Rum Runners tour fun, informative

My friend Alice and I recently took the Rum Runners tour. What a fun and educational day.

We began at Mackenzie Hall, a heritage building on Sandwich Street. From there we went to Bedford Church.

From there, we were entertained on the bus with stories of the rum-running days of Windsor and Detroit. Arriving in LaSalle, we departed for Maria’s Restaurant, formerly The Chateau.

A 1920s decor prevailed — a pork pie-hatted gent sat at the keyboard. A Roaring ’20s singer, gorgeous in a black dress and a red boa, was belting out ragtime songs.

During the delicious buffet, we were regaled with stories from Benny Deweasel and King Canada; stories of how many ordinary folks became very wealthy from the sale of whisky to Detroit during Prohibition. I will mention that this bus we took was from Ohio. There were only four Canadians on the tour.

When we left Maria’s Restaurant, we boarded a boat for an hour tour on the Detroit River.

The final stop was at Hiram Walker where we were warmly welcomed by a tour guide. The ancient ledgers from the sales of whisky, etc., were open on the massive desks.

We sat in chairs once occupied by Al Capone and the Purple Gang of Detroit. They were frequent visitors to Windsor.

It was a fun day and informative as well.

HELEN DAVIS, Windsor