safer but far quieter and made for a nice early morning ride.  This area takes you through some beautiful corn fields but keep an eye out for large corn harvesters that tend to drive on the roads.

Our first goal for the day was the small river town Nicolete.  Although the town is not that large there is a large Police Academy in town as well as a large girls catholic school so there seemed to be a lot of people on the street.  Our first stop of course was to the tourist office, where we met ; oh let's call her Evette.  We asked to have her locate a internet cafe so that we could check up on some emails.  She sent us, no she walked us over to a small shop called Mudigo, where the owner (oh I don't remember her name) made us some tea and let us use a computer and internet connection.  The shop was a mix of herbal tea, clothing, computers, and other items.

After a few minutes on the computer, I notice a package delivered to the shop but on closer inspection I find out it's actually her lunch.  Not only did it look good but smelled good as well.  It hadn't been too long since breakfast and we had only completed about 12 miles, but the food looked so good and hearty I asked her to point us to the restaurant.  She said it wasn't really a restaurant but she provided the directions (in French of course).

So after Dave finished up his cyber errands we followed her instructions to :"go back to the center of town past the tourist office, past the Catholic high school, make a right about two streets down, go down a street and when see the large old house go around the back and just knock on the door."  " She doesn't have a menu", she said "Just go and tell her you want a lunch; a lunch to go."
  

Well after following her instructions we did find the back of this old (looked like a Victorian style house, complete with a widows walk), and as we walked in we step right into a kitchen with a huge cast iron stove.  She was busy preparing other lunches and I put up two fingers and just said "duex".  After a few minutes she had packed up a sizeable lunch of vegetable soup and crackers, a vegetable and beef stew, fresh corn, roll, and date walnut bread for after.  Hell, just the stew itself was a meal.  All that for $5.00 Canadian.

We took the lunch in bags and proceeded to a park down near the Saint-Francois river.  It was fabulous the food, the view, the slow pace of the trip.  Everything was coming together.


After a brief nap in the park it was back on the bikes and back to route verte.  Due to the small footprint of the town in no time at all were found the linear park that lies alongside the forest just to the south of town.  It would have been a straight shot to the town of St. Gregoire but due to the heavy truck traffic on highway 132  (see map below) trying to cross the bridge to Trois Rivieres the bike route detours making the 5 mile route a more scenic route of about 13 miles to the town.  It wasn't all bad however because the rolling farms are pleasure to cycle through.  The big question though would be "can we pedal over the bridge?"


The Laviolette Bridge is the only bridge crossing between Montreal and Quebec City a distance of about 160 miles.  After all the maps; both paper and online, I don't recall any of them mentioning that you couldn't.  Well we finally got to the riverside, it was obvious, there was no way we were going to bike over that bridge.  However we found that you could take a van outfitted with bike racks and have them shuttle you over the St. Lawrence River.  So we pulled into the ever present Tourist Office in Becancour  and booked a ride over to the other side.  The service is free but we gave the driver a tip. 

Resources: Entre Flueve et Riviere  (English)
                    Ville de Nicolet 


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45 miles
330 cummulative miles

Day 6 Acton Vale to Saint-Francois-du-Lac 

Day 8 Rest Day in Trois Rivieres

Day 6 Acton Vale to St-Francois-Du-Lac

Day 6 August, 27, 2007, Monday

Acton Vale to St. Francois-Du-Lac

Today's goal was to head north to a town called Wickham, and then northeast to a larger town along the Saint-François river called Drummondville.  

Historically Drummondville, which lies at a strategic point on the river was used by the British during the War of 1812 as a military base to prevent invasion from the south by the Americans.  

By 1920 it became a center for industry with the building a large (at that time) hydroelectric dam right in the middle of town.  This area of Quebec is known as the Centre du Quebec and is at the southern end of renown maple syrup producing regions.  The area is also famous for the foret de Drummondville, a beautiful forest park next to the river about 6 miles out of town.  Once entering the town of Drummondville we would continue along the river to the town of Saint-François-du-Lac, which is almost at the river junction to the Saint Lawrence River.   

The town  figures prominently in the French and Indian War in 1759, having been destroyed by Roger's Rangers.  (For a historical reference read The French and Indian War: Deciding the Fate of North America. Library , Amazon)

The first six miles of the trail were straight out of town due north towards Wickham.  The trail resemble that shown in the picture above for the first few miles straight and surrounded by trees while traveling through some of the most beautiful agricultural land around.

Once we reached the outskirts we had two objectives get some form of lunch and caffeine, and stop by the bike shop.  By this time in the trip I had devised a way to find my way around any French-Canadian town.  First upon entering any town look for the highest point in town which is usually the church steeple or bell tower.  In most of these towns the oldest church, and therefore the center of town is always the most prominent point.  And in the center of each Quebec town is a tourist office staffed at all hours of the day during the summer.  We found tourist offices in towns as small as 300 people.

Well in Drummondville, the center of town with the obligatory church also contained a great pastry shop and a bike shop located just down the street.  So while Dave made a trip to the bike shop I got the morning paper and my cup of coffee.  In no time at all we were back on the road trying to find our way out of town along the Saint-François.  It is a little confusing at first trying to find the bike trail out of town.  It would have been helpful with a local city bike map (see page 2 for detail view of bike map in Drummondville).

Just outside of town is the foret de Drummond a regional park with lots of trails for hiking or mountain biking.  After a brief stop in the forest it was back on the road along the river.  This part of the Route Verte is called the Circuit des Traditions. The regiom is a verdant agricultural part of the province and is quite evident all along the river.  The photo at left is just one of the many farms that lie along the river.  Although we rode along the two lane Rang du Bassin traffic was almost non-existent.  We saw a couple of other cyclists and that was about it.

We arrived in town to have enough time to do laundry and walk down the road for dinner.  Tonight was the first time I was to try the Quebecois favorite; Poutine, a mixture of French fries, heavy gravy, and cheese curds.  Supposedly Drummondville is the birthplace of Poutine, but heah, you've got to be famous for something.  It wasn't bad but I could only imagine eating this dish sparingly.

Tomorow we would see and then cross the St. Lawrence River for the first time.

50 miles
285 Cumulative miles

Day 5 Acton Vale to St-Francois-Du-Lac

Day 7 St-Francois-Du-Lac to Trois Rivieres

Day 5 Stuckley Sud to Acton Vale

Velo Quebec 2007
August 26, 2007, Sunday

With a day off and the rain behind us we headed out early for Waterloo,  retracing our route along the Route Verte.  At Waterloo we turned north on the trail north to Acton Vale, about 25 miles away.  Once leaving Waterloo the trail returned to a trail all to ourselves.  There were stretches where we were the only cyclists on the trail and the "gravel dust" trail soon turned into a heavily wood forest on the outskirts of the Parc National de Yamaska.   The tree abundant tree canopy completely sherltered us from the sun allowing us to move at a decent pace.

Comments on the Bike Culture in Quebec 

One of the things that has continually amazed me on this trip is the little things that make this bike trail different from my experience stateside.  Most trails I have ridden in California are short (the longest I've have ridden is only 25 miles or so),  but the main difference is in how they are designed, usually only as basic bike ways that seem to have been added as an afterthought.  The trails are planned with only the least experience or recreational cyclists at heart.  Here I've have seen tourist offices, ice cream shops, and tourist attractions right off of the bike ways.

On many of the longer trails we have ridden it is not uncommon (especially near Granby) to see art along the bike way, or rest stops with bike racks, maps, trash cans and covered picnic tables.  This in addition to litter free trails and a lack of any type of vandalism makes the ride even more enjoyable.  In fact the only time I noted litter of any significance was an assortment McDonald's litter (wrappers, bags, cups, and napkins), found about a mile from the local restaurant.  The good news is that we just didn't see a lot of fast food places along the trip.

The trails also act as an important transportation route for the locals.  We would often see men and women over 60 years of age peddling their bikes from town to town to see a friend, a brother, a sister or other family member.  Also bikes in Quebec seem to be more culturally accepted as a mode of transport (as evidenced by the bike scarecrow pictured above guarding the family garden.
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38 miles

235 cummulative miles

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Yellow Route on Map

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Day 4 Rest Day Orford/Magog


Day 6 Acton Vale to 

Day 4 - Rest (Rain) Day in Magog , North Hadley and Sherebrooke

Velo Quebec 2007 - La Route Verte

Day 4 - Saturday, August 25, 2007

This would be the only full day of rain on the whole trip; our first rest day.  Two places on the list however was the abbey of Saint-Benoit-du-Lac, just to the southeast on Lake Mephremagog,  and the Arkel bike bag factory in Sherbroke.   The area (Orford/Magag) from what I understand has developed into a summer and winter destination area.  During the winter both alpine and nordic skiing as well as ice skating is a draw in the Mount Orford area just to the north of the Lake.  During the summer tourists come to visit the lake, restaurants, as well as the abbey.  (photo: Township Heritage Web Magazine ).  Along the northern end of Lake Memphremagog, lies Magog a summer get-a-way for the residents of Montreal and New England in the United States. The town is known for its summer theater and abundant shops. It is also near the winter ski area of Mont-Orford.

St. Benoit du Lac
After hearing about the abbey at Saint-Benoît-du-Lac from a friend of mine who had just visited the previous year, I had to check it out.  The abbey is also famous for the agricultural products that are produced on the property such as their cheeses, apple cider, as well as other fruits and nuts.  (see map).

 The Abbey of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, was founded in 1912, along the western shore of Lake Magog and numbers a little more than fifty monks living under the Rule of Saint Benedict. The abbey also serves as a guest house for travellers at CDN$40 per night.  The abbey is only about a half-hour drive from the town of Magog.



North Hatley
Most of the area is either small town and rural agriculture so the "drive" through the country side was beautiful.    The town of North Hatley is only a 20 minute drive from Magog though some pastoral farmlands and along the lake shore.  We stopped at a local recommendation the Pilsen Pub located right on a tributary leading into the river.  

The Pilsen is a combination restaurant and pub with a formal dining room upstairs and a 

pub and dinning area downstairs along the water.  We choose the less formal waterside location.  The menu was fantastic with a lot of  local favorites.  To see some examples off their menu click through to Pilsen's website .  The website is lacking any content but the pictures give a good indication of the quality of the food and menu.

Before dinner we all just sat on the waterside table staring out to the boats and ducts that frequent this part of the lake while sampling some of their locally brewed beer.  I just couldn't help think what an enjoyable trip it had been so far.  The rain had just about slowed to an occasional trickle and the sun was even starting to pop out.  I had a completely satisfying meal of a quail stuffed with froi gras served with local apples and sirop d'erable (maple syrup), with potatoes and assorted vegetables. 

Sherbrooke
After Lunch lunch we took a drive over to Sherbrook the largest city in the area and home to Arkel , a local bike pannier manufacturer.  Many of their bags can be seen in use on the local bike paths.  They do make some great bags.  Not cheap but from what I understand; very durable.  However by the time we got to the address the showroom was closed.

Here are some videos describing various things to do in Eastern Townships 

0 miles 

197 cummulative miles

Day 3 Chambly to Stuckley Sud 


Day 5 Stuckley Sud to Acton Vale

Day 3 Chambly to Stuckley Sud 59 miles

Velo Quebec 2007 - La Route Verte
Montérégie to La Estrie (The Eastern Townships)

Friday, August 24, 2007

Route Des Champs

Local Bike Maps

The ride today should not be to bad not the longest trip of the week and relatively flat. The route from Chambly to Stukley-Sud will really takes us to through the Eastern Townships, also known as Canton d'est or The Estrie. We were told that the first 5 miles or so would be difficult going along the highway with traffic whizzing by at 60 miles per hour. First we stop by a really nice coffee shop by the lake for some coffee and fresh local apple pastry.

Marieville

Once we got to Marieville a town of about 15,000,  we made a quick stop at the downtown ATM to get some cash. Just south of town the Route Vert bike path began. It was picture perfect.  The the trail was surround and covered by trees off into the distance (see picture). For the next 10 miles at least we would be traveling on a crushed gravel bike way seeing only one other person. Compared to yesterdays trip along asphalt bike ways with people walking everywhere this was quite a change. The path was absolutely straight for miles with no other signs of cars or people in site. We were now starting to leave the city behind with farm fields all around us; mostly fields of corn. Some times we would come across apple fields especially around St.-Cesaire.

 St. Cesaire

While in St. Cesaire we came across this tourist information office right on the bike way with no access for cars. It really showed how much they support the bike trails within Quebec; and also how much a priority tourism is given in this province. Within the office they carried a full supply of maps, menus of local restaurants, and snacks and drinks. We told here we would be ready for lunch in about 30 minutes and she had a menu for a nice restaurant in the next town, St. Paul D'Abbsford which sat right under the peak of Mt. Yamaska.  Here is an excerpt off the local web site explaining the route and local area.  Notice the mention of a patrolled bike path!

La Route des champs is the official French name of this Quebec cycling trail. As its name suggests, the trail runs through fields of varied crops. We could therefore translate it , poetically speaking, as ‘The Golden Waves Trail’. La Route des champs is a 36 kilometer, multi -use trail, located in the heart of the Montérégie region and connecting Marieville to Granby (and vice versa!). It is managed by the Rouville MRC (Municipalité régionale de Comté). The trail is always open but is only patrolled during the summer holiday period which begins, in Quebec, on June 24th and ends on Labour Day, September 3rd. The patrollers are at your service and ready to inform, help out and reassure. Their job is to keep an eye on the trail. The Visitor Infor- mation Kiosk is located in Saint-Césaire at 1430, rue Notre-Dame (450-469-2777) [contact us page]. Opening hours of the Kiosk are the following : Every day of the week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It opened on April 30th and will be open until mid -September. You’ll find, in addition to services mentioned below, a cheerful secretary/receptionist who will be delighted to be of help. Access to the Trail is free and reserved for cyclists, walkers of all ages and roller bladers. Motorized vehicles, horses and pets are strictly forbidden on the trail. The Trail winds its way between Marieville, Sainte-Angèle-de- Monnoir, Rougemont, Saint-Césaire, Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford up to Granby. La Route des Champs runs through fields planted with a variety of crops creating an atmosphere of calm and serenity. The Trail is paved 60% of the way. The remaining 40% is covered with stone dust, which will hopefully be paved as soon as possible. The Trail also features a few picnic areas variously equipped with tables, benches, water supplies, parking and, of course, lavatories! Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford

Les Pitites Peches du Mont Yamaska was run by Nathalie Daguzan a who has been in the area for about 10 years, and is originally  from France. Her restaurant also doubles as kind of a tourist gift shop with jams and jellies and other French Country kitchen items. I had a grilled chicken sandwich on a baguette with a very nice salad to go with it. For desert I had to have the creme brule while Dave had the chocolate souffle, she also had a pear cake that looked great. The coffee was also excellent not having that sometimes water down look that you see sometimes in the area.

After lunch it was back on the bikes for what was to be a long day. By the time we got to Granby, Dave's neck was hurting but we still had another 30 miles to go. At least the view along Granby and the lake was stunning. The trail and park along the lake and river was a real relief after being on the the road form most of the day. I was worried it was gong to get late soon and we would not be able to see much since we were leaving Granby and the roadway was turning into a trail.

We made it to Waterloo which was the last town before Stuckely Sud . I had to stop at the local convienence store and get something to eat and water; actually anything to eat, which ended up being some nuts and a moon pie. One thing I learned about the Route Verte Trail systems is that it does not always go via the most direct route, but in some cases the more scenic route through small towns..

By this time we had left Waterloo and it was getting close to sunset and I was beginning to get a little worried because we were in the middle of the forest and visibility was decreasing fast. We finally hit a highway and then a turnoff on to Rue Deligence which is what we were looking for. Diligence happened to be a gravel road with few houses on it. A couple of miles further up Diligence and it crossed the hiway switching to an asphalt surface. It was at this time that Dave said "I'm done". I asked for some local directions and one gentleman said "Rue Gerard Dames is 2 kilometers down on Diligence. I told Dave I would take his headlight and go out as far as 4 or 5 kilometeres and if I did not find the street we were staying on I would turn back.

So off I went with no front derailleur so to speak of and only a flashlight in on a dark country rode. It took a bit of effort but I finally make it up the first hill, and then a second. but now I was getting close to 2 miles and nothing in site. Another mile and I would probably have to turn back. at about the 2.5 mile marker I found the street flashing Dave's headlight on mailboxes looking for the address with no such luck. After about three quarters of a mile I reached the end of the street so I start back down the road now peeking inside the gates to see if I recognized the houses. After about the fourth house I though it look familiar so I rode up to the house and just as I reached the house I recognized Diane from the pictures Francois had shown me. I made. After a few pleasantries I told here that I had a friend still stranded down the road.

Cycling Resources in Cantons de l'Este

Note: There are two pages of map makers and trails.

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59 miles

197 cummulative miles

Day 2 - Isle LaMotte, VT. -  Chambly, QC

Day 4 - Rest Day in Orford/Magog

Day 2 - Thursday, August 23, 2008 - Isle LaMotte, Vt. to Chambly, QC 66 miles.

Montérégie

From Lake Champlain to the Richelieu River Valley

After a good nights sleep in the Terry lodge and a short walk after breakfast. It was time to depart for Canada. We would have only about a ten mile ride to get to the border. Just down the road from the lodge was this really beautiful outdoor chapel. It almost looked like something you would see in Maui (given the open style seen in the tropics), not in the middle of Lake Champlanin. This site commerates the oldest European site in Vermont going back to 1666. And not too much further down the road was this beautiful rest area just to look out onto the lake and contemplate. I only wish. We had to get back on the road and start peddaling. As the wind started to pick up we really got to take full advantage of an increasing tailwind.

Just up the road we had the option of staying on the main road and heading west to Rousses Point, New York before heading north to Quebec; but since I got a speeding ticket 20 years ago on that little sliver of New York state I said 'No Thank You`. We instead veered off to the right on Vermont 225. As we rounded a corner you could just make out the Canadian flag and I didn`t notice even a building until we got about 200 feet from the border. This was a real eye opener. After growing up in San Diego, California I am used to a border crossing that has sixteen lanes and an hour wait on weekdays. We were the only car, I`m sorry people for miles around. In the 12 minutes after we made the right turn onto this road we were the only ones on it. As a southern Californian my first thought was how can they afford to keep this open.

As we approached we were asked by a young border guard if we were American citizens while I tried to get a snapshot. I was immediatly told that this was a secure area and that photographs were forbidden. I wanted to say `Come on, man. The only thing I see here needing security is corn, cows and silos. Oh yeah and the horribly maintained road on the Canadian sign.` But oh well, I went through the questioning. Do you have any alcohol or tabacco on you? `No` (Yeah right here in my handlebar bag). Have you ever been arrested before a judge? `No`. Have you ever been refused entry into Canada? `No`. Come on...I mean who do I look like, John Lennon. After reviewing our passport we proceed to tell him to `Have a good Day` (In English of coure), and to possibly loossen his shorts. Just think, last year I didn`t even need a passport.) I felt like telling this guy, you want to really see some action go to Tijuana on a summer three day weekend, none of this in the middle of the corn field Jack Daniels and high blood pressure medication stuff there.

Any way, did I mention the road leading from the border station was BAD...as in Tijuana bad...hey maybe the do have something in common. Any way it was good to be over the border so quickly in the morning so I could start practicing my French. Along the way we meet Michele a transplanted Brit who now lives in Montreal with his wife. He was headed south from Montreal to New York City. This guy who was not young, was really loaded down. He was also a real character. He says he does the trip at least once a year and usually brings his wife but she was not feeling so good this time. With his gear he says he usually just finds a place hidden off the side of the road and just sleeps there. Any way this was the first bicycle tourist (at least fully loaded) we saw and it was good just to talk with him for about 15 minutes.

As the road got progressively better we made the left had turn onto highway 202 and were soon heading over what may have no longer been Lake Champlain but now may have been the Richeleau River. About two miles into Canada we started seeing the Route Verte Signs and now as we crossed the river we could see the sign pointing north as we made a right turn onto 223 near Lacolle.

Once the signs pointed us away from the river and out into the cornfields it was now evident that we had the roads to ourselfs. With only a handful of cars over the next hour the roads were pretty much to ourselves. We could easily here oncoming cars long before they approached. It gave me a chance to eat that apple I smuggled over the border from Vermont. I applied sunscreen and drank some more water all while riding down the middle of the road. This is where we first encountered the `Watch out for les enfants` sign. The sign is your typical children playing ...Hey watch out! sign but in truley Quebecois fashing that dont hold back graphically. There in a yellow and black sillohette is a picture of a young girl with severe lacerations lying on the grown with a shoe and a sock on one foot but missing the shoe on the other foot. You cannot tell if she is alive or dead but you get the picture (so to speak).

The Route begins to get back to the Richelieu River at Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu.  Riding north along the extensive canal network we will ride for another 10 miles.  The Richelieu River Valley actually starts at the northern end of Lake Champlain (the US-Canadian Border) and ends at Sorel-Tracy where it enters the Saint Lawrence River.  The Chambly Canal starts at Saint-Jean-Sur-Richeleiu and continies on to Chambly.  The Chambly Canal is also a National Historic Site and home of Fort Chambly.

After a few more miles in farm country we decided to have some lunch St.-Jean-Sur-Richeleu, the first town of any size we have seen since entering Canada.  After riding from a few miles through the main boulevard through town we were are fuel tanks were getting pretty empty so we stopped at the first place we saw; an Italian Restaurant specializing in Pizza (Pizzeria St-Jean Restaurant).  The restaurant is right on the main river road, rue Jacques-Cartier sud.  After our late lunch we followed the route verte down alongside the river where  the canal now began to appear, giving boat traffic a way around the rapids at St.-Jean.   Much to our suprise with the added attraction of the canals there were all kinds of places to eat.  Oh well thats part of the adventure. We were pretty hungry anyway.  Well we knew we were on the right path, knowing that if we followed the canal we would eventually hit Chambly, the site of Fort Chambly.

After passing (I think) 16 locks we eventually reached Chambly, a town noted for their beer. So after we got a room for the night we started looking for a brewery or brew pub. After stopping at the local bike shop Velo Chambly (which is located right next to the canal bridge) to buy a water bottle cage. We asked for directions. He recommeded...Bedondaine & Bedons Ronds a local brew pub.


54 miles
138 cummulative miles

Day 1 - Burlington to Isle LaMotte, Vt.

Day 3- Chambly, QC to Stuckley Sud, QC

Day 1 Wed. August 22 - Burlington to Isle La Motte 66 miles

Originally Published on August 22, 2007 on Velo Quebec 2007

Link to My Maps on Google Maps

After getting up a bit late we still had to run a couple of errands. Getting some last minute bike work done before hitting the road and sending back some items we had overpacked. Then it was down to Local Motion, a great biking resource at the lake front in Burlington. Ron one of the owners of Local Motion as well as Bike Recycle Vermont was extremley helpful (along with his staff) of getting us the right maps of the area. Local motion rents bikes, inline skates, as well as being a great advocate of bike trails in the lake region. The have done great job with the excellent bike trails around the lake.

I just had to take a picture of this building right next to Local Motion. Notice the animated gargoyles.

From Velo Quebec 2007

There is a great bike trail in the works called the Island Line Trail that is a great example of "Rails to Trails". It follows the path of an old trail line running from Burlington to the Champlain Islands. There is only one problem. The old rail steel was in severely bad shape that they had to tear it all out; which included a bridge that let boats through the train line. So now there is a 500 foot gap in the trail in the middle of the lake. Local Motion has oraganized a ferry to transport bikes over "The Cut" but it is only operating on the weekends in August; so needless to say we had to take the long way around. This added some time and distance but also put us together with a bit of high speed traffic.


I will say though that the stretch of bike trail from downtown Burlington to the Winooski River Bridge is a real gem. The view strethes all the way to the other side of the lake into New York State. After crossing the bridge you will soon see a local park. If you are going to take the fery on the Island Line Trail you would make a left at the park but we were taking the long rote on highway 2 so we head left until we reached Holy Cross Road.



Watch this intersection. The street signs are not to clear hear. Look for the coffee shop on the corner. Just a reminder there really isn't any place to stop for food until you reach the islands. About the only plance is the Exxon Gas Station before turning onto Highway 2. From here out out you bicycle on Highway 2 which has very wide shoulders but the traffic is doing about 60 mph.


Once on the island however, we did stop for lunch and some ice cream (this is Vermont!) at the Apple Island Store on the south east corner of the Theodore Roosevelt Highway 2 and South St. We also found our first apple tree so we picked a couple and headed on our way down the highway until Ferry Road which got us of the main drag and along a secondary road along the islands west shore. The road takes you right past the ferry landing for the Plattsburgh to Grand Island Ferry. While riding along you get a feel for the fact that in addition to being a beautiful tourist island it is also the home of many family working farms, so we did get behind a few slow moving tractors transporting the summer hay.


Moving north we did stop a the well known Hero's Welcome, a combination, gas station, general store, deli, bike and boat rental shop, and local coffee hangout in the town of North Hero. Just after this stop I caught this local gentleman getting ready for Fall with the town display.

From Velo Quebec 2007

By now it was getting late and we had made reservations at the Terry Lodge on Isle La Motte's West Shore. Since the island is a side island the highway does not go through it at all so it is much quieter traffic wise. It was a great way to wrap up the day with the sun going down in the west over the New York side of the Lake. I was told to look for the row of Chairs facing the water; and as we rounded the corner; well there they were.

From Velo Quebec 2007

After a nice meal of pasta and with some excellent sausage and meatballs, garlic bread, lemonade, and some excellent pastry for desert, I took a walk along the shore. Sitting in the chairs at about 9:30 pm watching the lights on the lakeshore it New York was a nice way to finish the days ride.

66 miles

84 cummulative miles.

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Day 2 - Isle LaMotte to Chambly, Quebec

And the Journey Begins - Pre Ride 18 miles

Originally Posted on August 21, 2007 on Velo Quebec 2007


After an all night flight from San Jose, CA to New York, I arrived at JFK airport at 7:30 this morning to meet Dave for a 9:15 AM flight to Burlington. Weather in New York was overcast and raining with cloud cover down to about 1,000 feet. Needless to say the traffic getting out on Tuesday morning was a bit of a wait. After being 10th in line for departure we finally got the go ahead for take off. All was forgotten however when we headed north the skies cleared with great visibility all around the Lake Champlain area.

After arriving at our place (the Fairfield Inn in Williston, VT) the first thing we did was have a bike build party. We unpacked the bikes but on the pedals, handlebars, front wheels etc. I know its not a good idea but I had purchased the rear bag and handle bar bag without ever having installed them on the bike. Well there were know issues with the bikes and after a few test rides around the parking lot we set out for town. The hotel is about 4 miles from town.

Given the Burlington has a large student population there are decent bike paths and trails in town but out where we were staying it gets a little sketchy. There are quite a bit of large trucks on the road in Williston. The town is just the perfect size to see and visit by bike either at the local pedestrian only outdoor mall or down at the lakeside. It is a bit challenging however given the hills that come up from the lake front. With a substantial student population from about three different colleges there are always people out and about either on foot or by bike.

From Velo Quebec 2007

18 miles
18 miles total

Le Route Verte

Originally Posted August 14, 2007 on Velo Quebec 2007

I originally heard about Le Route Verte in an article in Bicycling magazine which is ironic because I rarely read Bicycling magazine. In the article it mentioned that after ten years of planing and constructing Le Route Verte is was soon to be inaugurated. Much of the trail is typical "Rails to Trails" conversions.

After cycling touring around British Columbia two years ago (photos) I was really impressed with the state of cycling in Canada. The bike trails were good to excellent. They were well marked, well maintained, and well used for everyday life near urban centers. Motorists are a lot more tolerant about sharing the road with cyclists and pedestrians. So after such a wonderful experience two years ago I thought I would try the East Coast. I had traveled extensively through French and Atlantic Canada 10 years ago and thought I would try it this time by bike.

Through an association of small tourist and argicultural villages called l’Association des plus beaux villages du Québec, (or the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec) I did some research on some small picturesque villages to visit. The goal is to use parts of le route verte and some country backroads to find some scenic small towns.

The State of Cycling in Quebec

Originally Posted August 16, 2007 on Velo Quebec 2007

As soon as you do any research on le Route Verte you instantly become acquainted with Velo Quebec. And if you are like I was; well its a bit confusing. At first it seems like a large bike club based in Montreal, but the more you read about it you begin to think its more like LAB, the League of America Bicyclists. But it is different because Velo Quebec is more localized, more provincial and their main goal over the last ten years was the completion of le Route Verte.

If you read the LAB website it is clear that it is an advocacy organization first. The current page has a clear picture of the Capitol in the background. One thing that Velo Quebec does very well is to research and analyze the state of cycling in Quebec with regards to the penetration of active cyclists in the community. Every five years the association publishes a report which highlights the level of cycling activity in the province and its impact on the economy. (Bicycling in Quebec 2005 and Bicycling in Quebec 2000). Included with my membership was the choice of either a subscription to Velo Mag or Plein Aire. I choose Velo Mag and although it is written in French only it is in my opinion a better magazine than the national magazine in the states; "Bicycling" which sometimes sees to be written for the recreational high school students.

In addition to the magazine I received cycling specific maps for every area of Quebec along with cycle touring brochures for each region. Additional books and publications can be ordered. All in all these resources provide a good base to start from in your research on bicycle touring in the area.