Ottawa
A visit to the Ottawa region is a must this year. This ride will take you past some of the country’s most iconic architecture and historic points in both Ontario and Quebec. This loop – designed by Kris Westwood, a former professional cyclist and longtime navigator of the streets and routes in the capital city – starts and ends at the Parliament Buildings in downtown Ottawa. Begin at the Centennial Flame, in front of Parliament, which was first lit on Jan. 1, 1967 to mark Canada’s centennial. Then pass the War Memorial, cycle along the Rideau Canal, pass TD Place Stadium, home of the 2016 Grey Cup champion Redblacks, and 24 Sussex Drive. Using the bike lane on the Macdonald-cartier Bridge, head into Quebec and follow the Gatineau River. The ride goes through the community of Chelsea – home to the fantastic restaurant Les Fougères, which has a gourmet food shop adjacent if you want to pick up a tourtiere for post-ride nourishment – toward Meech Lake and past Pink Lake before crossing back into Ontario. Cycle through Carp Village, home to the Diefenbunker, and Alice’s Village Café at Kilometre 97, a great place for a refreshment break, says Westwood. The route eventually hits the Trans Canada Trail, a railway turned gravel pathway, and the Ottawa River pathway before you cross back and forth between the Ontario and Quebec borders a couple more times, passing the acclaimed cultural sites of the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, the National Gallery and the Canadian Museum of Nature. And from there you’re 1 km back to Parliament Hill and the day’s finish line.
RIDE STATS AND FACTS
Elevation gain: 923 m
Provinces included: 2
Border crossings: 5
Cultural institutions on the route: 5
Buildings that, at one time, could withstand a five-megaton nuclear blast from 1.8-km away: 1