Thousand Islands

 

We crossed Lake Ontario on May 22nd and staying on the US side headed to Clayton NY.

We stayed 2 days and really enjoyed this cute little town….great shops and restaurants on a well maintained water front.

Unfortunately it is mayfly season and they were plentiful.

They have a very nice boat museum in Clayton, showcasing restored boats from the early 1900’s and history of this area as playground to the rich and famous.

The jewel of their collection is this restored house boat built by 

by George Bolt in 1903.

On May 26th we crossed the border and docked at the Gananoque municipal marina for 2 nights…high winds and rains were moving in and we were picking up guests Karen and Jake Wardill.

We did some anchoring out and sightseeing.  Our first stop was Singer Castle built on Dark Island in 1905 by the Bourne family;  He made his fortune as President of the Singer sewing machine company, hence the name Singer Castle.

Our second stop was on Heart Island and the Boldt Castle.  George Boldtbuilt this Castle as a valentines gift for his wife Louise….it is the Taj Mahal of the Thousand Islands.  Tragically his wife died in 1904 before it was finished and George stopped construction and abandoned the island…heart broken, he never returned.  Abandoned for 74 years, before it was purchased by the Thousand Island Bridge Authority in 1977 for one dollar.

The Castle is being restored and completed by the Bridge Authority and as of 2020, over $50 million has been spent on this ongoing project.  The Castle, surrounding buildings and grounds are absolutely stunning….a showcase of the Gilded Age’s opulence.

Alster Tower, still being restored was a playhouse for the children and guests including a bowling alley, and performance stage modeled after a Rhineland defence tower in Germany.

The Power house supplied the island with power by steam generators.

We also visited the George Boldt Yacht House on nearby Wellesley Island where he housed his extensive collection of boats including the houseboat La Duchess, which we saw at the museum in Clayton.

We made our way across to Trenton where our passengers disembarked to take a train back to Gananoque…We loved every minute of their visit.  We continued up the Trent-Severn waterway transiting the first 6 locks and docking in Frankfort.