The new O-Train welcomes passengers with bikes! This opens up lots of bike exploring opportunities. Here’s a route from Blair Station, the O-Train’s furthest easterly stop, to a great local winery Vignoble Clos Du Vully just a short detour off the Prescott-Russell Trail. The Prescott-Russell Trail is a converted rail-to-trail multi-use path that starts just off Anderson Road.
Once disembarked from the train at Blair Station take the elevator up one level and walk your bike along the covered pedestrian walkway over the Queensway.
On the other side of the Queensway there are a series of connecting paths you can follow all the way to Innes Road. The paths aren’t perfectly allinged at a few street crossings but they all follow the line of hydro towers so you can’t get lost.
Cross Innes Road at the lights. Innes is a multi-lane artery road with bike lanes and lots of speedy traffic.
For those who aren’t comfortable riding along busy Innes’ unprotected bike lanes there is an off-road alternative to get to the Prescott-Russell trail that avoids having to ride along Innes and Anderson Road. I’ve indicated this option by the purple line on the map which I describe further down in the post.
For those who are OK with riding along the Innes Road bike lane, continue to do so until you arrive at Anderson Road, then turn right onto Anderson.
Anderson doesn’t have bike lanes but it does have broad paved shoulders you can ride along.
Keep right at the round-about to stay on Anderson Road and continue a short distance to get to the Prescott-Russell Trail. At the time of my visit they were in the process of re-paving Anderson just south of the roundabout but there’s still a good shoulder to follow. Hopefully they will include a generous paved shoulder the entire length of Anderson. Stay tuned for that.
As previously mentioned, if you want to avoid riding along Innes and Anderson there is an off-road alternative to get to the Prescott-Russell Trail. (see purple line on map): Let’s go back to where the path from the train station reaches Innes Road. Once across the lights at Innes ride through the Lowes parking lot to the front of the store, then to the east corner of the parking lot where there is an opening in the fence leading onto a well travelled path.
Keep left along this path which will take you over an old train bridge.
The trail opens up a bit further along and joins another path that cuts along a field. turn right onto this path.
Eventually this path meets the Prescott-Russell Trail. Turn left onto the trail.
The Prescott-Russell Trail continues on the other side of Anderson Road. This is where we left off with the Innes Road route.
The Prescott-Russell trail runs straight through a combination of woods and fields with a packed stone dust surfacing that my thin Gatorskin tires had no problem handling.
Turn right off the trail onto Sarsfield Road. Sarsfield is a packed gravel country road with very little traffic.
Continue south along Sarsfield then turn right onto Magadlry Road, which is also packed gravel. A short ride along Magadlry Road brings us to our destination, Vignoble Clos Du Vully .
Here you will be warmly welcomed by wine maker/grape grower Jan-Daniel Etter. Jan-Daniel loves his craft! On weekends he offers samplings of his wines while describing the particular characteristics of each. You can also purchase bottles of those you like. If it’s not too busy he will also give you a short tour of his wine making facility.
A section of this bike route is along part of the Ottawa’s self-guided Rail Trail & Winnery Ride . There’s another winery on the city’s route that we visited but it seems to cater more towards large groups versus drop in cyclists.
Et voila!
OttawaVeloOutaouais 