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.


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Post date: Monday, August 29, 2022 - 15:07

Beach

Exploring Southwestern Ontario

In this blog entry, I'll tell you about my little discovery tour by car. We started at the University of Windsor and made our way to the small city of St. Thomas, Ontario for our first stop. We drove along County Road 46 and so I got to see some of the rural areas there. I'm actually a big fan of the different property styles and homes in Canada – so different from my home. St. Thomas is about 220 km east of Windsor and is known as the Railway City because no fewer than five railroads once met and had terminals there. Now, most of the railroads are gone, but there is still an excellent train museum in the town.

Once we got to St. Thomas, we went for a walk in the St. Thomas Elevated Park. The Michigan Central Railroad Kettle Creek Bridge was a railroad bridge that was converted into Canada's first Elevated Park. It is located on Centre Street, where there is also some parking available. It was perfect for a short walk to look at the area and admire the artwork at this bridge.

Our second stop was the small lakeside town of Port Stanley. On the way to Port Stanley, we stopped at "Shaw's Ice Cream - Dairy Bar" at 6598 Sunset Drive., (Front), in St. Thomas for ice cream. In Port Stanley you can spend a nice day on the beach, relaxing and checking out the cute little village. It looked like a perfect place for a weekend or even a day trip.

Sunshade at St. Thomas Elevated ParkKinsmen sun shade at St. Thomas Elevated Park

Railway rotary signRailway City Rotary at St. Thomas Elevated Park

 

Post date: Monday, August 29, 2022 - 14:50

Windsor is also known, among other things, for its many parks in and near the city. For example, there is Jackson Park at 125 Tecumseh Road East. You can go there by bus, on foot or by bike. In the park, you can see different flowerbeds that look really beautiful, especially in the season when they bloom. You can also find various sculptures and monuments and also practise various sports in the park.  There is a basketball court, five ball fields, rugby and soccer fields, and a cricket field.

A Perfect day in good weather for a little walk with friends and enjoy the great weather in Windsor. 

flower bed and small fountain jackson parkFlower bed and a small fountain at the entrance of Jackson Park

astrolabium and sun dialAstrolabium & Sun Dial of M. Kopernik (Copernicus) at Jackson Park


Reaume Park 

Along Windsor's waterfront, you will find many small parks in which to relax.  Near the eastern end of the waterfront, you will find Reaume Park at 4714 Riverside Drive East.  If you have a bike, I recommend you ride your bike along the waterfront and explore all the parks.  You can make a little stop at each one or just ride along at your leisure. 

At Reaume Park, I personally loved the gardens and flowers.  There is also a Peace Fountain, but unfortunately, it was not operating when I visited, but I am told it is very nice.  

garden area overlooking detroit river Garden area in Reaume Park overlooking the Detroit Waterfront 

Post date: Monday, August 29, 2022 - 14:17

LaSalle Strawberry Festival Entrance poster

Located in Mill Street Heritage Park you can find some wind-powered gristmills that were used in the 18th Century. 

Another beautiful neighbouring town to Windsor is Sandwich. Old Sandwich Town is only about a 15-minute walk to the west of the University of Windsor campus (basically – go under the Ambassador Bridge and keep walking for a few minutes to get there).

Old Sandwich Town has a lot to offer, including history. The town was founded in 1797 and is still considered one of the oldest and most historic settlements in Ontario. Sandwich was an important site for several significant historical events. The best thing to do is to walk through Sandwich and see some of the old houses, which are still well preserved today. There is for example the "Duff Baby House" which was built by Alexander Duff between 1792 and 1798 for the fur trading post. In 1807 James Baby bought the building, which later served as the headquarters of U.S. General Harrison, Colonel Henry Proctor and General Isaac Brock until it was ravaged by the British during the War of 1812. There is also "Mackenzie Hall", which was built between 1855 to 1856 by the second Prime Minister of Canada, Alexander Mackenzie. This building served as the Essex County Court House and then became the county headquarters. Nowadays it is a cultural centre with various performing arts spaces, theatres, meeting facilities and much more.

Mackenzie Hall Sandwich TownMackenzie Hall Cultural Centre at 3277 Sandwich Street West

Duff Baby House Sandwich TownDuff Baby House at 221 Mill Street 

Post date: Friday, July 29, 2022 - 09:45

Comerica Park entrances

With this blog entry I want to tell you something about my trip to Detroit, Michigan. To get across the border to Detroit, I first needed to obtain my ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization from the US Border Protection Agency). As a German citizen, I could easily apply for this online via the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection site. I was able to apply for the ESTA because Germany is in "Visa Waiver Program" with the United States. This allows me to enter the US for private or tourist purposes (not for work) for a maximum of 90 days.

For the online application I had to enter my passport data and answer a few questions regarding my origin; my current place of residence and my stay in the US. It also costs money to process, so you also have to provide a valid credit card. The whole thing took about 30 minutes and was approved within 4 hours, but it can actually take as much as 72 hours. 

You must find out whether you are eligible and what steps you must take to enter the US and also to return to Canada in detail before you travel, as entry requirements are different depending on your home country.

There are two ways to enter America by land; the Ambassador Bridge or the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel. We entered via the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel. Then in the US they checked my passport, took my fingerprints and stamped a form called I-94 in my passport. The number on the I-94 form is also known as the exit or entry control number. This stamp contains what is called the "Admit Until Date", it is the date on which I must leave America again because my ESTA expires. 

Post date: Saturday, July 16, 2022 - 11:22

Louisa eating a dessert near Bad Witch Bakery

From Thursday, June 9, 2022 to Sunday, June 12, 2022, the Poutine Festival took place at the Riverfront Festival Plaza. I was told that this year´s event was a little smaller than usual and there are usually more food trucks at the Poutine Festival. It was also the first time that this festival took place after the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

Poutine is a French-Canadian food made of French Fries covered with gravy and cheese curds - and other toppings. It tastes great but there are a lot of calories in it. This year there were five food trucks. For me as a "poutine beginner” it was of course good, because I could decide more easily which one to try. I got my portion from Herbert's Fries food truck. My portion was really fantastic! My poutine toppings were bacon and spring onions.

Different types of poutines at the "Poutine Festival"

Different types of poutines from various food trucks at the "Poutine Festival"

“Herbert's Fries“ Food Truck

“Herbert's Fries“ Food Truck

All events can be found on the official tourism website of Windsor "Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island" or under the following link https://www.visitwindsoressex.com/events/. I suggest visiting this page regularly to keep you informed about upcoming events and festivals.

Post date: Friday, July 15, 2022 - 00:16

LaSalle Strawberry Festival Entrance poster

From June 9 to June 12, 2022 the Strawberry Fest took place in LaSalle. LaSalle is a neighboring town of Windsor. Due to the festival, an extra bus service was created, which made it possible to get from downtown Windsor to Strawberry Fest. The entrance fee to the festival was $5.00. 

In the festival area there were various food trucks; lemonade stands as well as various stands selling clothing or accessories. There were also various rides for young and old and game booths such as "duck fishing"; "dart throwing" and much more.

Throwing game at the LaSalle Strawberry Festival

Some throwing game at the LaSalle Strawberry Festival

Different food trucks at the LaSalle Strawberry Festival

Different food trucks at the LaSalle Strawberry Festival

Clothing booth at the LaSalle Strawberry Festival

Clothing booth at the LaSalle Strawberry Festival

Post date: Thursday, July 14, 2022 - 23:37

You need a car or a bike and you may be wondering where you can rent one? I have two suggestions for you. You can rent a car from the "Enterprise" car rental company https://www.enterprise.de/de/home.html. You have to be at least 21 years old, but sometimes you can only get a car when you are 25 years old. If you are 21 years old and rent a car, you will actually have to pay a little more for insurance than people who are 25 years old.  Logically, you need a driver's license, which entitles you to drive a car in Canada. 

Alternatively, you can rent a bike at "Bike Windsor Essex", you can rent it hourly, daily or weekly https://bikewindsoressex.com/programs/bike-rental/. If you rent it weekly, check with the residence to see if and where you can store the bike.

Friday Night Lights by WindsorEats

Preparing for group bike ride

Before we left, we were given some instructions on how to behave in traffic.

Bike stop at "Walkerville Eatery"

In "Walkerville eatery" was our first stop of the evening.  We all had a drink here and sat outside in a cozy atmosphere and talked. After about 45 minutes we went on again.

Bike ride at night through the city and past Caesars Windsor.

Post date: Wednesday, July 13, 2022 - 21:19

Louisa playing an piano game

Me while I am playing a piano. This was about skill but also speed.

Go-Cart-Arena

Go-Cart-Arena

Arcade Game

Arcade Game

If you're looking for a fun night out with friends, I highly recommend the “Big Time Entertainment Center“ in Windsor. Whether old or young, there is something for everyone here. 

The “ Big Time Entertainment Center“ is located at 2411 Dougall Avenue in Windsor which is 4.5 km from the University.  
There are different arcade games or you can play laser tag or drive a go-cart. There are also billiard tables; trampolines or you can try your hand at axe throwing.
In between you can have something to eat or drink in the in-house restaurant and then you can continue to collect points. You get a card at the beginning and you can load some money on this card. The money is converted into credits, with which you then "pay" the slot machines. The better you are in a game, the more points you get for that game. At the end of the day, you can redeem your accumulated points for a prize or keep them on your card for the next visits. Prizes include everything from candy to expensive toys/items.

Post date: Wednesday, July 13, 2022 - 19:59

Art in the Park

Art in the Park

Birdhouses of different sizes and colors

Birdhouses of different sizes and colors were sold here

Different soaps being sold inside booth

Different soaps were sold in this stand

On Saturday June 4 and Sunday June 5 the "Art in the Park" festival took place again in Willistead Park. The entrance fee was $7 dollars. For me, it was definitely worth the entrance fee.
In the park there were several food and beverage booths; jewelry booths, art and paintings for sale. You could also buy clothes or regional products like honey or cooking oil. I liked it there very much and I thought it was great to see the different vendor stands where people were selling interesting things.

In addition, music was played at various points in the Park. And the Park also has a small playground for children. Be sure to look at the big Willistead Manor house and the coach house – which were built by Hiram Walker who started the whiskey industry in Windsor back in 1856. I would say there was something for young and old. I myself bought some regional honey and some jewelry.

Post date: Thursday, June 9, 2022 - 12:39

Here is some short information about Windsor. Windsor is located in southwestern Ontario and is therefore the southernmost city in Canada. The city is located on the Detroit River and is connected to Michigan, USA by the Ambassador Bridge and the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel (both of which are only for cars and busses). It is located in Essex County, but the City is independent of it. Also, it is the third largest city in southwestern Ontario with a population of approximately 229,660.  Because of its location, summers are long and often very hot and humid.

Windsor has its own small airport, which offers for example direct flights to Toronto, Montréal or Halifax, especially in the summer months. However, more blog entries will follow on this. In winter, of course, these destinations can be visited with a stopover in Toronto. 

In Windsor there are various restaurants, shopping facilities such as the Devonshire Mall and recreational opportunities. Devonshire Mall is very large and offers you various services, restaurants and clothing stores. Especially cycling or a walk along the waterfront or in one of the many parks in and around Windsor are ideal. For example, there is the "Windsor Sculpture Park" which runs along the waterfront to the Peace Fountain & Coventry Gardens. In the Sculpture Park there are several sculptures designed by artists from all over the world. It is close to the University and well worth a walk!

Apple sculpture in park

Apple sculpture in Sculpture Park

Elephant sculpture in park

Elephant sculptures in Sculpture Park