Mid-Michigan Dining

• 377 Riverside Drive
• Windsor, ON N9A 7H7
• (519) 258-7878
• Website

The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor

Caesars Windsor sits right on the river and is highly visible from downtown Detroit.  We could see the neon signs well before we made it to the border crossing.  From the time we got to Windsor, it felt like we were just going in circles.  We got to the casino then went around the block what seemed like six times to get to the self park parking garage.  We made our way all the way to the top then hit the elevator back to the third level where the pedestrian bridge is. 

What do you think the first thing we noticed when we got inside the casino?  It was smoke free.  IF I was a gambler, I’d be going back to Windsor a lot more.  I know I’m more of the exception to the rule than the norm, but damn was it nice to be in a casino and not having to struggle to breath.

The view from our seats at The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor

We arrived about an hour before our show.  I was still pretty anxious, because my tickets were never delivered.  I called Ticketmaster who put replacements at the box office for me, but they said I needed the purchasing credit card.  I didn’t have the purchasing credit card.  It was compromised in the latest stolen credit card scare.  In the past when I’ve done will call, they just wanted an ID, so I was hoping that’s what would happen.  No luck.  They wanted the credit card.   I explained the situation and the girl working accepted my story and we got our tickets.   That was a big weight off my shoulders.

We still had about 45 minutes before the show.  The casino is huge and very spread out.  Fortunately, there are signs everywhere that point you in the right direction.  We started heading towards the Colosseum, but J was really thirsty and wanted a Diet Pepsi.  She got in line to get drinks then realized, she didn’t have any Canadian currency.  We had both forgot where we were.  She asked the guy if he took credit, but he told her there was no charge for pop, so she tossed a US dollar in his tip jar and we kept walking towards our show.

The Colosseum is located on the ground level of Caesars Windsor.  Since we came in on the third floor, we had to take an escalator downstairs.  There were ushers directing us the right way and the ticket scanners were at the top of the escalator.  Once downstairs, we had another set of ushers look at our tickets and tell us which door to go in.  Once inside, another usher looked at the tickets and showed us to our seats.

Miranda Lambert from our seats

Once the curtains opened for the performance, the younger people in the crowd rushed the stage.  I say “younger people” because this crowd was awful.  It was like all the old people needed a break from gambling so they bought a ticket.  Since the show wa at a casino, no one under 19 was allowed in.  Most people just kind of sat there looking off in the distance.  Those that were there to have a good time ended up right in front of the stage dancing and singing along. 

Miranda Lambert after we moved up to the stage.

The show was awesome.  J’s a big fan of Miranda Lambert.  I like her music, but I probably wouldn’t have gone to a show on my own.  I’m really glad we went.  Near the end of the show, I decided to walk up front and get a few pictures.  Once J saw that no one was going to stop me, she joined me and we watched the last five or six songs from two feet in front of the stage. 

After the show, we had to go back through the casino to get to our car.  Security decided they were going to get tough on checking ID’s and J and I (we’re both almost 30) had to get in line to get our ID’s checked.  That was after waiting in a line for the escalators which took forever.  There was a lot of unhappy people in front of and behind us while we were waiting for security.

We were just going to leave without gambling since the machines only took Canadain currency, but I noticed a currency exchange machine with no line, so we each put a couple US dollars in to exchange for some Canadian money.  The slot machines only take bills, so J got a $20, but I only had a $5.  I lost my money in less than five minutes.   J played for a half hour or so and doubled her money at one point, but ended up coming home with nothing.  We just wanted to be able to say we gambled in Canada.

Getting back into the US wasn’t as bad as I thought.  The border agent gave us a little attitude and it almost made us feel like we were doing something wrong when we really weren’t.  We just went for a show.

The Colosseum at Caesars is a great venue.  We had such a great time and it was such an intimate environment.  Arena shows are nice but they don’t compare to the small venues.  I guess I’m going to have to get a passport now so we can keep going to shows over there.  I can now tell everyone I’ve been to Canada…although J likens it to someone saying they’ve been to a city because they had a lay over in the airport.  Technically, yes, I’ve been to Canada…but I never even set foot on Canadian soil…we were inside the casino the whole time.