Pelee Passage Lighthouse

location-Windsor, Ontario, Canada

built-1902

active beacon-yes

players-Jen, Lincoln, Spencer, Jackson and Aunt Kristen

So, after our fun adventures at Durand Union Station.  We are now on to the main purpose of this road trip. We are teaming up with Burnett Brew Blog and going international!  We are talking real passports, not lighthouse passports!!  We are crossing the border to Canada.  I grew up on the east side of Michigan. We used to go to Canada a lot and never needed passports, but this is a new era.  My kids are from  the west side and we just don't make it that way that often and have never had a reason to cross the border. Well, thanks to our love of lighthouses they got to experience another country!  To them it seemed like a big deal, so it was really fun.  Although, when we were at customs trying to reenter the USA, they didn't seem to take it too seriously and were acting like nuts.  Fortunately, we had a friendly customs agent.  He must be used to kids.

We wanted to let them have two fun experiences.  So, on the way there we took the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and on the way back we took the Ambassador Bridge.

inside the tunnel

Jax is skeptical

The Pelee Passage Lighthouse is located in Lakeview Park.  It's a marina on the Detroit River. There isn't a whole lot of information out there on this one, but according to the sign on the lighthouse itself -- "Pelee Passage Lighthouse served as the main navigational aid for the Great Lakes mariners using the Lake Erie Pelee Passage from 1902 to 1975.  The lighthouse was re-erected by Dean Construction Co. LTD on the present site as a gift to the city of Windsor in honour of it's founder Americo Dean in the year 1980."

After crossing the Ambassador Bridge and getting through the long customs line we were pretty hungry.  We headed straight to the Detroit Beer Company.  I was a little skeptical taking three kids there, but Aunt Kristen assured me it would be A OK.  It turned out to be great, they even had a high chair for big baby.  He's not really a baby anymore, but if he's not contained in a high chair it's not a fun experience.  The pale ale was excellent and the food was delish!  The kids all got pizza and Kristen and I both ordered the same thing -- cheddar ale soup in a bread bowl and a salad.  (Kristen will go into more details on Burnett Brew Blog - check it out.)  

Our first Canadian exploration was a hit.  We will definitley be crossing the border more often, maybe in warmer weather.  The kids loved the tunnel and the bridge, next time I think we'll do the car ferry!

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