Slow Rolling with Adele - Veloroute des Bleuets

The Veloroute des Bleuets has been on my radar for several years, but the 6+ hour travel to the region, north of Quebec City, was an adventure reserved for retirement - until my slow rolling buddy decided to do all the legwork, reserving accommodations. Difficulty in finding places to stay indoors for our intended 4-day, 150-mile loop meant some days were longer than others. Anytime after Labor Day is the off-season, so there are fewer tourists and cyclists. Like any bike tour, there were highs and lows, along the often beautiful trails, quirky towns, and some dangerous highways, leaving me with a love-hate relationship with the touted loop.

We eventually found the famed blueberry fields, turned out in their autumn colors.

The first day was hectic, getting lost immediately, but gradually regaining the route. From then on, the signage was fairly clear. It was a blustery day - trees fell across the path - and the ferry wasn't running to shorten miles through the gorgeous National Park, but it was a tailwind!  We changed the first night's reservation to stay at a cabin, which meant grabbing groceries from a small market, but wine solved most of our night's problems. It was a smart move to ride a bit further to shorten the next day's long miles. The fully stocked cabin - in a campground! - was a perfect, fun, and quiet glamping experience.

Lower right, meeting Ann and her Terry Bike.

We rode in and out of showers the second day, warmed in a cafe, experienced beautiful falls, and the route periodically followed a busy highway - Route 169 would become our nemesis going forward - ending the day at a quaint hotel overlooking a river. After 55 miles, I was exhausted, and without dinner service at the hotel, it was a miracle that Adele befriended other cyclists, their tour driver thankfully giving us all a lift to a restaurant. I was ready to make do with my granola bike stash!

The 23 miles to Val Jabert, a historic village, was a quick tailwind in sublime sunshine. It seemed odd to briefly ride for 2-3 hours, but the break was welcome. We checked in early, walked around the village and the pulp mill exhibits, took the tram up beside the falls, and generally relaxed. We had a multicourse dinner in the mill restaurant and breakfast the next morning.

The fourth and final day was an enjoyable mixture of rolling bike path, back roads, and finally getting a good cup of coffee and pastries. Adele and I were previously offered watered-down coffee, when all our other Canadian adventures, bakeries, and espresso drinks were the norm. We all commented on how the tourist region was, oddly, a food desert.

The last two days were reserved for investigating the Saguenay Fjord. This was Nancy's idea, and I'm glad to have had this wonderful experience. An avid hiker and strong cyclist, she also expertly drove us around, even cool and calm in hectic Quebec City traffic. We hiked in the national park, spent time on a tidal beach, and went on an amazing whale watch tour - my first!