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Pelee IslandA beautiful green jewel in the |
This lovely island sits in the middle of Lake Erie and you can only get there by ferry - from either Leamington and Kingsville, Ontario, or Sandusky, Ohio.
This is the home to Pelee Island Winery's vineyards where Winery tours are available between May and October.
Tours include a pavilion tour and wine seminar.
Tour the grounds of the Pavilion itself; learning about some of the history of the Pelee Island Winery, as well as the reasons why it’s is such a great place for grapes to grow.
The wine appreciation seminar will give you an in-depth look at the process of making wine.
For more information contact the Island Winery at the link below.
With a total of 10,000 acres of vineyards, farms, parks, beaches, and forest, this little island is a great place to visit.
Many people may not realize that over half of the 50 American states are north of Pelee Island, including Northern California.
The island is on the same latitude as the great wine regions of the world, including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and France, which is why grapes grow so well here.
The island is home to approximately 170 permanent residents, many of whom are involved in service or agriculture on the Island.
In the Fall, organized Pheasant hunts take place on the island and this is a major source of revenue for the residents.
The hotels and Bed & Breakfasts need extra maids and cooks and help is often recruited from the mainland.
If you plan to stay overnight here, there are a number of beautiful Bed and Breakfasts that will be happy to accommodate you, all of whom serve the wines of Pelee Island. There is a main road which stretches around the perimeter of the island and provides an excellent route to cycle or walk.
For those birdwatchers among you, the Island is home to an excellent diversity of breeding species and has similar bird life to Point Pelee.
The island's Heritage Centre also provides a sightings book where you can read which birds have been spotted recently. (519) 724-2291.
There are several places on the Island where you are most likely to observe the native birds, such as, Lighthouse Point which is located in the northeast corner of the Island.
This nature reserve is a natural jumping-off point for migrants heading to the mainland.
Fish Point Nature Reserve has been described as a "miniature Point Pelee" in form and vegetation, as it provides an outstanding wide variety of avian migrants.
Stone Road Alvar is an area of open prairie-like parkland and this nature reserve plays host to southern breeding birds; including the Yellow-breasted Chat and Orchard Oriole.
Pelee Island Winery
Full information about the Winery on the Island
Pelee Island Bird Observatory
PIBO's field station at Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve is open to the public in the spring and autumn, with educational programs provided to visiting school groups throughout the month of May
Birding Guide
Birding Guide to Pt. Pelee, Pelee Island, Windsor and Essex County
The short films below highlight some of the history and scenery of the Island. Reproduced here by kind permission of YouTube and Mr Kyle Arnold.
The films are of 6 minutes and 8 minutes in length.
6 MINUTES
8 MINUTES
