Fun On Two Wheels!

Touring Windsor-Essex By Bike

Original blog by Ashley Soul

Recently, I had the pleasure of working with Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. I took my bike around different locations in the Windsor Essex area and I had a blast doing it. Below I’m going to write out my exact itinerary on the places I stopped, and of course where you can also take your bike along with you. This would be such a fun idea with friends, family, and or even if you just want to show someone who is out of town what Windsor, Ontario is all about. Let’s face it Windsor, Ontario has some great places to visit, being born and raised here I am proud to say we live in a great city.

First we started in Ford City, where we grabbed a coffee at Chance Coffee. I love to start my morning with black coffee and some milk and this coffee tasted super fresh. On that note, Chance Coffee does have freshly brewed coffee daily. Chance is also a specialty coffee roaster shop souring coffee from smallholder farms worldwide. To fuel up my morning and a long day of touring and biking, I also got a chocolate filled croissant, which are made by the Iron Kettle. This place is a must start to start your day!

Next we toured the Ford City area, which has come such a long way! Drouillard road has many hot spot restaurant’s and hip retail shops. We noticed amazing murals and art along our biking route. I wanted to point out and share some of my favourite below. Drouillard is home to thirty six outdoor murals to serve and honour Windsor’s history. You can check out the history behind these murals, what they mean and how they represent Windsor. Click here to find out more information on these. Also, check out some of my favourite Drouillard Murals below. Also, just a few steps down and in the Ford City area is City Cyclery. City Cyclery has everything you can imagine for all your biking needs. They feature over 5,000 parts and accessories and also offer full service and maintenance if you need anything for your bike.

Also in Ford City is a retail store called Bunch. This was such a cool store, hand picked goods from the past and present. Unique and nostalgic collection of goods for your home and body. Here I decided to go with some vintage T shirts, and a baseball cap. Very vintage and retro vibes here, you don’t want to ride past this one! Don’t forget to play with the arcade on the way out!

Moving along on our bikes we then went to Willistead Park, in my opinion this park is one of Windsor’s most beautiful parks. All super bike friendly pathways, here you are surrounded by over 300 trees. Grab your bike to ride through, or even have a picnic here and enjoy the beautiful nature and architecture. Willistead is also home to famous events such as Art in the Park. Such a beautiful place to ride your bike and take in the beautiful views of this historical property.

After Willistead Park, we made our way to some unique retail shops in Walkerville. The first stop, Walkerville Mercantile. Our first impression when we walked in was WOW, the clothing and items are sourced from North America and Europe. The entire atmosphere was so unique here, from clothing to household items, everything is quality and fashion at Walkerville Mercantile. I left here with sunglasses, a natural candle, and my husband bought an entire outfit. Let’s just say we will be back!

Next up, Jones & Company, a few steps down from Walkerville Mercantile. This store has everything and I mean everything. They are one, if not very few stores in Windsor that carry Jellycat. They have jewelry, household items, kid toys, you name it! They really do have something for everyone from children to grandparents. Make sure you stop here next time you are in the area!

You must try one of Windsor’s best restaurants, Funky Chow Kitchen, where we stopped for lunch. They offer a variety of Asian dishes which is so unique for the area. They have incredible sushi, ramen dishes, poke bowls, you name it! I ordered a delicious mocktail to go along with my crab poke bowl. This place won’t disappoint your taste buds.

Make your way right next door to Walkerville Brewery, a microbrewery handcrafting unique beer styles. I ordered the apple cider which was so good! We were lucky enough to get invited in their back room where they make all of their beer. All the beer is canned in house, and everything is local, including the apples in the apple cider. They offer live music on Friday nights, and also this brewery is family and dog friendly.

Not too far away is a great place to ride your bike, that is the Caesars Windsor and Riverside Trail. This is a great spot for your bike as it offers a long bike trail that is paved with no cars. You can also park your bike, stop, and enjoy the beautiful views of Caesar Windsor, the Riverfront, and the Detroit skyline. This is a must stop area to bike along in Windsor.

At this time, we wanted to change up the area and head to Sandwich town, in which we stopped in at Sandwich Brewery, which is another bike friendly certified stop. Sandwich Brewery is a great stop offering exceptional beer, all made in house and also local. Grab a beer and a tasty pretzel to keep you going in the afternoon.

Next we went to the Malden Park Observatory where we could ride our bikes along the path, to look at the construction of the Gordie Howe Bridge. This area is bike friendly, and offers a safe way to observe the bridge. This would be a great spot to bring tourists who are visiting Windsor. The Gordie Howe Bridge will have a multi-use path to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists across the Windsor-Detroit border once complete.

Last but not least, we made our way to the LaSalle Trails, with over 50 km of paved trails, you can walk, jog, bring your dog or even have a picnic here. There are so many trees, also a ton of wildlife in this area, we saw a deer hiding along our way. This a great area to bring your bike, and attached the trail we went to the The G.O.A.T Tap & Eatery, which will bring you some energy after biking. The G.O.A.T. Tap & Eatery is a casual sports bar that offers fresh burgers daily, chicken wings, and draft beer. I got the famous goat burger which was delicious.

Thank you for reading along, be sure to enjoy this itinerary with your friends or family, and take your bikes along with you. Windsor Ontario has some pretty great spots to ride your bike, tasty restaurants and tons of unique retail shops. Be sure to follow this guide for a fun filled day!

Original Blog Written by Ashley, @ashleylaurensoul

Sponsored story by Tourism Windsor Essex. For more details on Tourism Windsor Essex click their website, or visit them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.