Hi everyone: My husband and I are just two weeks back from the Veloroute des Bleuets. I was "blue" (post-vacation letdown) when I found this thread. All you bikers, if you are considering the Blueberry Bike Trail, consider no more. Just do it!

A word of caution: the route is not as flat and benign as the literature would have you believe. Even my husband's diligent reviews of topo maps and satellite photographs misled us because the route does not always follow the roads. The route designers have an unfortunate habit of building really incredibly beautiful trails on terrain better suited for mountain goats. Not for a recumbent rider pulling a trailer (i.e., me). Especially around Alma, the biggest city on the route, the trail follows a series of power dams. They are breathtakingly achingly beautiful (waterfalls that, as my hubby said, would be national parks in USA but are "oh, well, just another waterfall" in Quebec) but the trails plunge a few hundred feet to cross the damns, then crawl up the other side to get out of the canyon. I was frustrated . . .

My only other complaint is the route designers' other unfortunate habit of taking you around most business centers. Consequently you aren't always passing through a business district where you'll find food and other necessities. But that's part of the adventure, I think! The available guidebooks don't include important information like grocery stores but anywhere you find yourself in the vicinity of a Metro supermarket, go in. We lived on the wonderful Jeannois cheddar and baguettes FRESH AND HOT from the Metro bakeries. After the first one, I came out of the store, shoved the baguette in Bill's face and said, "Good God, it's still warm." I thought he'd swoon right there.

The route is wonderful. I can't say enough about it and anyone who wants more detail and rapturous promotion about it need only let me know. I could go on for hours and pages.