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I've always wanted to cross the river to see the fireworks from the Windsor side, I'm thinking I'm going to do it this year. Any tips from Windsorites or people who have done the same about getting over there, parking, and the best spots to see them from?
The Windsor side is not nearly as crowded as the Detroit side and because of the way the terrain slants up to an elevated Riverside Drive there are lots of opportunities to get a great view. If you arrive early enough you could try parking free at the Casino lot and kill a couple of hours there. Otherwise the street parking and lots fill up quickly. You will find a park but may have to walk 5-6 blocks back to the riverfront. Most surface lots are a block or two west of Ouellette Ave [[the main drag).
But be forewarned that even though the view may be better, the traffic will not. The tunnel and the bridge are nightmares, from what I hear, after the fireworks. You're not the only American who will be going over...
Avoid the bridge/tunnel traffic. Cross the Blue Water bridge. Simple.
Depending on how much you want to pay for parking will determine how close you're gonna get to the river unless you show early and park at the casino.
The grass slopes downwards from the foot of Ouellette. I'd suggest bringing a folding chair and just finding a spot. That's the best free spot. Afterwards, I would suggest hanging out at one of the new middle aged pubs along Ouellette or even checking out the riverfront carnival that should be open till midnight. The traffic situation should be a lot less annoying after midnight.
If it were me, I would park in any of the neighbourhood residential streets for free. Just watch for permit parking and be prepared to walk. The Windsor riverfront is huge though, so lots of options. There will be road closures along the riverfront area to consider also. There are even shuttles offered from local malls/shopping centres on the outskirts if you feel like doing that.
Yes, traffic will be bad, especially if you opt to leave right away. Hanging out somewhere to eat/drink etc if you're into that and leaving later would be ideal.
I would not recommend taking the Bluewater Bridge unless you already are going well north of Detroit. Even with traffic, taking the Detroit crossings should be quicker. The route between Windsor and Sarnia is not as direct as between Detroit and Port Huron. I can get there in 1.75 hours or so but that's with knowledge of backroads and speeding. There's a reason many Canadians opt to take the US route to Port Huron/Sarnia.
Hey everyone, just wanted to say thanks for all your advice and knowledge. Everything went smoothly and my friends and I all had a great time! :D
Which route did you take? How long did it take? Any customs issues? Details, please....Quote:
Originally Posted by paulj313
I took the bridge over, I live at McNichols & Greenfield, so I just took I-96 to the bridge, no customs issues going over. In Windsor I took College Ave. to Crawford took Crawford to Wyandotte and took that into the downtown area. I parked in a lot across from Caesars and about 2 blocks away from the riverfront [[$10). I had a great spot, photo below. The riverfront there is very open, and wasn't very crowded. We walked around and ate before finally settling there at about 7:30. My friends and I decided to leave as soon as they were over, traffic was heavy leaving, but it was bearable. Windsor Police did a good job at keeping things moving. Bridge traffic was directed to Tecumseh to take over to Huron Church. It was pretty much smooth sailing once you got to Tecumseh. No border problems [[About a 20 minute wait). When I got back into Detroit, I didn't immediately get on the freeway, I used the surface streets to make my way to Michigan Ave.[[kind of depressing being greeted by MCS), took that to Livernois and got back on I-96 at Livernois, no real traffic there. I was home by 11:15. Attachment 27160
Quote:
Originally Posted by paulj313
Thanx, Doesn't sound like it was that big of a hassle. Though I do think attendance was down compared to previous years. Maybe moving them up an hour because of "the weather" had something to do with it. I can't help wondering if it really was "the weather" that caused the time change. Good shot, by the way.