Distance-wise, it was weighted on the second day (50 versus 75) but our choice was dictated by available accommodations, which are pretty limited in the area.
The route was mostly following available bike paths into Laval but then we stuck to the shore road in Laval, which was fine. The only heavy traffic area was along Boulevard Samson (note-when you pick up Samson from Levesque-check out the Restaurant Souvlaki for lunch. It doesn't look like much from the outside but the food is excellent and they even have Greek beer) to get across the 13 but then we turned left at rue Lariviere and picked up the shore road again until we picked up the bike route that crosses into Deux Montagnes and followed it all the way to Oka. We had biked around the Parc d'Oka before but I was surprised at how nice the path was along the whole section from Deux Montagnes to the park; well-maintained and passing mostly through wooded areas.
The only hiccup came just before Oka as we were coming out of the park when we came across a short section of the path that was flooded. As it appeared not too bad, and we didn't relish the thought of doubling back to the road after cycling in the rain for the last two hours, we bravely pedaled on. We got through but not without a couple of wet feet in the end.
Fortunately, our Bnb was just another ten minutes down the way so we were able to peel off our gear and dry off.
The next day we headed for the Hudson/Oka ferry for a trip across the river. With the sun shining and costing only two dollars per cyclist, the ferry ride is a pleasant treat and allows for taking an alternate route back to Montreal.
Hudson is a great little village to visit on a Sunday afternoon and the ride back to the city along the shore was enjoyable with lots of interesting homes to gaze at and views of the lake as we entered Vaudreuil.
On this leg, we had to deal with a bit of traffic again crossing the 40 but then we quickly picked up a bike path (on Boulevard St. Charles, after going over the highway, turn left just pass the IGA) that carried us to Dorion, Ile Perrot and across the Galipeau bridge to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
A very yummy and healthy lunch at Cafe Twigs fortified us for the rest of the ride home. An extremely enjoyable ride with very few high traffic zones and one I would do again, perhaps reversing the direction for a changeup.
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