A VISIT TO THOUSAND ISLANDS IN ST. LAWRENCE VALLEY REGION ( USA )

                                                                              

                                                                                   

Thousand Islands ..... River St. Lawrence (Alexandria Bay) US.

(Mobile Photos ..Avtar Mota)

A seaway trail skirt along Northeastern end of Lake Ontario  follows the St. Lawrence river . Along the way are riverfront towns , scenic countryside , historic sites , cultural centres , natural habitats and engineering marvels of St Lawrence Seaway.  On this route , you find boats with tourists  or people who  come to this area for fishing trips . You have opera houses , shopping markets , boat museums , Island art centres in riverfront towns  all along this  seaway  trail . 

The seaway trail scenic touring route was first  established in  New York State in 1978 , then 80 miles along St Lawrence river . Today  this great lake's seaway trail  stands extended to 520 miles and moves along Lake Erie , Niagara river , lake Ontario and St. Lawrence river .
 

Emerging out of Lake Ontario , River St. Lawrence rushes to join Atlantic down below but before that it creates more than 1800 islands . Known as "Thousand Islands region " , it stretches about 50 miles downstream from where the River St. Lawrence begins at the mouth of Lake Ontario. This area is visited by thousands of tourist every day who go around the cluster of islands( known as Thousand Islands) in cruise boats .

Alexandria Bay is also located on this seaway  trail with its vintage buildings , parks , River walk and  Uncle Sam cruises   (boat tour operators ) .   We stopped at Alexandria Bay and boarded a   boat  for  a cruise  along  Thousand Islands .

Lighthouses, historic castles, maritime museums, world-class fishing and diving, quaint downtown shopping, hiking, water skiing, on-the-water dining, family amusements and more make the 1800 plus Islands a destination that visitors from all over the world  come to see .

There is a lot to explore on both land and water in One Thousand Islands region . You can enjoy the scenic boat tours, Lighthouse excursions , White Water rafting and fishing , stroll along the shore , shopping , visiting Boldt Castle on Heart island, see wineries ,  or go for dining in many waterfront villages . One can also visit  historical sites of the region like the Sackets Harbor Battlefield , Antique Boat Museum in Clayton , Zoo inside  Thompson Park , Old McDonald's Farm in Sacket harbor  . One can also hop across the Thousand Islands  bridge to see Eastern Ontario ( Canada )  for which one may need  some official permission or clearance . I am not sure as I never did  it.

Located along the peaceful border between Northern New York State (United States) and Southeastern Ontario (Canada), the Thousand Islands is an area of unending shorelines, rich history and unique culture.

Since 19th century,  many rich and powerful built summer villas with gardens. Most of the structures stand abandoned. Some islands are so small that just one structure and a small garden could only be created on the available land mass . Every villa has a history and grand past.

The famous Boldt Castle built by millionaire George Boldt ( for his wife Louise Keher ) owner of the Waldorf Astoria hotel chain ( including the famous Waldorf Astoria, New York) also lies on one of these islands. For the tourist season, Boldt Castle and the Boldt Castle Yacht House open in May and close in October every year. Winters are very harsh in this area.There Is another  well known castle known as Singer Castle located on one small island. It was built by Bourne family, owners of  Singer Sewing Machine ,

These islands were discovered by a French explorer in 16th century. This area is close to Niagara Falls. Canada is also close by and accessible by boats as well.

There is a long suspension bridge over River St. Lawrence that connects this Northern area in the United States with Southeastern Ontario in Canada . In Alexandria Bay , a person who had crossed this international bridge many times , told me that one can have fantastic views of the islands but driving over this narrow suspension bridge sometimes sends a shiver down the spine especially during winds .During winds, lots of bridge vibrations and movements are felt since one is almost 800 feet above the ground .

(Avtar Mota)

PS

Mr. Boldt , a millionaire , engaged 300 workers including stone masons, carpenters and artists to build his six story, 120 room castle, complete with tunnels, a powerhouse, Italian gardens and. a children’s playhouse.

In January 1904, a great tragedy struck the family. Boldt telegraphed the island and commanded the workers to immediately “stop all construction.” Louise( his wife )  had died suddenly. She died of heart failure at a young age of 41 . A broken hearted  , Boldt could not imagine his dream castle without his beloved. Boldt never returned to the island, leaving behind the structure as a monument of his love.

Swami   Vivekananda also visited this place during his travels in the US. A photo from Nobel Laureate Romain Rolland book on Swami Ji is hereunder:

                          

                                         

 
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