This is our firs bicycle tour in Quebec province! We present here photo reportage, more details you can read in the article “Bike tour with kids“.
Our plan included:
1. Montréal-Ouest -> Dorion train station (by local train)
2. Dorion -> Montreal West KOA campground by bicycles along “Soulanges Canal ” [1].
And back same way.
Well, lets start….
We are on Montreal train station. The Vaudreuil-Hudson train is coming and we have to upload our bicycles and other things in it. And this is Alice’s bicycle on the other side of the car. Note, in left upper corner of the photo there is small picture – an instruction how to fix bike on the “rack”. We are on the way inside the local Montreal train. For us official term “racks for bicycles” was some kind of mysterious… But you can see it now – it just a place for bicycle! 😉 Time for relax before main cycle travel. We’re going to Dorion train station. The train is “semi-empty” and my kids jump from one place to another. Beautiful landscapes of Quebec you can see from the train’s window. We have arrived on Dorion train station. Our bicycle tour in Quebec starts here Here starts Soulanges Canal (Le canal de soulanges). Water in the canal is very clear even we can see bottom. On the way we were surprised place like anchors’ museum. We decided to stop here and see everything. Can you move this anchor? This anchor is really usual in this museum These strange anchors (they were found in 1988) used with beacons. And this is beacon with light (weight is 2275 kg). Lets continue our cycling trip. After Pointe Des-Cascades our path goes on Veloroute 5 along Le canal de soulanges. Thanks to such excellent bike paths bicycle tour in Quebec just enjoying! In one place there was construction area (a high way?) and special detour for bicyclist was built. It seems this bog from a fairy tale. Princess frog – Can you find it? Old hydroelectric power station. Thank to this power station the channel could work at night. And now we are in the Montreal West KOA campground. Before dark, we should have time to prepare out tent for sleeping and prepare something for eat. Alice prepares our tent for sleeping Alex is cooking our dinner. Campfire was one of our important inclusion in “our trip’s program” It is occasionally nice night shot. But we decided to left it here because a something positive in this shot. Morning. Alex cooks breakfast. Alice tries to feed the animals, but they don’t show any reaction because they are full-fed. They were fed about half an hour ago by personal of the ground camp. The goat looks at Alice with satisfied eyes Sedentary lifestyle + high caloric diet could change not only humans… Ducks are in form but I can’t say this about rabbit Before start to ride we need get an energy. The way home. We would not believe that it is bicycle tour in Quebec if someone showed this picture! It is looks like clear Kuban region in Russia… Yesterday we hadn’t time to explore the old gates of the Le canal de soulanges It is silence here today but long time ago here went ships. Old gates on Le canal de soulanges It’s a good time for biking in the morning because is not hot Dorion train station. We are loading bicycles. The local train is comfortable and officially bicycles are welcomed (at least on an advertisement). But frankly speaking, the transport of bicycles on the Montreal local train is very uncomfortable. We need a rest after loading our bicycles to the train it was really hard work. You can see other type of a car. There is place for bicycles only on one side. It is impossible to find out it from outside. We had 3 bicycles but only 2 are allowed at the place in same time transferring bicycles between cars are not allowed. And now we’ve arrived to Montreal. Photograph: Alice
Of course my children never forget this adventure! It was their first real bicycle trip and they spent overnight in a tent 🙂
Useful information for bicyclists: La Route Verte au Quebec