Bluewater Bridge

My Mom and Dad came up for their first visit to Canada over Brenna's birthday.  We didn't get to do anything big, but we all enjoyed seeing some of the sights in our fair town of Sarnia.  We took a scenic drive through downtown Sarnia on the waterfront of the St. Clair River.  We stopped off at a few of the beaches of Lake Huron, and we visited the Bluewater Bridge.

The Bluewater Bridge is the second busiest crossing between the United States and Canada. The first bridge was originally built in 1938, with the second twin bridge following in 1997 after it was determined that crossing had become so busy that it surpassed its capacity.  The sight from the peak of the bridge is beautiful.  From that high of a vantage point you get a clear view of Lake Huron opening into the mouth of the St. Clair River.  On our first visit to Sarnia, Lake Huron was a complete frozen plain of ice and I watched as chunks of the ice would break away and float down the winding river.  Ice breakers are frequent to clear the path for freight ships making their way across Lake Huron and down the river.  During the summer the water is a beautiful blue in both the lake and river.  A far cry from the muddy Mississippi River that I'm so familiar with.  You can see the lighthouse on the Michigan side and sandy beaches that stretch up the Canadian side.  If you travel the bridge often enough, you're sure to get a lengthy look, as its a common occurrence for the border crossing to get backed up and cars get stuck on the bridge.

Beneath the bridge on the Canadian side is a park that hosts a french fry truck.  It's a popular tourist attraction to walk under the Bluewater Bridge enjoying the best french fries in town.  And yes, they come with gravy, although I still prefer my fries without it!

We walked the park trail beside the bridge and eventually made our way down the river bank.  We watched boats, freight ships, jet skies, and even people in tubes float by beneath the bridge.  We also watched daredevil teenagers cross the railing of the observation deck at the base of the bridge and make the 20 foot drop into the freezing river water.

After our visit to the bridge, we made our way down the riverfront to a popular restaurant called Dockside located at the Sarnia Bay Marina.   We enjoyed the beautiful weather and had lunch on the patio while a band played.  

All around Sarnia has proved to be beautiful this summer!  A small part of me even looks forward to winter so I can see a whole new view of beauty from this small town.