Overnight in Port Huron on the way to Providence

We left Grand Rapids late in the afternoon after an early dinner with Susie's mom. It was a beautiful day for a drive and we made great time crossing the "mitt," as the state in euphemistically called. This very short leg of our latest return trip to Providence would leave us in Port Huron for the night and we soon found ourselves in the parking lot of the Doubletree Hilton right along the western shore of the St. Clair river in the shadow of the Blue Water Bridge.

Truck traffic on the bridge

In addition to a lovely view of the hotel parking lot, our room overlooked the river looking south towards Detroit, but also the Michigan Culinary Institute (part of the Baker College system). And we had a nice terrace to sit outside and enjoy the quiet evening air.

After settling in to our room we headed downstairs and outside to the hotel's restaurant "Freighters" to enjoy a drink and appetizer while we enjoyed a view of the Casino on the Canadian side of the river.

The appetizer consisted of squid steaks (yep, steaks): long strips of squid casing that are then marinated in milk overnight before being lightly breaded and then quickly fried. They were nothing short of incredible -- and I mean the melt-in-your-mouth incredible.

From the hotel we drove downtown and and a tasty dinner at Thumbcoast Brewery right along a channel leading into the river.

As we returned to the hotel we poked our way along the river. We soon found ourselves at a wonderful little waterfront park right in front of the Doubletree where we strolled for a bit taking in the evening air and absorbing the colors of the settling sky.

Looking north to Lake Huron

looking east, more or less, to Canada

looking south east to Canada

And this, folks, is why it's called the Blue Water Bridge: