New Cornwall bike trips with Escape Tours and Rentals

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Disclosure: I participated in this trip as a guest of Escape Tours and Rentals, which neither reviewed nor approved this post.

For its first cycling tours beyond the National Capital Region, Ottawa-based Escape Tours and Rentals has chosen Cornwall, Ontario, southwest of Ottawa on the St. Lawrence River. When it comes to scenic locales, Cornwall—a one-time industrial hub—might not immediately spring to mind. So I was very pleasantly surprised to discover gorgeous gardens, a 19th-century canal and more on Escape’s first Cornwall bike trip a couple of weeks ago.

The practical details

So, I hear you asking: How do the cyclists get to Cornwall from Ottawa? Do they have to ride there?

Worry not, my friends. Escape has you covered so you can enjoy the day in comfort.

Our small group of five—Escape owner Maria Rasouli, trip guide Dick Louch, and three cyclists—met at Escape’s new bike café at 79 Sparks Street in downtown Ottawa.

Staffers fitted each of us with one of the company’s smooth-riding, seven-speed bikes. The bikes each have rear racks but aren’t equipped with panniers, so you will probably want to bring your own saddlebag or a knapsack for essentials such as sunscreen.

Once Escape’s experts were assured our bikes fit well, they wheeled them around the corner and loaded them into a waiting bus. We clambered on next for the 75-minute trip to Cornwall. It was easy to physically distance on the large bus (masks are mandatory, too).

The bus dropped us off at our starting point: the Saunders Hydro Dam Visitor Centre. The centre is currently closed for the 2021 season, but Escape’s cycling groups will drop in to see the exhibits about the St. Lawrence Seaway, power generation, local Indigenous history and more when the centre is open.

The parking lot was a good place to unload the bikes, make a last-minute visit to the bus’s onboard washroom and generally get ourselves organized for the trip.

Outside the centre, there were lots of interpretive plaques highlighting the region’s history, along with some sweeping views of the St. Lawrence River and the dam. Dick, an avid history buff and engaging storyteller, filled us in on some additional details before we hopped on the bikes and headed eastward.

Exploring Cornwall by bike

OK, I’m not going to describe our exact route in detail, because that would be stealing Escape’s thunder—you’ll just have to sign up for a trip! But here are some of the highlights. (Note that, because the company was also using this trip to test the route and to shoot a promotional video, we only cycled about 13 kilometres in total. Escape’s one-day and multi-day Cornwall bike trips will cover more ground.)

Highlight 1: The Cornwall Canal

It took nine years (1834 to 1843, to be precise) for the British government to build this 18-kilometre (11 mile) canal past a set of rapids on the St. Lawrence River. The Cornwall Canal’s six locks closed to marine traffic in 1968, after a new canal was built on the U.S. side of the river. Now, the multi-use paved recreational path along the canal is part of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, a huge network of bike routes stretching more than 3,000 kilometres along much of the Ontario shoreline on the lower Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Escape’s multi-day Cornwall itinerary will see riders using the Waterfront Trail to visit Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg and other destinations.

Highlight 2: St. Lawrence River views

As we cycled east toward downtown Cornwall, we were high above the St. Lawrence at several points, resulting in some excellent river views.

We also stopped at a lookout platform right below the Seaway International Bridge, which links Cornwall, the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory and Massena, New York. There, we fuelled up with water and nut-packed energy bars that Maria produced from her bag.

Marina 200 was another pretty place where we paused for a breather.

Highlight 3: Gardens and wildlife

At one point, we cycled over a small bridge, where a man was intently pointing his smartphone toward something in the small creek below. We stopped to ask him what had captured his attention, and he pointed to the blue heron regally waiting for fish and a pair of turtles sunning themselves on what looked like an old dock footing. So, of course, we pulled out our phones, too.

One of the loveliest spots—which I doubt I would have discovered on my own—was a lush home garden bordering the bike trail and the river. The work that must go into this display is mind boggling, especially given that the resulting flowers are likely more visible to passing cyclists than to the homeowners themselves. Kudos to them for their public spiritedness!

Highlight 4: Food and beer

After all that exercise, we’d worked up a bit of an appetite (and some thirst). Fortunately, Maria and Dick had a plan for that, too.

Our little group stopped for lunch at Esca Gourmet Pizza + Bar on Pitt Street. We sat on the patio, but the restaurant was open for indoor dining, too. I was very tempted by the large selection of creative pizzas (two riders who split the “Jedi” pizza, topped with pesto crema, chicken, bacon, roasted red pepper and lots of other goodies, raved about it). In the end, though, I chose the smashed chicken wrap, packed with avocado, bacon, romaine and more, and it was delish.

Our final stop was Rurban Brewing, owned by husband-and-wife team Andy and Karen Rorabeck. There, we each enjoyed two beer samples on a small patio overlooking the parking lot before clambering back on the bus.

I’m the furthest thing you’ll ever find from a beer writer, subscribing strongly to my maxim, “If it’s cold and not overly bitter, it’s good.” However, I did really enjoy both beer samples I tried, especially the brewery’s flagship Cornwall Lager. There’s also a cream ale, a dry stout, an IPA and lots of other choices. I was sorry that the intriguing-sounding Salted Lime Gose, a wheat beer flavoured with coriander, salt and lime, was temporarily out of stock (I gather it’s back on tap now). I guess I’ll just have to come back!

If you go

Contact Escape Tours and Rentals for details on their day-long and multi-day biking trips in Cornwall. Tours are currently offered on demand; for guided trips, the minimum group size is four people. As these are brand-new tours and this is, well, a crazy year, prices are still being set, but Escape can give you all the details. Maria is aiming for a price of $150 per person per day for the overnight tours, which will include rental bikes, transportation to Cornwall, accommodations and more.

More road trip inspiration

If you’re interested in Escape’s tours in Ottawa-Gatineau, check out this post about a bike trip to Aylmer I took with Escape a few years ago. I also have a huge post packed with general tips on cycle touring in Ontario and Quebec. For weekly inspiration, please subscribe to my free newsletter. You can also buy my new guidebook, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100km Getaway Guide.