Flies, Forts and a mysterious island...

June 26, 2013 Day 6 

Flies, Forts and a mysterious island...

Today is the day we are rewarded for 4.5 days cooped up in the car!

Our first stop on today’s agenda is to see the house of Hiram Walker close to the Detroit river.  Beautiful old house from the outside, however we didn’t get to see the inside-they open that up for summer tours in the summer, which begins in July.

We hit Coventry gardens  and riverfront walkway in Windsor, which is a beautiful park.  One of the fishermen we seen had a bucket full of fish, and just had a 10 lb sheepshead fish.  He says they are ugly, not great eating, so I guess it was a blessing that the fish broke his line and got away.

Amhurstburg, Ontario and the season for fish flies in this area.  Fish flies apparently don’t get their name from being around fish, or where fish are, but get their name because of their awful “fishy” smell - thus they are called Fish Flies!  We learned something new today. These things only live for a day, but have a prolific re-production rate!  Fortunately the season is ending for them, and they will be replaced by mosquitos. They are all over and stuck to everything

 Amhurstburg is also the site of Fort Maulden, which is the location key to the capture of Detroit in the war of 1812. 

Turns out over the banks is the Detroit river which was the key mode of transportation.  A deep and narrow channel important for shipping was on the Canadian side and just over the bank from Amhurstburg and the Americans wanted it.  They couldn’t get to Detroit via water without using the channel, which the British owned and had it protected by cannons.

Short story....the British captured a American ship while it was sailing by the fort, complete with papers and documents of how Detroit had planned to defend their fort.  The British stripped the ship, kept all the guns, amo and anything else they could get their hands on  and then took the Fort Detroit and held it until the end of the war.  

What matters even more to me is just how beautiful this small community is.  The population is about 21,000 and like Windsor, is situated on the Detroit river.  They still use this waterway for freighter boats, ferries and recreational sailing boats and speed boats.  There is a most beautiful park along the riverfront with a walkway, benches, flowers and friendly people.

This small community also has a heritage house called the Park house, and also the Black History Museum, which tells the story of the slaves who escaped the US via the “underground” railway to get to Canada where they were free.  This was a great spot for them to come into Canada because of the narrow water to cross to freedom.  There was a large population of African Americans here around the 1840s and they felt so comfortable and free, they built a church and stayed to farm and work in the area.  Alot of their descendants still live here today.

We have supper at Ricardos, which is a lovely italian restaurant just off the riverfront park with wonderful views of the Detroit river and Bob-Lo island. We eat outside and enjoy watching freighters and ferries and sail boats cruise the 

waters. 

The host at the tourist information center told us about Bob-Lo island.  It once had an amusement park,  dance hall center, and  rides, which are now mostly gone or abandoned. 

Being modern explorers, we take the 7:20pm ferry (runs every 20 minutes 24 hours a day) and arrive on the other at 7:23 and explore the island.  The owners of the amusement park went bankrupt, and sold most of the ride related structures, and now the island is home to beautiful homes all on the riverfront and on Crystal Bay.  Beautiful secluded island with beautiful homes and views and the odd old relic.  Everyone here gets around on golf carts, where are a few roads but mostly paths and trails.  The island also has an old abandoned fort which was refurbished for the bi- centennial celebrations of the war of 1812. 

We head to Leamington for the night and it’s on to Point Pelee tomorrow.  It was a 10 out of 10 day, “2 thumbs up” we all say.

Lucas’ statement:  “Mutton Chop” side burns became popular after soldiers grew them for the expressed purpose of protecting their face burning from their comrad’s musket charge,  who were standing beside them in battle.