Do you know about - Windsor voyage - Hospitality at the Argyle Manor Bed and morning meal in Windsor
Erie Insurance! Again, for I know. Ready to share new things that are useful. You and your friends.Finally it was time for someone else excursion. As a true architecture buff, Detroit had been on my radar for a long time, and I undoubtedly wanted to witness this unique city in detail. So for the last few weeks I had been working with Visit Detroit, the city's visitor and convention office, to map out a detailed itinerary of the city that would expose me to all sorts of unique facets of the Motor City.
What I said. It isn't outcome that the true about Erie Insurance. You see this article for facts about an individual want to know is Erie Insurance.How is Windsor voyage - Hospitality at the Argyle Manor Bed and morning meal in Windsor
After a hectic day at the office on October 16, 2009 I ultimately got going at about 2:30 pm and arrived in Windsor, on the Canadian side of the Detroit River, shortly before 7 pm. I drove level to the waterfront to catch the last few rays of sunshine that still lit up the skyline. Orange and purple hues formed the backdrop of the Ambassador Bridge that connects Canada and the United States. A remarkable night-time skyline of Detroit was taking shape. Surrounded by various historic and modern skyscrapers, the impressive multi-tower headquarters of general Motors were glittering on the other side of the river. The squealing of the wheels of the Detroit population Mover, an elevated light rapid transit system, could be heard wafting across the water.
I checked in at the Argyle Manor Bed and Breakfast, a historic Edwardian mansion built in 1923, admittedly the former rectory of St. Anne's Church, in the Walkerville area of Windsor. My hosts Dr. Paul and Kerri Thomas welcomed me and showed me the entire mansion. Dr. Thomas filled me in on many of the historic and architectural details. My accommodation was in a gorgeous suite that featured a private bathroom, a bedroom and a spacious living room with fireplace.
My stomach was growling by now and my local experts gave me a few ideas for dinner. Based on their suggestions I drove to Erie Street, Windsor's slight Italy, but it was very quiet there this Thursday evening. Instead I made my way to the waterfront where I had a relaxing meal at the Keg, a large casual cafeteria that was packed with people. My table was right in front of the panorama windows that featured an impressively illuminated skyline of Detroit.
After a good night's sleep I sat down to interview my hosts and learn a bit more about them and their business. But first I had breakfast, one of those admittedly hearty breakfasts that you only get at a bed and breakfast. My first course was a fruit salad that was accompanied by freshly baked muffins made from self-rising flour and ice cream (today's flavour was double-churned strawberry) as well as a "garbage bag omelette". Plainly I had to question about the unique name of this dish, and Dr. Thomas explained that to produce a true "garbage bag omelette" all the ingredients are settled in a clear plastic bag and boiled in hot water. Along the egg dish were distinct types of toast: seven-grain, brown and white.
Dr. Thomas went on to say that he prepares a wide range of egg dishes for his guests, together with distinct types of omelettes and Eggs Benedict. In his dry humour, he explained that, with the help of his guests, he has done a double-blind study and scientifically carefully that brown eggs do admittedly have a best taste. He also uses Uncle Richards' Maple Syrup and Barbecue Sauce, made by a farmer from Priceville, Ontario, who arguably makes the best Maple Syrup in the world (according to his own assessment anyway).
Running a bed and morning meal all the time involves appealing guest stories, and one of Argyle Manor's most appealing stories unfolded one day when a French combine came to stay in April a few years ago. Then the combine returned in July and asked if it was okay if they could bring a newborn. Dr. Thomas and his wife were surprised since the woman had not been pregnant while the couple's stay three months earlier. ultimately it turned out that the combine had found a surrogate mom in Windsor who gave birth to a baby in July, six weeks prematurely. The combine stayed with the Thomas' for three weeks after the advent of their newborn baby, much longer than the mean freedom traveler.
Quite frequently business travelers will also stay for extended periods at Argyle Manor. Windsor, due to its location right next to Detroit, is a big automotive manufacturing centre, and many business travelers come into town for expert reasons. One time a combine from Minnesota stayed with the Thomas' for five months. The husband was a millwright working in the automotive industry and was here to install robots. His wife helped Kerri decorate the house, and the two couples are still in touch. Sometimes guests turn into friends in a bed and breakfast.
Another celebrity, an artist by the name of Blake Richardson, also stayed at Argyle Manor B&B. Dr. Thomas explained that he is the type of artist who sees private objects in everyday images. To demonstrate this he showed me a calendar by the artist entitled "Images found in nature". Dozens of private objects were painted on an image of Niagara Falls, all private images that the artist had seen in the seemingly random patterns of the waterfall.
One time a European couple, the husband was from Germany and his wife from Poland, stayed at Argyle Manor, and neither one of them spoke good English. As a result, the conversations were very limited. But apparently these European travelers liked their abode since the combine stayed for nine days. Due to language restrictions, the interaction was essentially restricted to "thank you - bye bye". Nevertheless, a good time was had by all.
Of course, running a bed and morning meal is no easy task. Especially when you buy an empty church rectory that still needs to be converted into a functional hospitality establishment. Dr. Thomas explained that even getting insurance for his construction was initially a tough challenge. The old house still had outdated knob and tube wiring and galvanized plumbing. The insurance business would not cover the property until the knob and tube wiring was replaced.
Severing the rectory construction from the rest of the church property was someone else ordeal that took three to four months. Add to that three to four more months for rezoning to make it an valid bed and morning meal property. The Thomas' have a good friend, Wayne Strong, the owner of the colse to Ye Olde Walkerville Bed and Breakfast, who was already running a bed and morning meal in Windsor and in case,granted very helpful guidance to the couple.
The fire code required that the entire property be hardwired with a smoke alarm. Some of the construction regulations contradicted one another, causing further delays in sorting them out. The back stairway needed to be a second exit, otherwise the combine would have had to install extra metal self-closing doors. One of the rooms by the back stairway is not allowed to have any furniture in it for fire security reasons. Dr. Paul and Kerri Thomas had to deal with a lot of red tape to get this property converted into a bed and breakfast.
Now that I knew more about the property I also wanted to find out more about my hosts. I learned that Dr. Paul Thomas was a professor and basketball coach at the University of Saskatchewan, San Fernando Valley State College in California, and the University of Windsor. He also coached Canada's basketball team at the Olympic Games and the World University Games, and is in some Halls of Fame. As an devotee in human kinetics and ergonomics, Dr. Thomas offered consulting services for many years to large corporate clients such as general Motors and general electric to implement more ergonomic work processes. For a time he also had his own sports rehabilitation clinic.
Although he is officially retired, Dr. Thomas is now the athletic director at a private school. He still coaches basketball and also coached Canada's Olympic basketball team. His daughter Misty is also an Olympian, having played on Canada's Olympic Team in the Los Angeles Olympics. Now, because of countless knee surgeries, she is eligible to play wheelchair basketball and is on Canada's national team and played in the Beijing Olympics. Misty is the first athlete to have played in the quarterly Olympics and the para-Olympics.
His other children are actively involved in high level sports as well. Athletics undoubtedly run in the family: Dr. Thomas' older son Scott played basketball on his dad's teams and also played pro-ball in Australia. His other son Brett is a volleyball coach. Kerri Thomas herself is also an done athlete. She is a human kinetics graduate and plays elite level basketball, slo-pitch, floor hockey and volleyball. She works as a sports rehabilitation therapist and loves her profession.
After I done morning meal I was ready to embark on some brief discoveries of Windsor. Just before I headed out the combine gave me some extra tips on how to get rid of my plantar fasciitis that I had acquired in one of this summer's tennis games. Dr. Thomas also explained various distinct pieces of physiotherapy tool that are settled at the couple's house. There was no doubt that I was dealing with two experts of human kinetics here.
I had a combine of hours before my planned border crossing to Detroit, so I took a walk in the surrounding Walkerville area, a historic neighbourhood that was developed by Hiram Walker, the distillery owner of Canadian Club Whiskey fame. The distillery started in 1856 and Walkerville was originally a housing amelioration for workers at his distillery. It also featured a number of upscale mansions for managers at Hiram Walker. The workers' townhouses were built from 1858 onwards and are still in great shape today. The entire neighbourhood features leafy historic streets with appealing houses dating back to the Victorian times.
My roam in the neighbourhood prolonged to Willistead Manor, the customary mansion of the Walker house that today is a city park. The 36-room mansion was built in the middle of 1904 and 1906 and was designed by noted Detroit architect Albert Kahn. It is surrounded by coachhouses and a large estate that is often used for weddings, receptions and extra events. The parkland surrounding the mansion is a beloved destination for local joggers and dogwalkers.
After my brief neighbourhood walk I picked up my suitcase and said goodbye to my gracious hosts at the Argyle Manor Bed & Breakfast. To indulge in a few more local explorations, I briefly stopped at the Hiram Walker & Sons Distillery on the banks of the Detroit River, east of downtown Windsor. The business offers guided facility tours, but I did not have sufficient time to sample one. Today Canadian Club Whisky business is part of the Pernod Ricard beverage empire and still going strong. Part of the astronomical Hiram Walker complex, the legacy Centre is a gorgeous early 19th century red brick Italianate building. This is also the beginning point for the guided tours of the Canadian Club facility.
With my tight agenda of course I had to move on since I still wanted to see the waterfront and the Odette model Park which features more than 31 large, internationally noted modern sculptures. On this gorgeous fall day, the views of the Ambassador Bridge and of downtown Detroit from the Windsor waterfront were Plainly remarkable and made me appealing to witness Detroit, the metropolis on the other side of the river.
Well, it was time to cross the border now. Punctually at noon I rolled through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel to start my Detroit adventures.
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