Destinations: Louisa's Travel Blog

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About Me

My name is Louisa Kerling and I am a German student visiting the University of Windsor. In Germany I study Tourism Management. With this blog I will show you the beautiful sides of Windsor. My intention is to bring Windsor a little closer to you and give you some insights into my stay in Canada. I will take you on my trips in Windsor and the surrounding area and give you recommendations for things to do. This should help to reduce your first doubts about living abroad.

Greetings!

Post date: Wednesday, June 8, 2022 - 11:47

Hello everybody!

Louisa here. Well, what can I tell you so far about Windsor and the surrounding are? To be honest, I like it here very much. I've heard so much about how being in Windsor allows you to enjoy the best of all worlds. And so far, it's true.

You can enjoy city life without the chaos of big city traffic jams, overall congestion, and high prices often assoicated with major metropolitan areas. But in about a 20 minute ride, you can be in a small, quaint and historic town. Or drive another 20 minutes and you'll be in a national park discovering local flora and wildlife near the water. The area offers many parks and trails. On weekends during the summer months, these parks in and around Windsor often host great little festivals or markets. Especially on these days, the cozy and relaxed side of Windsor comes out. And the sunshine - it's plentiful. Plus the local culture, food, and other attractions add to the excitement. Sharing my stories with you is the part I love!

This is me in Amherstburg, Ontario during a beautiful sunset on the Detroit River waterfront

Dillon Hall at the University of Windsor. Dillon Hall is built in Gothic Revival style.

Windsor has an incredibly good location. It is close to the Great Lakes, the U.S. border, and allows for visits to other destinations. Windsor offers incredible sunsets due to its waterfront location and invites you to take walks along the waterfront or in one of the parks. A good Italian restaurant in Little Italy or a visit to the neighbouring towns of Windsor-Essex will make your stay in Windsor unforgettable. There is a lot to see and experience.

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Carousel of Nations

Post date: Tuesday, September 13, 2022 - 11:36

Finally, the "Carousel of the Nations" festival has taken place again. The Carousel of the Nations is a festival in Windsor that offers visitors and residents a glimpse of a great variety of different cultures and traditions and international cultures. It really is like a trip around the world! The festival lasts two weeks and different “villages” are built in several locations around the city of Windsor. Note that they are only open on the weekends.

On the first weekend from June 17 to June 19, there was the Bavarian Village; Caribbean Village; Greek Village; Mexican Village; Polish Village; Scottish Village; Serbian Village; African Village and Hungarian Village.

On the second weekend from June 24 to June 26, the Filipino Village, a German Village; a Chinese Village; Via Italia Village and a Lebanese Village were added on Saturday, June 25.

I personally visited only two Villages. One was the Bavarian Village and the other one was the Scottish Village. I had to see the Bavarian Village because I am from Bavaria myself. This took place in the Windsor Banquet Centre in 1367 Drouillard Rd. There you could try typical Bavarian dishes such as obazda; schnitzel; potato salad; bratwurst or currywurst and much more. We visited the neighbourhood on Friday the 24th of June and during our stay, the "Harmony Band" performed in the evening.

menu from carousel of nations

On Saturday, June 25th I went to the Scottish Village at the Scottish Club of Windsor at 1340 Tecumseh Road East. There I watched the dance performance of the "Royal Scottish Country Dancers". This was very exciting and interesting to watch. There were also various Scottish delicacies and beverages. Both Villages have inspired me very much.

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Religion

Post date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022 - 09:53

Religion

For those who are looking for a connection to their religion, I have compiled a small list of different communities and/or churches. I have not visited every centre/church myself, so please investigate further to get a sense of your level of comfort with any of the communities.

First of all, the University Community Church is close to the University at 2320 Wyandotte Street.

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Restaurant Recommendations

Post date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022 - 09:49

Near Campus:

The following restaurants are all within walking distance of campus. For pizza/burgers/salads, I can recommend Sam's Pizzeria and Cantina. According to my taste, the pizza there is very good and the place is a bit of a sports bar. Sam’s is about 5-10 minutes from campus, east of Wyandotte St.

If you like healthier food, I can recommend soup salads on Wyandotte St. (right across from the CEI Engineering building). They have delicious and healthy food like salads and wraps. You can also compose your own wraps and salads if you wish.

Of course, there are also Tim Horton’s and Starbucks coffee shops on campus. There is a Tim Horton’s kiosk in the CEI Engineering building and there is a Starbucks and a Tim Hortons in the CAW Student Center.

The Giglio’s Food Market across from the CEI building makes incredible sandwiches (just go to the back counter) – but I suggest starting with a half-sized sandwich because the full-sized version is huge! Also on Wyandotte near the CEI is Harvey’s hamburger place. It is sort of like Mcdonald's but it is a Canadian company and the food is much better quality.

Soup and salads sign If you want healthy and delicious food, to to "soup'R salads" just across the street from the CEI building

Mexican:

I only tried these two Mexican Restaurants but both were really good. The first one is called Mi Casita Restaurant & Bar at 429 Wyandotte St. East. And the second one is Tastyritos Mexican Grill at 2130 Wyandotte St. West, they have really good burritos.

European:

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Grocery Store

Post date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022 - 09:39

grocery store

The location of the UWindsor campus and the various residence halls in Windsor is very good. There are several grocery stores that can be easily reached on foot or by bus when you need to buy food.

For daily needs (including medicine), there is a Shoppers Drug Mart about a 15-minute walk east of the campus on Wyandotte St.

About a 25-minute walk away at the University Plaza (at the corner of Huron Church Rd. and Tecumseh Rd.) there is a Food Basics, another Shoppers Drug Mart, a Canadian Tire store and a Dollarama. The Dollarama and Canadian Tire are very convenient, especially for basic items like kitchen utensils, hardware (like parts for a bicycle) or household goods.

There is also a Walmart Supercentre on Dougall Ave., but this is more than an hour's walk from the university, so to get there you would need a car or take a cab with friends.

There is also a store on Wyandotte St. right across from the CEI (Engineering building) called Giglio's Market. Here you can find mainly Italian food and very good sandwiches prepared at the meat counter.

On University Ave. is V-Desi, which is an Indian grocery store. If you want to buy Indian baked goods, Bhullar's Indian Grocery on Dougall Ave. near the Walmart is the place to go.

On Crawford, Ave. is the Multifood Supermarket, which sells mostly Asian foods. It takes about 20-25 minutes to get to this store or you can take the bus but it is definitely one of the best supermarkets for Asian food items.

There is also a new Korean grocery store called the Windsor Korea Market downtown at 550 Pelissier St. where you can buy Korean food and kimchi (which is really good). You can reach Windsor Korea Market on foot (about 35 minutes) or by Windsor Transit bus.

For African Groceries, there is AM Variety African Store at 1830 Wyandotte St. West or AFROCAN FOODS MARKET at 1033 Wyandotte St West Unit 1. Both grocery stores are close to the university, about a 15-25-minute walk away.

There are several Windsor Transit bus stops near the campus and you can also get a bus map and bus pass for the semester (although not for the summer semester) at the CAW Centre.

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Kingsville + Leamington

Post date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022 - 09:30

front of Carnegie arts and visitors centre kingsville

I have explored Leamington and Kingsville, the last two large towns in Essex County. It is quite possible to visit both towns in one day. It's a 45-minute drive from Windsor to Kingsville and about 15 minutes from Kingsville to Leamington. I personally liked Kingsville better than Leamington, but I would advise you to explore both places for yourself and make up your own mind!

My first stop in Kingsville was the “Kingsville Military Museum”. It was really interesting to learn more about the military past of Canada and Essex County. All the exhibits were in exceptionally good condition. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday.

After visiting the museum, I went to the Carnegie Arts and Visitors Centre. There is a tourist centre and an art gallery there. After that, I just walked around Kingsville and then I went to Lakeside Park, where I also had a little walk and enjoyed the beauty of the path overlooking Lake Erie.

A few days later, someone told me that Colasanti's Tropical Gardens at 1550 County Road 3 East near Kingsville, is a very nice place to spend a day. Colasanti's Tropical Gardens has a lot to offer, such as a zoo and a petting zoo, mini golf, an arcade and also a garden centre. I would say it's something for the young and old. I haven't tried it myself, but I definitely regret it and I wish that I had heard about it before. So, if you are interested in something like this, you should check it out.

After Kingsville, I drove to Leamington. There I visited the Leamington Arts Centre (LAC). It was a really small art gallery, but very nice. I also walked around Leamington and enjoyed the good weather and the beautiful town.

You could also combine these two towns with a trip to Point Pelee or Pelee Island. Point Pelee is a national park close to Leamington or you can take the ferry from Kingsville to Pelee Island. But I will talk about that in another blog post where you can find more information about Point Pelee.

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Pelee Island & Point Pelee National Park

Post date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022 - 09:20

I have already briefly mentioned Point Pelee and Pelee Island in the Kingsville & Leamington blog, but I would like to tell you more about these interesting places in this blog post.

Pelee Island is the most southerly part of Canada and is suitable for a day trip or a relaxing weekend. To get to the island, you have to take the ferry from Kingsville, which takes about 1.30 hours. It is best to book your place on the ferry well before the departure at this website: https://www.ontarioferries.com/pelee-island-ferries/. Once you are at the ferry terminal in Kingsville, there are several accommodation options and restaurants. On Pelee Island itself, you can either rent a bike or bring your own if you have one http://www.peleebikerental.com/rates.html. You can also use a car if you brought it over on the ferry to the island, but transporting a car is rather expensive and space on the ferry is limited so I recommend that you use a bike or walk to enjoy the island landscape. The island is perfect to spend a few days relaxing and enjoying the quiet and relaxing atmosphere.

You should definitely visit the Pelee Island Heritage Centre. There you can learn about traditions, flora, fauna and the geology of the island. The Vin Villa Tour is also worth a recommendation. These ruins are more than 150 years old and were the first commercial winery in Canada. You can book a tour online to learn more about it. Because of Pelee Island's long history as a wine-making locale, you also should visit a local winery to sample the excellent vintages if you like wine.

A very clear recommendation and a must-see are Point Pelee National Park. It is the southernmost national park in Canada and also one of Canada’s ten oldest national parks. It is located on Lake Erie and is about an hour's drive from Windsor. You have to pay an entrance fee to drive into the Park. Point Pelee offers many different activities. You can hike, swim at the beach or ride your bike. You can also go bird watching and see the variety of nature that Point Pelee has to offer. Be sure to take enough food and drink with you if you plan to stay there for a day.

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Halifax

Post date: Monday, August 29, 2022 - 17:18

I travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia (on the east coast of Canada) from July 22 to 29^th. I flew there with Flair Airline directly from Windsor. The flight takes about 2:30, but when you arrive in Halifax you are in the Atlantic time zone which is 1 hour later than Windsor. My flight to Halifax was on July 22 in the evening and I returned to Windsor in the afternoon of July 29. Personally, I think Halifax and the landscape are really beautiful - as I have mentioned, I love the landscapes in Canada!

I stayed in a hotel in Dartmouth which is a smaller city near Halifax and from there, I always took the bus into the city, but there is also plenty of accommodation in Halifax. Here's a little tip: if you have the opportunity to rent a car, I would definitely recommend it as the excursions would be much easier. Unfortunately, I booked my trip spontaneously and didn't have the opportunity to rent a car.

On my first day in Halifax, I went to the Nova Scotia Visitor Information Centre located at 1655 Lower Water St. There you can get a walking tour map, "City Tour of Historic Halifax" which has all the important points along with a description of why it so special. The walking tour takes about 2 hours, depending on whether you see all the points or not. But I definitely advise you to do this city tour.

My highlight was the Halifax harbour and the view over Halifax from the Citadel. Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada is a historical museum site where Halifax served as the main base for the fleets of the British Empire. There is a guard outside the entrance, this post is changed every hour, which is very interesting to watch. The way up to the Citadel is not easy, but it is well worth the walk.

I also did a sailing tour with J. Farwell Sailing Tours from Halifax. The sailing tour takes about 2:00 hours and you taste three different Tidal Bay wines, plus there was also a detailed wine explanation, a cheese platter, good vibes and a great view of the water and surrounding coastline.

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Montreal

Post date: Monday, August 29, 2022 - 17:05

The first trip I took on my own was to Montréal which is the largest city in the Canadian province of Québec. One fact about Montréal that many people don't know is that Montréal is located on an island, Île de Montréal. This island is surrounded by the Saint-Lawrence River and the estuaries of Ottawa. French is the official language in the city. In 1642, Montréal was founded by French colonialists and later Montréal was taken by the British. This is why English is spoken in Montréal as well.

To learn more about the history of Montréal, I advise you to take a guided tour, because everything is explained in detail. But I will come to possible tours later in the blog.

How did I get to Montréal in the first place? From Windsor, there has been a direct flight connection on a new airline called "Flair Airlines" since the 7th of July 2022. My flight from Windsor to Montréal was the first on this new connection. The airline has been operating for several years, but Windsor Airport has expanded the flight connections. Flair Airlines added a direct flight to Montréal and also a direct flight from Windsor to Halifax during the summer months. From the airport in Montréal, I got to my accommodation quite easily by bus 747. The bus ticket costs $11 and is valid for 24 hours, so, you can use the ticket more times on your first day.

I stayed at "The Grey Nuns Residence by Concordia University". Concordia is a university in Montréal that rents student rooms to tourists during the summer when the school is much quieter. The accommodation has a good location, there are restaurants and bars nearby, the bus stop for route 747 and a metro (subway) station is also not far away. You can reach the tourist information centre after about 15 minutes of walking.

I flew to Montréal Thursday morning and back Sunday morning. For me, the two and a half days fit exactly, but I already visited Montréal about three years ago. At that time, I found the city very diverse and therefore wanted to go there again. However, if you have more time, I would advise you to plan a little more time for Montréal, because the city really has a lot to offer. For larger cities, I would always advise between three to four days to be able to look at everything at a relaxed pace.

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Toronto & Niagara Falls

Post date: Monday, August 29, 2022 - 16:43

On my last big trip to Canada, I decided to go to Toronto for a weekend. It takes about 4.30 hours to get from Windsor to Toronto. You can get there by train, bus or car and I would recommend the train as the easiest option https://www.viarail.ca/en.

Toronto is a big city and so there are many different accommodations in the city and surrounding area. As a small tip, if you want cheaper accommodation it might be worth looking in the towns near Toronto, as staying directly in the city is often a bit more expensive than staying a short distance outside the downtown. In principle, I would also recommend about 3-4 days for Toronto, as the city has a lot to offer. You can also take a day trip to Niagara Falls which is about 130 km southwest of Toronto – around the western end of Lake Ontario. No one will believe you've been to Canada if you haven't visited Niagara Falls! I'll come to that in more detail later.

First, more about Toronto. Toronto is the largest city in Canada with a population of more than 6 million people. It is the capital of the province of Ontario and was founded in 1793. Did you know that Toronto was called York until 1843? In 1843, the city was renamed Toronto to better distinguish it from the city of New York.

A few must-sees from my side are: Casa-Loma is a historic house museum and landmark which is built in a Gothic Revival style in midtown Toronto. The builder was Sir Henry Pellatt – a businessman who had a passion for castles. He actually ran out of money while building Casa Loma and so the house is not quite complete to this day. The Harbourfront Toronto and a boat trip to Toronto Island are also fun. A visit to the CN Tower, a 553-metre high television tower and major Toronto landmark. You can either enjoy the view over Toronto and the surrounding area, have a meal at the 360-degree restaurant or do the "EdgeWalk", where you walk 116 floors above Toronto along the outer edge of the CN Tower secured with a harness. I would also recommend a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). It is a museum of culture, art and natural history and is one of the largest museums in North America. The ROM is known for its exhibitions on the indigenous peoples of North America and the associated history of Canada. In total, it offers more than six million exhibits.