1000 Islands
June 25, 2023
Leaving the bustling Toronto area behind, we headed to the 1000 Islands region located along the St. Lawrence River and the eastern shores of Lake Ontario on the border between northern New York State (USA) and southeastern Ontario (Canada). It is called 1000 Islands(actually 1,864) because of the more than 1000 islands that dot the lake and river along the international waterway.
We had reservations for our 3 day visit at the KOA IVY Lea. After setting up our site, we checked the weather forecast. Hmmm…3 days of rainy weather was predicted. A 1000 Islands Boat Cruise was at the top of our to-do list and we really didn’t want to tour in the rain. We checked out the cruise schedule and found that we could make the 4:30 PM tour. Since it wasn’t raining (yet), we purchased our tickets online and headed to the dock.
The boat tour that we chose was located in Gananoque. The Village is nestled in the Heart of the 1000 Islands and is an internationally renowned destination for tourists.
We didn’t have any Canadian money(cash) to pay for parking at the cruise lot. We located an ATM and I jumped out of the Jeep to make the transaction while Ken drove around town. I tried my card several times before I realized that I was using a credit card instead of a debit card… It actually works if you use the right card! Upon entering the parking lot, the attendent handed us the customary credit card machine. Surprise…We didn’t need Canadian Cash after all!
While waiting on the boat, we went to the gift shop where I was able to purchase a magnet for my collection. We found a bench and watched the boats as they returned from their tours.
At 4:15, we boarded the boat and found a window seat on the second level and were ready to take in the beauty of the St. Lawrence River, the islands, and the historic Boldt Castle on Heart Island.
The cruise was a 3 hour cruise…just like Gilligan! We listened to the onboard audio commentary in English and French. We heard the story about the 1000 islands region, its history, and stories about the people who call it home. We saw the famed Boldt Castle and lavish homes of the rich and famous on “Millionaire’s Row.” We Learned about the remarkable feats of engineering required to build the St. Lawrence Seaway and 1000 Islands International Bridge.
The highlight of the tour was the Boldt Castle. This beautiful castle is located in the archipelago of the Thousand Islands and straddling the Canada-US boarders in the St. Lawrence River. Heart Island is home to Boldt Castle. The tragic story of how this American castle came to exist is one of love and sadness. George Boldt was building this castle for his wife but she passed away before it was completed. Construction was halted, leaving the castle abandoned. The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property in 1977 and decided that the castle would be restored and maintained, so that future visitors could appreciate its architecture and history.
As the cruise continued, we did experience some drizzle/rain a few times but it didn’t really bother us. We were on the enclosed 2nd level of the boat. All the upper deck folks got a little wet and ended up congregating on our level.
We really enjoyed the tour and it was was the perfect way to explore the scenery that has made the region famous throughout the world.
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