One day I was getting ready to make a trip to Ft Lauderdale from Richmond, VA and my kid, who is up in Watertown, NY, says:
But mom, come visit me first.
You know, like I just really like going 9 hours each way out of my way. No biggy, eh? But then she says…
There’s a real castle here.
*perk*
Castle? Well why didn’t you say that to begin with! I was on my way…. And let me tell ya. She lied. There was not *A* castle, oh no… there are TWO castles here! See, Watertown is on the edge of what is known as Thousand Islands. This is a chain of islands along St Lawrence Seaway. Some of these islands are in the US, some are in Canada. As long as you’re on a boat tour, you do not need a passport or have anything at all to do with Customs.
Yes, there is actually that many islands… they did 3 separate surveys over a 3-year period, and each time came up with a different number. Heh. But, the nearest anyone can tell there is approx. 1,788 islands in this little section of river. I believe them.
From the US side the easiest thing is to drive up 81 til ya hit 12 then go north. Go on a few miles and you will hit Alexandria Bay. This is a quaint little waterside town of some very cool shops and wonderful restaurants. It also has several boat tours happening. We opted for Uncle Sam’s 3-hour tour of the islands. I couldn’t believe this was only $16 a piece! What a deal. This was a double-decker ferry kinda boat. We sat up top (except during the lightening) and oh what fun we had.
Part of the island chain is Heart Island on which you will find a true castle in the medieval style. This is Boldt Castle and was built at the turn of the 20th century by a guy for his wife. Unfortunately she died before completion and there it sat for years and years. It’s now owned by the 1000 Island whos-its and they are keeping it as Boldt left it upon his death.
There is another castle on Dark Island. This one is called Singer Castle and has lots of hidden passages for you to explore. This one is about an hour boat ride from Alex Bay so do check the schedules and get there to allow yourself enough time to explore. This one even has a Murder Mystery Dinner you can get in on… absolutely the better of the two castles.
If you think I’m going to go over all 1000 Islands individually, you’re nuts. But part of the allure here is that this used to be Pirate alley. A lot of rum running and smuggling in general went on in this area. Parts are in Canadian territory, parts in US territory. The best way really is to take a long tour to get the whole feel of it all.
There’s Millionaire’s Row and oh what fantastic places these are. There’s the little bitty hermit island with a very interesting story behind it involving the planned assassination of Abe Lincoln; There’s an island owned by the not-so-secret Skull-n-Bones Society; The big ol’ bridge that connects Canada to the US and was built in different sections by different countries. Talk about a mish-mash… they didn’t even try to make it the same. Funny. There’s Grindstone Island, which is completely owned by farmers and as such requires no driver’s license, no insurance, no license plates, no speed limits... I think I may have to move there.
As to the river itself, well, it isn’t just about touring the islands. There are numerous spots to begin a kayaking journey or white water adventure. You can rent Jet Skis or a powerboat. A few of the islands are parks where you can go rock climbing or lay on the beach all day. We saw some young guys cliff diving as we passed one of these park/islands. I hope that picture turns out.
In short; this is just a very ultra-cool place to visit. There is so much to do here. Azure and I got there about 11AM today and didn’t leave until 9PM. We have to go back this week again to cram in more sight seeing. Seriously. And the whole area is just so damn gorgeous. The trees, the water, the cranes… just the whole package. If it didn’t get so cold as to freeze that huge river in the winter, I’d consider moving up there.
Oh my hell and the food! Restaurants everywhere and such incredible eats it is too. By the end of the day we were both in such pain from eating entirely too much. Do stop in at Cavallario’s. You won’t miss it, there’s a big billboard on the highway with a Knight on it. This place is all castle-themed to the max and that food is just to die for.
Another good bet is Admiral’s Inn in Alex Bay. Good lobster tails and the staff are very friendly. This one is on the main drag in Alexandria Bay.
Then of course there are all the gift shops full of tourist crap… the stuff life is made of in my eyes. Do look through them all though before you buy because a $20 beach dress in one is $15 in another up the block… Parking is free if you take a boat tour.
I didn’t have to stay in a hotel since my daughter lives 20 minutes away from it all, but there are plenty to choose from if you need one. I know Pine Tree Point has a 3-day/2-night package for like $99 PP/dbl. I noticed this one because the rooms overlook Boldt Castle. heh.
Do I recommend a visit to this area? Do you even have to ask? This is a place worthy of planning a vacation around. If you get bored here, it’s your own damn fault.
