A quick trip via tunnel or bridge over from Detroit, Michigan, Windsor, Ontario is a medium-sized industrial city that is surprisingly green and pleasant. Even if you have no interest in trying your luck at the Casino Windsor, the city offers access to some of the other natural attractions in the region.

It isn't very far southeast to Leamington, located on the shores of Lake Erie. Join a charter and while away a day fishing for feisty small-mouthed bass, do some scuba diving or grab binoculars and bird your heart out at Point Pelee National Park. Catch a glimpse of monarch butterflies swirling through in autumn months.

Ferries leave daily from Leamington for Pelee Island, a popular retreat in Lake Erie. With vineyards, lake views and roads perfect for cyclists, this small island has atmospheric old lighthouses and plenty of Bed & Breakfasts to boot.

Also within easy reach from Windsor is Amherstburg, once an important transit point for those fleeing slavery via the Underground Railway. This small town on the Detroit River has several historic sites to explore, good for an afternoon's education.

Windsor is just across the Canadian border from Detroit, Michigan, and southwest of London, Ontario.