The Discover L&A Ride: An Ideal Day of Cycling in Lennox & Addington County
The Discover L&A Ride showcases some of the best of cycling in Lennox & Addington County, and is the perfect way to familiarize yourself with the sights and businesses that make this region special
Cycling isn’t something that I ever thought I’d be into.
I was one of those teenagers driving around in my car wondering how cyclists even fit into their clothing, seeing as it was so skintight. Fast forward to the present, and, admittedly, a healthy portion of my closet is now devoted entirely to cycling attire. In a relatively short period of time, I went from being confused as to why anyone would ever want to travel such long distances atop a bike, to a spandex aficionado who literally takes any and all chances to ride.
In all seriousness though, it’s hard to think of anything that’s had a more positive impact on my life as of late, both mentally and physically, than cycling has. I quickly learned that It’s an intimate way to explore new surroundings, and there’s a underrated freedom to being out on the road (or trail, as it were), and devoting yourself entirely to the task at hand.
I find that, on my saddle, the little worries and woes seem to wash away, and I get a sense of clarity and quiet that I never quite knew how badly I needed. It’s priceless, really - and to expand on that further, I always like to say that I never feel like the same person that started the ride when I reach the end. I’ve got new memories to process and protect, as well as the affirmation that I accomplished what I set out to do, whether it was a 25km jaunt, or a 150km marathon.
Before a couple of weeks ago, I’d never properly been to Ontario’s Lennox & Addington County, and so when the chance arose for me to tackle their 58 kilometre “Discover L&A Ride,” I was elated.
Bri did a portion of it with me as well, and, in short, it was what we had hoped it might be, and it’s a route that I’d already be happy to do again.
What’s the Discover L&A Ride?
The Discover L&A Ride (which of course stands for “Discover Lennox & Addington”) is an annual event that takes place in the county and aims to help people appreciate some of the highlights of the region, as well as being an initiative that supports active living.
It’s a 58 kilometre route that overlooks the water, and offers pristine views of Eastern Ontario rural landscapes. On the day of the event, the route itself is organized with rest stops at local businesses, historic sites, as well as parks and natural surroundings.
This year the ride will be taking place on September 24th. Tickets are available on their website and cost $35.
They also have an active Facebook page where they post updates about the event and other news from the region.
As Lennox & Addington itself has said, the ride is “not just about the cycling…it’s about the experience.” You meet other cyclists, listen to live music, and get to eat and drink local!
The event is something that ignites the whole community, and it’s something fun to be a part of but, of course, you can also do this of your own accord if you’re visiting the region at another time. I’ll review the stops on the route below, and speak to each stop in case you do indeed have a scheduling conflict.
I’ll include a visual of the route below as well, so you’ve got a clear visual of what I’m referring too.
The Discover Lennox and Addington Cycling Route
I’ll include the full-route below, but should note that I did a bit of an abridged version. That being said, I got a great feel for it, and for relatively experienced cyclists, I would say the route could be done in a single morning or afternoon, if need be.
If you’re keen to make stops, and stop for lunch and a touch of wine etc., and you’re doing this route on your own, I would dedicate a full day to it. Perhaps start around 10am and aim to end sometime in the mid-late afternoon. I would strongly encourage you to make some stops. It’s a great opportunity to support some worthy businesses, and get better acquainted with a gorgeous area.
If you can, though, be a part of the Discover L&A event. Heck, I think I’ve got to come back just to do it again. In the end, it’s more fun to be a part of something with many others alongside you, especially after what we’ve all gone through in recent memory.
Begin and Finish at MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Company
MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Co. is a lovely place to start and end the ride since there’s no better way to finish a day of cycling than with a cold beer. It’s a family farm that actually has over 200 years of farming history behind them. They’ve got a beautiful setup there, particularly with the ample outdoor seating, and cycling or not, I’d recommend trying a flight of beer there.
Their beer aims to utilize ingredients from their farm, and also embody the soul of the farm. Each beer they produce tends to have a stronger flavour, and are likely darker or more complex than your casual beer drinker may be used to. Personally, I appreciate a brewery that’s trying to do something a little different.
My favourite of the bunch was probably the Red Fox Ale, which I found has the perfect amount of bitterness. Its colouring also means it’s nice and photogenic, and there’s a really nice backend flavouring (and almost a sweetness) from their inclusion of beets. How’s that for utilizing ingredients from the farm, right?
Stop #1 - Hive & Hearthstone
If you’re riding on your own, like I was, you can create your own route, and decide if and where you’d want to stop, but the first stop on the organized Discover L&A Ride is Hive & Hearthstone, a small apiary and wood-fired ‘breadery’ (which you can assume is a bakery, but only cooler). It’s 14km from the the start line.
They’ve got homemade honey galore, and they happily give the credit straight to the bees for that. I’m told they even call them their “sugar fairies.”
I love that their honey is sold raw and unpasteurized, so it’s the good stuff, and it hasn’t been meddled with.
Stop #2 - Old Hay Bay Church
Bri and I took some time here to read about the history of the church, take in our surroundings, as well as visit the cemetery across the street. It was yet another reminder of just how historic Lennox & Addington is. I swear that everywhere you look there’s a plaque denoting that a certain site or structure was the first of its kind in Upper Canada, or Canada at large.
Speaking of that trend, the Old Hay Bay Church is the oldest methodist building in Canada, and the second oldest church in Ontario. Believe it or not, it was built all the way back in 1792, and the Hay Bay Church was the first meeting house for Loyalists in the province Ontario. Not surprisingly, it’s recognized as a national historic site.
Both Bri and I loved the idea that this cycling route had a strong historical element. Long time readers will know that I’m borderline obsessed with the concept of what’s unique or can’t be found elsewhere, and the Old Hay Bay Church in L&A certainly fits that bill.
Stop #3 - Bergeron Estate Winery & Cider Company
This was the first winery to open for business in the county, and in many ways Bergeron Estates set the example for other wineries who began to realize the potential of Lennox & Addington as a wine growing region. All of the wines that they produce are made from grapes that grow on their 10-acre vineyard, and I love that. The vines were strategically planted in three different areas on the land to take advantage of the different properties present in the soil, as well as varying elevation.
The wines are very pure and unfiltered. Dave Bergeron, the owner, mentioned that he wants to keep it that way. He wants the earthy, mineral rich soil to show up in the taste of the wine, and I’m all for it since I’d rather drink wine that’s an original creation than a sweetened copycat of some other popular wine.
They only sell the wine on their property, so you won’t find this in the LCBO. I was particularly a fan of their Pinot Noir, though could see how the Gamay would be perfect alongside some gamey meat. I’d strongly recommend trying their homemade cider, which is served straight from the keg, and is as cold and refreshing as you could want.
When I was speaking to Dave, he also mentioned how he got into making pizzas as well. I was curious how he became known across Ontario for his thin crust wood oven pizzas, and his answer was simple - his Italian mother-in-law! He knew he wanted to make a mean Italian style pizza, so he went straight to the source, and out of respect for that he named the restaurant “Nona’s Pizza.”
These pizzas are spectacular, and the perfect lunch for a day of cycling. I’d recommend trying at least two pizzas if you can, just to try a couple of different variations. We were more than happy with our two selections, which Dave kindly recommended. We had the Prosciuttto, which featured nona’s sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, garlic and Italian herbs, and we also had the Potato, which had olive oil, mozzarella, bacon, onion, garlic, and Italian herbs.
Stopping here and having a touch of wine (or cider) and some pizza is a lovely way to break up the ride.
Stop #4: 33 Vines
The Dunn family purchased Thirty-three Vines in the spring of 2019, and they’re bringing this once fruitful vineyard back to life, and then some. They’re renovating the barn, the tasting room, the outdoor spaces, and well, just about everything it seems.
They’ve got big plans in terms of accommodation (turning it into a B&B as well), and really just making this spot a destination. Overall, it was a great spot to walk around and explore, and we even got to check out Todd Muller’s (famed NHL player Kirk Muller’s brother) art studio which was in a loft area.
Simon Domaine, the head sommelier, showed us around and shared Jason and Amber Dunn’s plans with us, and thankfully, a fair portion of their vintage wine.
The wine was exceptional in my humble opinion. I’m not typically a huge fan of white wines, but I liked their Semi-dry Chardonnay, as well as their Frontenac Blanc, which was aged in barrels and brandy infused.
As far as their reds are concerned, the Baco Noir was quite nice, but it was the 2015 Marquette that blew me away. The wine was as full-bodied and rich as red wines come, and it’s what I love to taste in a red of that kind. It’s the sort of wine where each sip needs to be savoured and dissected. The 2011 Cab Franc (The Cabernet is Franc historically my favourite varietal) was also lovely, though, for me, the Marquette stole the show.
Simon mentioned that next they’ll be exploring food, which they’ll aim to source locally as much as possible, and do a Canadian twist on tapas. Bri and I loved our visit there, and a special thanks needs to go to Simon for the extensive tour which painted a clear picture of 33 Vines’ ambitious plans for the future.
Stop #5: Loyalist Trading Co.
The first thing that you might notice are the goats on the roof. Yes, you read that correctly. The two goats, if I’m not incorrect, are named Grover and Lenny, and we couldn’t get enough of them.
The Loyalist Trading Co. is a family-run business that offers a bit of everything. Notably, all their products are from Canada, and they try to source things as local as possible to showcase the talent of the local community. They’ve got everything from clothes to preserves, decor to drinks. It’s a nice spot to pop-into and just wander around, and perhaps find something that a family member or friend would love that you could bring home to them.
They’ve got plenty of their own products as well, such as infused oils, jams, salad dressings and the list goes on.
If you’re on the Discover L&A Ride, then you’ll have ridden about 40kms thus far, which will leave you with a little under 20kms remaining. If you’re using this article as a reference while riding, I’ll kindly offer these words of encouragement
You’re in the home stretch, my friend!
Stop #6: Gap Park
A relatively new park for the region, and simply a spot to stretch your legs, to take a sip of water, and enjoy a pleasant view.
The real prize here is the opportunity to take some photos with Amherst Island in the background. Bri is currently writing an article all about Amherst Island for our sister site, Ultimate Ontario, so I’ll be sure to add a link here when it’s live.
Stop # 7: Finkle’s Shore Park
If you’re on the Discover L&A Ride, then this is the designated “final rest stop” of the trip. You can take some deep breaths and enjoy the fact that you’re only 4 kilometres from the finish, where a beer awaits you at MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Co.
Like all the rest of the stops, it’s a nice spot to take a picture and appreciate some views of the best of Lenox & Addington Country.
Other Bike Routes in Lennox & Addington County
Of course, the Discover L&A Ride isn’t the only way to explore L&A by bike. There are actually over 600 kilometres of bike routes in the region, and 12 separate bike itineraries to explore, each with their own loop.
I’ll give a brief overview of the routes below, but you can get full details, as well as print PDFs of these routes, here.
The Newburgh Route: A 30km route that’s considered moderately difficult. You swing through the village of Newburgh, as well as the communities of Napanee and Camden East, and then back around.
The Napanee River Route: A 24km route that’s considered moderate in difficulty, and offers picturesque views of the Napanee River as well as the Bay of Quinte.
The Camden Route: At 63 kilometres, this is a little longer than those listed above, but still considered only moderately difficult. This route surrounds the Camden Lake Wildlife Management Area, and it’s all about the interplay between rolling hills and long flat stretches.
The Shoreline Route: It’s 71kms, moderate in difficulty, and filled with farmland, vineyards, and apple orchards. You should take a full-day, if not two, for this route if you want to do it at leisurely pace.
The Hay Bay Route: This route is considered easy, and is 44kms in length. Most of this route involves pleasant riding along the shore of Hay Bay and the Bay of Quinte.
The Sheffield Route: A challenging route that’s 78 kilometres in length, and allows you to explore the land surrounding the village of Tamworth. Expect to see working farms, wetlands, and limestone outcroppings.
The Salmon River Route: 54 kilometres of easy riding that offers a combination of some paved shoulder as well as quiet back roads. You’ll roll through communities like Croydon, Roblin, and Selby.
The Buckshot Lake Route: A 102 kilometre route that should probably be considered the single most challenging of the Lennox & Addington cycling routes. With this route, you’ll be heading through the famed Bon Echo Provincial Park, with plenty of views of wetlands, wilderness, and picturesque lakes.
The Flinton Road Route: This is a 37 kilometre route which is considered moderately challenging, and is probably best suited for a hybrid or mountain bike. You’ll primarily be riding along Bridgewater Road and Old Flinton Road.
The Odessa Route: A fairly inviting route that comes in at just 28 kilometres in length. Lots of landmarks to be appreciated here as you ride through places like Odessa, Violet, Millhaven, and Amherstview.
The Amherstview Route: This route is nice and easy, coming in at just 24 kms. The name of the game here is appreciating the lovely homes in Amherstview, as well as perhaps stopping in Fairfield Park.
The White Lake Route: Finally, the White Lake Route is 44kms and is considered somewhere in-between a moderate and challenging route. The big thing to note here is that, while it’s beautiful, there’s also very few flat stretches to be found!
Whether you’re taking part in the Discover L&A Ride itself, or forging your own path on your own time, you can be sure that a lot of great views and memories await. Over and over again, Bri and I were astounded by how welcoming and friendly everyone was, so don’t be shy to pop into local establishments, and launch into some good ol’ fashioned Ontario banter.
Whatever you decide to do, and however you decide to do it, both Bri and I sincerely hope this article has served you well in your adventure. It’s but a small taste of what you can expect to encounter and appreciate from your own saddle in L&A!
I want to humbly thank Lennox & Addington Tourism for hosting me as media. All opinions are completely my own.
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