Your Guide To A Girls’ Getaway

A Girls’ Getaway to Windsor Essex

Original blog by Carrie Steinweg

Sisters, Shawarmas & Sunsets: My Third Escape to Ontario

I recently took my third trip to Windsor, Ontario, Canada in just over a year. I fell in love with Southwest Ontario on the first visit there during late summer. The lakeside views. The beautiful wine country. The natural beauty. The diverse variety of cuisine. The friendly locals. The history. Click here to read about my previous visits!

The first trip was with my husband, sister-in-law and my husband’s aunt. The second trip was with my husband. On the third trip, it was just me and my sister, Becky. After telling her how much I loved the area, we planned a little fall weekend getaway together.

While it’s often assumed that Canada, in general, has harsh weather, the Southwest Corner has weather that is similar to what we experience in the Midwest. During our mid-November visit, the Windsor, Ontario area was experiencing a warm spell just like we were at home with high temperatures hovering around 60 degrees. It was perfect weather for exploring the outdoors.

We made our way across the border via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, which opened in 1930 and is the only existing underwater international border crossing tunnel. Our first stop was at the Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island office where we picked up some maps and staff directed us around the immediate area and gave us some dining and shopping suggestions.

We were both in the mood for shawarma for lunch and walked a couple blocks over to Shawarma Palace for a classic sandwich. Then we walked over to a unique boutique called Whiskeyjack Boutique (named after the Canadian Jay bird) where everything sold there is produced in Canada, from candy to jewelry to cards to tea and much more, you’ll find some wonderful gift items and souvenirs here.

From there we made our way over to the riverfront to Dieppe Gardens, where a giant Canadian flag is on display at the end of Ouellette Avenue where it meets the Detroit River. It’s a beautiful area for a walk and you have a lovely view of the Detroit skyline. We then walked over to a new eatery called Republik Asian Eatery and Bar, an Asian restaurant and lounge on the 14th floor of the CIBC building. It was the perfect spot to enjoy a cocktail and appetizer while watching the setting sun.

The night ended with dinner at Harbour House Waterfront Eatery, where we had a magnificent seafood meal, but unfortunately didn’t get to enjoy the riverfront dining because it was already dark before we arrived. I’d love to return during daylight hours to dine on the waterfront patio or in the large dining room lined with windows.

We spent night one at Four Points by Sheraton in downtown Windsor where we were not far from the river with lots of dining opportunities nearby. It was clean and comfortable and a nice home base for a little time in Windsor.

On day two we set off for Point Pelee National Park. On the way we had to make a McDonald’s stop because after visiting the location inside the Global Headquarters in Chicago’s West Loop and trying menu items from different countries, we were interested in seeing what would be on the menu. As we suspected, there was poutine. We also tried a Big Arch burger – a cousin of our Big Mac, made with a couple quarter-pound Canadian beef patties, layered with three slices of white processed cheese, crisply onions, pickles, slivered onions, lettuce and Big Arch Sauce. We also had a Chicken Snack Wrap – something I miss from the American menu, a peach pie (which is just like our apple pie, but with different filling) and McPops, which were donut holes with different fillings.

Then it was on to Point Pelee to walk off those calories. It was a pleasant weather day for our walk out to the point, which extends into Lake Erie and is the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland. There’s also a sign there marking the 42nd Parallel North – a circle that also includes Spain, Portugal, France, Kosovo, Turkey, Kazakhastan, Michigan, Idaho, Oregon, Japan and other locations. The park contains some of Canada’s rarest plants and animals because of its mild, southerly climate. We enjoyed our tram ride out to the point and exploring some more inland trails as well as the visitor center and gift shop where we got some wonderful souvenirs.

Carrie is a freelance writer, photographer, author and blogger in Northwest Indiana. She writes a travel column for the Northwest Indiana Times and shares her food adventures on the blog Chicago Foodie Sisters (ChicagoFoodieSisters.com). Her newest book, Unique Eats and Eateries of Indiana was released in September 2024. You can follow @chicagofoodiesisters on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

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