Re: rides in the Ottawa/Gatineau area & beyond - new website
Andrew Chaplin
a nearly moribund group.]
On Apr 21, 2:22 pm, "Pat" <in...@tmail.com> wrote:
> > But, hey, Pat...I see you're asking questions about rides all over the
> > world these days. How much riding do you plan to DO in this one lifetime?
> > :)
>
> > (Just kidding. I start getting very ambitious this time of year, too!)
> > TM
>
> I am always looking for good suggestions on places to ride. I guess it is
> because I bought that Bike Friday that I want to get my money's worth! I
> think I'll do the Katy trail in May and save the C&O for fall...unless I go
> to Toronto, of course! :)
I'm a bicycle commuter in Ottawa from early spring to late autumn
(effectively April Fools' Day to the Feast of Saint Barbara). I find
the multiple-use paths alongside the Rideau Canal too lumpy for the
speed at which I travel, so I ride either on Colonel By Drive or the
Queen Elizabeth Driveway. It is scenic and the roadway is broad enough
to accomodate both motor vehicles and bikes comfortably.
May and early June, and September and early October are the optimum
times to visit, since the weather is less humid and the roads are not
as cluttered with tourists. July and August can be intensely
uncomfortable because of the humidity.
If you're into hilly rides, Gatineau Park across the Ottawa River is
fun, and the vista from Champlain Lookout in the morning when the sun
is over your shoulder allows you to see about 30 miles up the Ottawa
Valley.
> Pat in TX who wouldn't try Mexican food in...Canada.
Can't say I blame you: here it does not have enough variety nor enough
spice.
There are restaurants in the Ottawa area that have Canadian cooking
such as the Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro on the Market, le Bacarra in
the Hull casino, and l'Orée du Bois and les Fougères in Old Chelsea.
As available, all of those will have dishes based on duck, goose,
bison, caribou, wapiti, moose and white-tailed deer.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO