Day 47 - Ottawa to Vankleek Hill ON - 99.3 kms
Day 47 Progress to Vankleek Hill ON - 4,758.8 kms
A "Cora's" breakfast... "Rest days are the best days, but they always come to an end" And so it was time to say "farewell" to Ottawa. It had been a great experience for us there. We navigated our way across and along the Rideau Canal, and then rode the bike friendly streets of Ottawa heading East.
Before we left the city limits we stopped for breakfast at Cora's. This was Ken's first time eating there, and he enjoyed the "Gourmet" Oatmeal. Cam, a Cora's veteran, went with the Banana and Nutella Crepes. Once sufficiently fueled up, we headed out. Although it was just after 11AM, the temperature was already approaching 30 degrees and with the extreme humidity, it was oppressive.
Our plan today was to ride the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trailway that began near the edge of Ottawa. This trail is an abandoned Via Rail line that has been converted to bicycle, pedestrian pathway and extends 72 kms! It is similar to the segment of the Rue Verte that we rode in Quebec and is a vegetation-lined pathway made of hard-packed dirt and covered with a thin layer of stone chips. In comparison to the traffic-filled highways, it was a pleasure to ride, although it had it's downsides as we will describe a little later.
Before we left the city limits we stopped for breakfast at Cora's. This was Ken's first time eating there, and he enjoyed the "Gourmet" Oatmeal. Cam, a Cora's veteran, went with the Banana and Nutella Crepes. Once sufficiently fueled up, we headed out. Although it was just after 11AM, the temperature was already approaching 30 degrees and with the extreme humidity, it was oppressive.
Our plan today was to ride the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trailway that began near the edge of Ottawa. This trail is an abandoned Via Rail line that has been converted to bicycle, pedestrian pathway and extends 72 kms! It is similar to the segment of the Rue Verte that we rode in Quebec and is a vegetation-lined pathway made of hard-packed dirt and covered with a thin layer of stone chips. In comparison to the traffic-filled highways, it was a pleasure to ride, although it had it's downsides as we will describe a little later.
A bridge on the Prescott-Russell Trail The skies were cloudier today, which made for somewhat more comfortable conditions, but the humidity was still extreme. With the completely deserted pathways, we decided to take off our shirts and helmets, and this made a remarkable difference in our comfort level.
Around 1:30 PM, we left the path in the town of Bourget to grab some lunch at the Ramigab Resto Bar. It was here that Ken had the best Clubhouse sandwich of his life! Tender moist chicken breast was the key. As we left Bourget and got back on the trail, rain clouds began to surround us and before we knew it a heavy rain started to fall. This truly was a blessing in disguise, as the temperature dropped about 10 degrees, making for a most comfortable ride - continuing on both shirtless and helmet-less in the rain!
The pathway softened up a little bit with the moisture, however, and later in the afternoon we were noticing the additional effort required to pedal on this type of surface. It had Cam wishing he was back on pavement! Our progress was also hampered in the afternoon at the 70km mark by a "bridge out" detour in the interestingly-named town of Planetagenet which cost us about 6 additional kms - and additional time trying to figure out what the shortest detour would be due to a lack of good signage.
Around 1:30 PM, we left the path in the town of Bourget to grab some lunch at the Ramigab Resto Bar. It was here that Ken had the best Clubhouse sandwich of his life! Tender moist chicken breast was the key. As we left Bourget and got back on the trail, rain clouds began to surround us and before we knew it a heavy rain started to fall. This truly was a blessing in disguise, as the temperature dropped about 10 degrees, making for a most comfortable ride - continuing on both shirtless and helmet-less in the rain!
The pathway softened up a little bit with the moisture, however, and later in the afternoon we were noticing the additional effort required to pedal on this type of surface. It had Cam wishing he was back on pavement! Our progress was also hampered in the afternoon at the 70km mark by a "bridge out" detour in the interestingly-named town of Planetagenet which cost us about 6 additional kms - and additional time trying to figure out what the shortest detour would be due to a lack of good signage.
The Stone House B&B Our destination today was the small town of Vankleek Hill, halfway between Ottawa and Montreal. There are no motels in the area however, so we enjoyed our first Bed & Breakfast accommodation of the entire trip. We were able to book a room at The Stone House, which is a beautiful stone structure built around 1800, but tastefully remodeled to maintain the original character including rough hewn timber beams and wood floors. It is located a few kilometers from the town on 50 acres of farmland. Unfortunately this meant a ride into town for supper in a light drizzle (uphill), then back "home" (downhill!) in the dark to finish our blog. Our host Ruth warned us that the Blueberry Hill Bistro would be slow, and she was definitely right on that one...!
We enjoyed chatting with Ruth as we brought the blog together, and she has promised us a delicious breakfast in the morning. And then, Bienvenue Montreal!
Ride Details:
- Distance: 99.3 kms
- Riding time: 5 hours, 23 minutes
- Average speed: 18.4 kms/hour
- Wind: Variable, light
- Temperature: 32 degrees
- Cumulative: 4,758.8 kms
Tomorrow's Destination: Montreal Quebec - 104 kms
For more ride details, see Strava and for more photos see our Photo Gallery.
We enjoyed chatting with Ruth as we brought the blog together, and she has promised us a delicious breakfast in the morning. And then, Bienvenue Montreal!
Ride Details:
- Distance: 99.3 kms
- Riding time: 5 hours, 23 minutes
- Average speed: 18.4 kms/hour
- Wind: Variable, light
- Temperature: 32 degrees
- Cumulative: 4,758.8 kms
Tomorrow's Destination: Montreal Quebec - 104 kms
For more ride details, see Strava and for more photos see our Photo Gallery.