July Bike Trip

By Kip and Barb DeSerres

For the last few summers, we (a 50-something couple) have taken a week long bicycle trip. We are always in search of trails which give us the peaceful pace of the bicycle without the competition of cars. We enjoy staying in bed and breakfasts and exploring new places. Rail trails and recreational trails are the best.

Two summers ago, we rode the 185-mile C & O Canal from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. Another canal ride seemed like a good idea, so we researched the Erie Canalway bike trail. It is in three separate segments, none long enough for a week of riding. Through the miracles of internet searching, we found out about the Ontario Waterfront Trail. And then.. we discovered that soon a ferry would link the two trails. A one-way, international, weeklong trip was possible. The trip was planned!

We left from our home in Maine and stayed overnight in Rochester. Rochester has an excellent network of bike trails, but unfortunately the trail was not completed from downtown to the ferry terminal 8 miles away, so we parked our car at the ferry terminal. Long term overnight parking is just $5 day. It was an early morning, catching the 7:30 AM ferry.

This ferry is fast! Built in Australia, it has plenty of amenities and all the latest hi-tech equipment. Bikes are parked at the same level as the cars. There is a designated place to tie them down. A large cycling group from Rochester was also going over to spend a few days on Toronto trails. There was lots of room for all of these bikes.

A Toronto bicycle map was essential, as we looked for the Don Valley trail to ride to our hotel. Despite having to push the pannier laden bikes up a couple of long stairways, overall Toronto was a very bike-friendly city. The next morning we looked at the traffic and decided to use an alternative route to get from our hotel to the Waterfront Trail. So we boarded the subway, which allows bicycles at non rush hour times. Getting the bike on the trolley was not as easy as the subway!

At Queen‚s Quay we were officially on the Ontario Waterfront Trail. Just us, the bikes and our panniers. The trail through Toronto and Missisaugua, through a necklace of parks, is attractive and well marked. We stopped overnight at Oakville, where we discovered Shakespeare in Coronation Park, and stayed at the lovely Oakville Inn. After another day of scenic lakeside riding, we stayed in Grimsby at an excellent bed and breakfast and found a laundromat just down the road from a friendly bar and restaurant. The ride through Hamilton Beach on a newly paved trail was very enjoyable. From Grimsby, we rode Œthe wine route‚ through back road orchards and vineyards. Our last night on the Waterfront Trail was at Niagara-on-the -Lake, where we arrived on the only night when they don't have live theatre at the Shaw festival. Ah, better timing next time.

The Waterfront Trail is a wonderful concept, linking existing parks and trails with low traffic residential streets. Hopefully it will be completed soon, though the service roads we were directed to were relatively free of traffic. A completed trail would be wonderful.

From Niagara-on-the-Lake, we rode the Niagara Parkway trail through more orchards and vineyards to Fort Erie. A trailside winery, featuring award winning ice wine was quite a discovery. We have been to Niagara Falls before, but had never approached it by bicycle. The tour buses, cars, gift shops and cameras take up about 2 miles in this trail of over 30 miles. There is no trail through Niagara Falls, but it is definitely interesting enough to walk through.

We heard a serious thunderstorm on the New York side of the river, so we hurried down the bike trail to Fort Erie. The thunder and lightening never made it to Canada. We arrived safely at our B & B in Fort Erie without provisions, so our hostess drove us into town for some excellent Chinese food.
Crossing the Peace Bridge the next morning by sidewalk, we re-entered the U.S., and easily found the Buffalo Riverwalk trail, thanks to a good map from the Buffalo tourism office. The Riverwalk is a true urban trail, with travelers on electric scooters and mini-motor bikes as well as cyclists and walkers. It is incomplete for about two miles in an industrial downtown section, but we found it easy to follow the sidewalk.

In Tonawanda, the Riverwalk trail links with the Erie Canalway Trail. The Canalway Trail is incomplete in some parts, so we did about 10 miles of road riding. The bike map from Buffalo was very helpful, as was a local cyclist, Joe, who invited us to his home for some cold ice water (nice, as this was the hottest day of the trip).

The longest continuous section of the Erie Canalway starts at Lockport, and then continues past Rochester. We stayed at Gasport and then again at Brockport, which is a college town with a real downtown and movie theatre less than a mile from the canal trail.

Leaving Brockport, we had a short ride to Rochester, where we picked up the Genesee Riverway Trail, which takes you almost all the way downtown. We walked four blocks and were back at the downtown hotel where we had begun this trip a week earlier.

250 miles, with less than 50 miles of road riding, lots to see, friendly people and an international trip with a ferry crossing of Lake Ontario. Though cloudy weather and showers were predicted all week, we somehow stayed dry. This trip was definitely a winner.