What's good, Canada??

**poobert** · February-23-14, 02:44 PM

What is your favorite day trip from Detroit to Canada?

I've met people from all over the country and for the vast majority of them, our proximity to another country, as familiar as it seems to us, is fascinating.

However I'm close with a newly minted Detroiter from the American heartland. She loves living in Detroit, but finds Windsor to be a pretty unappealing place and thus has based her entire opinion of Canada on Windsor. I'd like to show her that Canada can be at least mildly interesting, without having to go to Montreal or Toronto.

What would you recommend, outside of Windsor? No stories about Bob-lo. Let's let that one die.

Amherstburg is pretty quaint, the fort is a nice attraction, and a nearby bucolic getaway from the sprawling nature of Metro Detroit.

What else is there? Is London comparable to its namesake??

**antongast** · February-23-14, 03:16 PM

Stratford is the hometown of Justin Bieber. Also I hear they show plays there or something.

**coracle** · February-23-14, 03:24 PM

London Canada [[pop 366,000) is in no way comparable to London England [[pop 8 Million and the seat of government for UK). But it's a pleasant place to visit coupled with Stratford which is a delightful little town for shopping and Theater [[watch it in London; they charge you $10+ anywhere you park your car). Grand Bend is worth a visit for the beach. For a quiet day out in the summer drive to Leamington; take the 10.00a [[?) Ferry to Pelee Island [[1.5 hours); cook your own lunch at the Winery; buy your food there and cook on the barbeques provided. It can be a very romantic spot about 3.00p when you've consumed a few bottles of Red - but don't get caught and don't miss the last Ferry back. [[Do it on a weekday if you can).
There's a fabulous little Theater called Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia which is active in the summer months. Cross into Canada on the Ferry at Marine City [[I'm mad about Ferrys). Beautiful slow Sunday afternoon matinee. Nice little Town. about 1.5 hours from Detroit.

**Dan Wesson** · February-23-14, 03:50 PM

Smelt fishing at Point Pelee!

**hdbuys** · March-04-16, 02:08 PM

Do the smelt still run at the Point? I haven't heard that in years

**Honky Tonk** · February-23-14, 06:22 PM

Asian district in Windsor for Asian food.

**Honky Tonk** · February-23-14, 06:23 PM

Pharmacy for 222's......

**canuck** · February-23-14, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Pharmacy for 222's......

Canada's cool. Especially this time of the year.

**Ursula** · February-23-14, 07:32 PM

Nearby nature...

Ojibway Nature Centre in Windsor
Holiday Beach Conservation Area [[near Amherstburg)
Point Pelee National Park or Rondeau Provincial Park
Hawk Cliff [[near London)

**Király** · February-23-14, 07:50 PM

poobert, what does your friend like to do?

If she's into birding or nature walks you might try Point Pelee National Park.

GUSHI · February-23-14, 08:42 PM

Pelee translated in Albanian, means female private part.

**douglasm** · February-23-14, 09:42 PM

Port Stanley, if only to visit the Elgin County Railway Museum.

**Bobl** · February-23-14, 09:47 PM

Ipperwash Beach, Grand Bend/Pinery, Goderich, Sauble Beach, Tobermory.
Did you know that there is a waterfall an hour and a half away, at Rock Glenn Falls, near Forest?
Closer: Brander Park, on the St. Clair River, across from Algonac, is our favorite local picnic spot in the summer and apple picking at nearby orchards in fall.

**yupislyr** · February-28-14, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Bobl

Did you know that there is a waterfall an hour and a half away, at Rock Glenn Falls, near Forest?

There's many waterfalls within day trip driving distance of Windsor/Detroit on both sides of the border.

http://gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls...eatlakes.shtml

That view just shows some of them. Zoom in and you'll see more. And that by no means is a comprehensive map of them, although it does get most of the good ones. There's more of them hidden in the various woods and parks if you feel up to searching.

And since many of the best waterfalls are along the Niagara Escarpment and the Bruce Trail, I'd recommend going anywhere along there. http://brucetrail.org Even if you don't care about waterfalls, there's many interesting features [[like caves) and other sightseeing opportunities along the trail.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-23-14, 11:47 PM

I like Point Pelee National Park and the Leamington area. Point Pelee is the nearest National Park to Detroit and is also the most southernest point of Canada. When it is storming on Lake Erie, the point gives you a view of mother nature at its most powerful as two side of Lake Erie seem to be in a battle for control. In addition there are boardwalks and beaches.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...n_Ontario.html

On the way to Leamington you will pass by Colasanti's. The place is bizarre. It is part store, part tourist trap under a giant greenhouse.
http://www.colasanti.com/about.html

**DetBill** · February-24-14, 12:06 AM

For the best of Italian food, go to Erie Street in Windsor, incredible food in some really nice restaurants,, Detroit and other Midwest cities can't touch these places
Niccos, La Zingara, La Contessa, Mauros, Spago, Mezzo, and still others
all really wonderful. There are some great bakeries and clothes and kitchen stores also. five minutes from the tunnel. Truly a gem.

**Honky Tonk** · February-24-14, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by DetBill

For the best of Italian food, go to Erie Street in Windsor, incredible food in some really nice restaurants,, Detroit and other Midwest cities can't touch these places
Niccos, La Zingara, La Contessa, Mauros, Spago, Mezzo, and still others
all really wonderful. There are some great bakeries and clothes and kitchen stores also. five minutes from the tunnel. Truly a gem.

+5! The only place close on this side of the river is Giovanni's, IMO.

**EastsideAl** · February-24-14, 03:05 AM

I'll echo the others and say definitely hit Point Pelee. Don't miss the marsh boardwalk, or, if you're into it, rent a canoe and paddle out into the marsh for a close up view of the plants, birds, etc. You can combine that with a visit to the nearby quaint town of Kingsville, which has some nice restaurants, a tea room, and a real Canadian small town feel. If you'd like to get out on the lake, from either Kingsville or Leamington you can take a ferry out to nearby Pelee Island - the southernmost point in Canada [[in fact, you can take the ferry all the way to Sandusky Ohio, but that's not really a day trip).

All along the Lake Erie lakeshore in recent years there has been a boom in the wine business. There are now several wineries with tasting rooms throughout the whole area. One of my favorites is the Oxley Estate winery, west of Kingsville and south of Harrow along the shore road [[county road 50) in the little hamlet of Oxley. They have a beautiful new tasting and retail facility in a renovated old barn, with a nice menu of cheese, snacks, etc. served on a very comfortable patio, and often music in the summertime. A little further down the road to the west is the town of Colchester, which has a public beach and pier.

Throughout the area there are numerous farm stands selling freshly picked produce of all sorts. Some of which will let you pick your own too, if you're so inclined. I love to go during the berry season in the early summer for strawberries and raspberries. There's a place between Kingsville and Oxley called Klassen's that's a blueberry farm and sells all sorts of stuff made with blueberries. The area between Kingsville and Leamington is one of the best tomato growing areas in North America [[which is why Heinz has its Canadian plant in Leamington), and great tomatoes can be found there during the season.

I may be a little biased because I have family in the region, but Essex County is one of my favorite things about this area. And it is the closest area of real small towns and countryside to Detroit.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-24-14, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Throughout the area there are numerous farm stands selling freshly picked produce of all sorts. Some of which will let you pick your own too, if you're so inclined. I love to go during the berry season in the early summer for strawberries and raspberries. There's a place between Kingsville and Oxley called Klassen's that's a blueberry farm and sells all sorts of stuff made with blueberries. The area between Kingsville and Leamington is one of the best tomato growing areas in North America [[which is why Heinz has its Canadian plant in Leamington), and great tomatoes can be found there during the season.

I would double-check the rules on what you can bring back. In most cases, produce is fine but I would hate to spend an hour picking fruit or veggies only to be told by customs that I cannot bring it in! A waste of time and money.

**Honky Tonk** · February-24-14, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I would double-check the rules on what you can bring back. In most cases, produce is fine but I would hate to spend an hour picking fruit or veggies only to be told by customs that I cannot bring it in! A waste of time and money.

Here's a blast from the past: http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/n...4-9a84b0fd38c6

Here's the original string: http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...iew-Cbc-french)

**EastsideAl** · February-24-14, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I would double-check the rules on what you can bring back. In most cases, produce is fine but I would hate to spend an hour picking fruit or veggies only to be told by customs that I cannot bring it in! A waste of time and money.

You're not really supposed to bring in fresh picked berries. But, if discreetly placed, the customs guys will almost never mess with them. I bring them and other fresh produce across maybe 10 times a summer. Since the big tightening up following 2001 I've only had a problem twice - and one time the guy let me keep the fruit anyway.

**Király** · February-27-14, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

You're not really supposed to bring in fresh picked berries. But, if discreetly placed, the customs guys will almost never mess with them. I bring them and other fresh produce across maybe 10 times a summer. Since the big tightening up following 2001 I've only had a problem twice - and one time the guy let me keep the fruit anyway.

Always declare any fresh fruit and vegetables when crossing the border. At worst they will make you throw them out. At best they will let you keep them. As long as you declare you won't get into trouble.

If you don't declare and they catch you with them, that's when you could run into fines and big trouble. Smuggling produce isn't worth it.

**davewindsor** · February-24-14, 03:59 AM

Depends what you're into.

If you're into wineries, March 1st Windsor-Essex has March Mac'Ness. With a $20 ticket, you can visit up to 10 wineries for a bowl of Mac n Chess and 2oz glass of wine. www.epicwineries.com

If you like old red brick Victorian mansions, visit downtown Chatham.

If you're into motorcycles, you can rent a Harley. Friday the 13th in Port Dover is quite popular, more than 100,000 visitors in attendance usually. It's bigger than the Jobbie Nooner for boaters. There are also a bunch of motorcycle trails and festivals that groups take on www.cruisethecoast.ca

If you're into bicycles, try the 42km Chrysler Canada Greenway, which is a bike trail from an old railway line. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Canada_Greenway

If you're into paintball, there's indoor paintball http://windsorrushpaintball.com/Specials.html There's also outdoor paintball in the county.

Plenty of golf courses and marinas.

If you're a gearhead and like drag racing, there's Windsor Weekend in Grand Bend and the St. Thomas Dragway.

Almost every night of the week, there's a different car show and car club meetup https://www.facebook.com/streetsport...46962738676265 The Mustang Club meets on Sunday nights. On Tuesday nights, there's a really good classic car show at the A&W on Tecumseh Rd/near Lauzon.

You can even go on snowmobile trails.

There's tonnes of things to do in Windsor. It's whatever you're into, dude.

**Honky Tonk** · February-24-14, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by davewindsor

If you're a gearhead and like drag racing, there's Windsor Weekend in Grand Bend and the St. Thomas Dragway.

There's tonnes of things to do in Windsor. It's whatever you're into, dude.

St. Thomas was the patron Saint of drag racing. I forgot about that.

Any place you can get spellcheck in Canada?

**davewindsor** · February-24-14, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

St. Thomas was the patron Saint of drag racing. I forgot about that.

Any place you can get spellcheck in Canada?

So you still like making fun of British English? Ton vs. tonne. Canada is so unpopulated and lame and yet we still won more golds at Sochi, including beating you guys both at men's and women's hockey. You should come down to St. Thomas for the next Mustang day. You can try out for the award for King of Smack Talk. http://www.stthomasracewaypark.com/mustang-day.html We'll see how long you last.