That’s it, we’re back! Immersed in one of the coolest mandates of the year: a short day to get away from it all, get away on two wheels at low prices, do you like? Why not go beach hunting altogether, to maximize the trip? With lighthouses and windmills galore? Hard to resist, admit it…
No, it is not because we live in the city surrounded by concrete that we are going to deprive ourselves. And this journey along the water’s edge imagined by our inspired colleague is the perfect antidote to our overdose of orange cones and diversions, not to mention traffic jams. On the menu: sea air, wind in your hair, sunburn on your shoulders included! The urbanites in the room will understand the call…
It is with this nice project in hand and this firm desire to change the air that we jump a little gray Tuesday on our beautiful and no less faithful Vespa. After a small tank of gas, whose meager bill never ceases to amaze us, it’s off. Direction: LaSalle, via Old Montreal (Montreal Scooter, Berri Street, here rents scooters by the hour or day, notice to those interested) via Mill Street, Bridge, then Wellington, before it whether cool or pedestrian, an industrial decor that promises to contrast with all the green (so many parks!) and blue (so much water!) that awaits us, once on the edge of the river.
First observation: the path thought up by the colleague, which begins at the wave at Guy and stretches to the beach in Beaconsfield, is in a straight line. Even if the road is winding, it follows and travels without worry. A blessing that will allow us to ride all day without breaking our heads or looking for the way on a screen. The horizon is ours, the pretty bucolic landscapes, no stress, we will eventually arrive at our destination.
Moreover, here are the surfers, on the famous eternal wave originally prized by a certain kayaker who left his name to it. We look in vain for colleague Sylvain, who apparently comes here every week. He must be at work, poor thing! We appreciate the new stopover and its futuristic self-cleaning toilet, before leaving, because the best is yet to come.
It’s not us who say it, but the colleague Sylvain (him again!). But first, a little caffeinated stop, we don’t pedal, but it’s still tiring, these madnesses! After having passed our first mill (Fleming, built in 1827, these last wind vestiges of a bygone era seduce us every time), the wind, sorry, the road takes us directly to the pretty Comptoir St-Jo, a new haunt in the area for good coffee, homemade jellies, and, why not, natural wine.
We fill up and we push to the twin lighthouses of Lachine, erected in 1900. We finally let ourselves be taken in: there, at the very end, with the cry of the seagulls and the smell of the sea, looking into the distance, it’s almost like it, somewhere to the east, in a certain Quebec peninsula. Disappointing, you say? It changes traffic lights, let’s say.
By the way, have you been told? On this trip, we counted on the fingers of one hand the number of red lights. We drive here and all day without being stopped or barely overtaken. It must be said that the limit is often 30 km / h, which is very pleasant when you walk, like us, on a small displacement (50 cc).
Back on the road, we daydream admiring the sailboats in the distance when, without warning, here we are in Dorval. Hard to believe, as the water is here within our reach. If we certainly see a few planes pass above our heads, it is especially the magnificent historic houses (in particular the Carrière house, built in 1864), which capture our attention.
Passing the Pine Beach Park, which has a beach only in name, we completely forget the aerial vocation of the city. Moreover, it is sufficiently inviting for us to stop there for a moment. Fitted out with pleasant swings skilfully installed facing the water (or the lake, since the St. Lawrence is called Lake Saint-Louis here), hard to resist at least for a moment.
But no more, because another lighthouse awaits us, a few minutes away in Valois Park: the lighthouse of the black swallows of Dorval. If it is hard to miss, it is also mysterious to decipher, seeming downright inhabited. This is the case: this small lighthouse changed its vocation in 2001, to be transformed into a bird feeder. Better, the swallows that nest there naturally eliminate the insects of the area, not nearly: they say that they eat the equivalent of their weight in critters of all kinds, and this, every day!
Speaking of eating, hunger begins to torment us. That’s good, we are approaching Pointe-Claire, and the small town, which also has its mill (17th century, restored in 1967), is full of charming and gourmet addresses. For a picnic (we’re aiming for the beach, remember!), Moulins La Fayette is a great option. For an ice cream, the choices are endless. Between the Bilboquet and the Diperie, we finally opt for a soft drink at Wild Willy’s, an address that visibly attracts crowds. It must be said that the choices are original (Charlie Brownie, pumpkin spice, cotton candy, etc.) and above all multiple.
Then, here we go again, we push a few minutes further west and here it is finally: the beach! Certainly, it is not its size that seduces us (it is tiny), but rather its little secret side. Behind the Yacht Club, between the Centennial Halls, this sandbox still has everything it takes to end our trip. And even if it is officially forbidden to bathe there, we promise ourselves to come back to soak it… our feet! But not this time, because we already have to go home. With a head full of memories and a clearly airy mind, we get on our bike again. Good news, the way back is clear! And it will be full of new discoveries, but that will be for next time…
“After an incredible draw, I was happy to have been chosen to draw a route for Silvia going up the river via Pointe-Claire, whose boulevards lend themselves wonderfully to scooters. These banks are punctuated with vestiges of the past (notably mills and lighthouses, which give the place a postcard look), but also allow you to enjoy the present moment (creameries, bakeries, relaxation areas, etc.). What’s more, you can leave your two-wheeled steed for a kayak, a paddle board or a surfboard, just to cool off from head to toe! »
