City lights and rural sights highlight this bike adventure

Bike Montreal and Points North!

September 26-October 3, 2009

Combine the savoir faire of Montreal, the old world charm of rural Quebec and the natural beauty of Mont Tremblant; add cool, clear days and golden nights, and you have the perfect direction to point your wheels - North! Our newest bike tour is a bit urban and a bit back country, a turn around the town and a spin around the mountain. Wheels North offers relaxed but spirited rides through some of the oldest and most beautiful scenery in North America. If you like great food, occasional forays into exciting gay nightlife and most important - exhilarating bike routes - this tour is for you..

Highlights:

• Enjoy the vibrant nightlife of Montreal with its great restaurants, bars and gay clubs.
  
• Ride to the top of Mont Royal for stunning views of the city.
  
• Bike through the beautiful Quebec countryside on Le P’tit Train du Nord, a linear park developed from an old railroad bed.
  
• After an invigorating ride enjoy a world-class French meal at a charming lakefront restaurant.
  
• Explore Mont Tremblant, a stunning mountainside resort.
  
• Cycle to the picturesque village of Val David, a fun and artsy mountain community.
  

Dates and Price:
Sept. 26 to Oct. 3, 2009: $2,390: A trip for gay men & lesbians.

Prices are per-person, based on double occupancy. Tours often fill up months before departure. We regularly update our travel schedule to show the status of this and other trips.

Travelling Alone?
So are most of the people who travel with us. You do not need to pay extra to travel by yourself. Prices are per-person, and the single supplement applies only if you'd like a room by yourself.

Location: Starts and ends in Montreal, Canada.

Price includes: All accommodations for seven nights, including breakfast each day; Transportation between Montreal and Mont Tremblant/Val David and back ; All breakfasts, 4 lunches and 5 dinners; Rental of a hybrid bike; Professional, safety-certified local guides for all included activities.

Not included: Transportation to and from Montreal, Canada; Transfers between Montreal Airport and our hotels in Montreal; Meals not noted on the itinerary; Optional activities such as kayaking or canoeing; Additional nights in Montreal before or after the tour nights; Gratuities for guides; Personal expenses such as phone, fax and beverages not included with meals.

Montreal is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in all of North America. It has great restaurants, beautiful public parks and a lively gay nightlife. The surrounding province of Quebec with its old world charm set amidst the stunning scenery of Canada's majestic Laurentian Mountains is the perfect balance of calm and serenity to the wonders of the city. We’ll ride rural paths and country roads and city streets during an amazing week of cycling and sightseeing, punctuated with French flair. Great food, delicious wine, friendly folks and cool temperatures will make our Wheels North a delightful and memorable ride.

1: Arrival Day

Our tour begins today in the great city of Montreal. We will meet at our hotel for a reception at 6 PM. For those arriving early, our hotel Auberge de la Fontaine is located near Park La Fontaine, a lovely city park landscaped with beautiful trees and greenery. There are trails throughout the park and two ponds with a waterfall and fountain. Park La Fontaine is a popular place for rollerblading, walking and biking trails. Many Montrealers enjoy the quiet retreat of the green space. Just to the north of the hotel there are plenty of cafes, boutiques and a bohemian crowd of artists amidst interesting architecture. It’s also just a twenty-minute stroll down to Saint Catherine Street in the heart of the gay village. After our orientation meeting at the hotel we will walk to a nearby restaurant for our Welcome Dinner. After dinner a walking tour of the gay village will be conducted for those interested in enjoy a bit of nightlife!

2: To the top of Mont Royal

After breakfast, we will proceed to a nearby bike shop to get fitted with our bicycles for our first day of biking in and around the city. Once we are set up and comfortable with our bikes we cycle to the top of Mont Royal for terrific views of the city. It is approximately a seven-mile ride with an easy ascent along a beautiful tree-lined boulevard used exclusively for runners, bikers and hikers. We will follow a city route along a bike path to the start of the Mont Royal Park and then proceed up the boulevard past the Lac de Castors (Lake of the Beavers) and Maison Smith (an historical building) and up to the Chalet du Mont-Royal. Here we will enjoy an outdoor picnic lunch and outstanding views of the city of Montreal.

After lunch, we’ll have time to explore on bike and on foot other areas of the park before the thrilling ride back down to the hotel. An optional ride to the Olympic stadium, botanical gardens and insectarium will be available for those who wish to keep riding, or you can relax and enjoy Montreal on your own. Dinner tonight will be on your own, so you may choose from one of the many fine restaurants within walking distance from our hotel. Evening performances at one of the local venues such as the Place Des Arts may be available or perhaps you prefer to take another jaunt down to St Catherine Street for some of the best gay nightlife in North America.

3: Riding along the St. Lawrence

After breakfast, we have a fantastic day of biking and sightseeing as we ride to the islands of Saint Helene and Notre Dame in the Parc Jean Drapeau. These islands, located in the Saint Lawrence River about 3 miles from our hotel, were home to the Expo ‘67 World’s Fair and offer a number of great stops: two terrific museums, an old fort, a world class aquatic center, beautiful gardens and even a beach. The feeling of peace, quiet and nature so close to the center of the bustling city is an amazing feeling. The ride across the Saint Lawrence is a treat and as we go up and over the Jacque Cartier Bridge we'll get a great view of the area. We will enjoy a delightful lunch at the Restaurant Helene de Champlain, known for its French dishes such as scallop and shrimp brochette or duck confit.

After lunch we will continue our bike journey for another 15 kilometers along the St Lawrence River with more stunning views of the city until we reach another park in St. Catherine opposite the Lachine Rapids. This is a wonderful place for pictures and a perfect rest stop before reversing course and heading across the St Lawrence to complete our loop back to the hotel, passing through the Old Port of Montreal on the way. Today’s ride will total approximately 40 miles over mostly flat terrain with plenty of breaks along the way. This evening we will dine at one of Montreal’s finest restaurants within easy walking distance of our hotel.

4-5: Mont Tremblant

Today we take a bus from the excitement of Montreal to the tranquility and beauty of one of Quebec’s finest National Parks, the Parc du Mont Tremblant. Mont Tremblant, the crown jewel of the Laurentians and the No. #1 ski resort in the Northeast, is as majestic during fall and summer as it is during winter. With amazing views of the lake, stunning mountain vistas, and surroundings that beg to be explored, this is a great place to rejuvenate the mind and soul.

Our biking time will be on one of the most beautiful stretches of the Le P'tit Train du Nord, a linear park developed from an old railroad bed that was used to transport passengers from Montreal to the Laurentians to enjoy nature and skiing. We will start our riding on a beautiful stretch of the linear park which runs along the Rouge River, through the village of Labelle and along Lac Mercier. The Le P'tit Train du Nord is mostly flat and easy riding, partly asphalt and partly hard-packed fine gravel. It's easy to leave your worries behind when you ride through the calm countryside without traffic or even the sound of cars.

Our home for the next two nights is the village of Mont Tremblant, surrounded by magnificent lakes, rivers and mountains. Tonight we enjoy lakefront gourmet dining in one of the fine French restaurants of the area.

Our second day at Mont Tremblant is free for you to choose among many great adventures available in the area. Our group leader will offer a hiking/swimming and canoe/kayaking option into the National Park of Mont Tremblant as well as short bike rides along biking trails between the villages near Mont Tremblant. There is also horseback riding, fishing, lake cruises, a scenic chairlift ride to the top of Mont Tremblant, and 4x4 dune buggy riding if you want a little more variety. Perhaps you want to take it easy and relax on the beautiful lakefront property of the hotel. Or maybe you’d like to pamper yourself at a spa near our hotel offering massages, facials and wraps. There is also a world-class Scandinavian spa a short bike ride from our hotel with traditional Nordic-style steam, sauna and cold water baths all in a beautiful natural setting along the Riviere Rouge. If you prefer to explore the village there are art galleries and the swanky pedestrian village of Mont Tremblant loaded with all types of boutique shops and cafes. Tonight's dinner will be on your own with several recommendations made by your guide.

6: Val David

After breakfast today we get back on our bikes and head south along the P’tit Train du Nord for a leisurely 45 kilometer ride to the artist community of Val David. Val David is also a paradise for outdoors enthusiasts and one of the oldest and best known rock-climbing sites in Canada. The beauty of the landscape has attracted numerous artists, musicians and crafts people due to its serenity and the positive energy of such a creative environment.

On the way to Val David, we will pass through the picturesque villages of Saint Faustin Lac Carre and Saint Agathe-des Monts. We’ll pause for a picnic lunch along Lac Manitou, and of course stop for great photos along the way. Our hotel is once again located on a placid lake and offers paddle boats, kayaks and canoes as well as a beach, hot tub and massages. For those interested, after our biking tour in the local Park Dufrenes, we will take a short hike to a lookout point to gaze over the town and lakes of Val David. A special dinner will be provided for us tonight at the hotel.

7: Mountains to Montreal

Our final day of biking will take us from Val David south about 25 kilometers through some of the most beautiful scenery of lakes and rivers in all of Canada. We will stop at a beautiful gorge to admire the view. Just past St Adele, we will drop our bikes off and take a shuttle back to Montreal. Here we will spend our final night in the Old Port area of Montreal with the afternoon free to either take a walking tour of the old part of Montreal or explore on your own. In the evening we will gather for our Farewell Dinner at one of the finest restaurants in the Old Port area of Montreal.

8: Departure Day

Sadly, all great trips have to end. However with your legs a bit stronger and your senses rejuvenated, we hope you head home with fond memories of beautiful foliage, gorgeous mountains, colorful river and lake views, and a sample of some of the unforgettable sights of Montreal and the Laurentians to the north.