Thousand Islands or Salad Dressiing?

The beautiful scenery of the 1,000 Islands met our expectations and then some.  Visitors to the boat, Dennis and Elynn from Oklahoma City, joined us for a week and toured the islands.  Dennis and King started 1st grade together and we attend alumni reunions together. Dennis' dad owned a photography studio in Oklahoma City and took our wedding pictures.

Cape Vincent, NY reminded us of Mayberry with its little fixit shops and the town getting ready for the big weekend parade.  Townspeople have their chairs set up to get a spot for best viewing.

A pretty church building.

Time for ice cream.

Ontario has beautiful flowers.

 More chairs awaiting the parade.

The town park.

After a walk around town, back to the boat for a bit of fishing.

King had grilling duties.

Clayton, NY is a bigger town than Cape Vincent with many restaurants, fudge and cheese curds shops and an Opera House, museums and more fishing!

We hurried up to the park for the farmer's market.  On the way back, we stopped for pizza at the Wooden Boat Restaurant.

Ever wonder the origin of 1,000 Island Salad Dressing?

Mrs. Sophia LaLonde created the dressing for her husband, a noted fishing guide in Clayton, NY, who served it to his parties as part of his popular shore dinners.  A noted actress of the time, Miss May Irwin asked Ms. LaLonde for the salad dressing recipe.  Upon her return to New York City, Miss Irwan gave the recipe to George Boldt, builder of the Boldt Castle.  Mr. Boldt, owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel directed his maitre d', to put the dressing from the 1,000 Islands on the hotel's menu. And as is said, the rest is history.

Time for more fishing on the dock behind Blue Moon.

We took a three-hour boat tour of the 1,000 Islands with a stop at Boldt Castle.  Many beautiful homes and boats are nestled into the islands.

George Boldt came to America as a Prussian immigrant in the late 1800's.  He prospered and became general manager of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.  He built a home for his wife on Hart Island, changing its name to 'Heart Island' and also changing the island's landscape to resemble a heart.  The castle itself and the flower beds and grounds have a heart theme.

In 1900, George Boldt set out to build a full-sized Rhineland Castle as a display of his love for his wife, Louise.  The Boldt family spent four summers in the 1,000 islands, while 300 workers, stonemasons, carpenters, and artists fashioned the six story, 120 room castle, complete with tunnels, a powerhouse, Italian gardens and a drawbridge.  Not a single detail or expense was spared.

The construction of Boldt Castle ceased abruptly in early 1904 after the unexpected death of Boldt's wife, Louise. Upon her death, Mr Boldt telegrammed the island to "stop all construction". Mr. Boldt never returned to the Castle, leaving behind the structure as a monument of his love for Louise. The castle lanquished for 70 years until it was purchased from the family by a local historical organization. The construction was resumed, following the original plans. Now, tourist dollars support the upkeep and renovation of the Castle.

 Parlor, at the Castle entrance.

 Downstairs kitchen, reminded us of Downton Abbey.  

 View of Heart Island from the tour boat.

After the boat tour we visited The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton.  The Mohican, Pixie and Patriot were just a few names of the boats we enjoyed.  

Visitors to the museum can take a ride around the 1,000 Islands in a restored wooden boat.

A birch bark canoe.

On display in the museum were early drawings by Dr. Seuss.  Theodor Seuss Geisel began his career as a cartoonist and illustrtor while at college.  After graduating, he was hired in 1928 by Standard Oil to draw cartoons for an advertising campaign for the bug spray Flit.  In 1934, Dr Seuss began a new campaign for Esso marine.  His cartoons appeared in MotorBoating and Yachting magazine.

See the date - Jan 5 - 13, 1940.

A special Classic Car Show was also at the Boat Museum.  We timed it right!

An early morning fishing charter for King, Dennis and Elynn, on Woodchopper.

Dennis caught seven Pike.  Five were keepers - over 22".  They were delicious.

We left Clayton, NY and started down the St Lawrence River toward Kingston, Ontario, Canada.  We cleared customs there.  

See the red trolley.  We took the tour around Kingston to see the many historic homes, museums and shops.  Again, the beautiful flowers!

Elynn finds an interesting thing that is different in Canada - phone booths!

Another thing that is different - it's a Dollar Tree Store - see the difference?  

More interesting sights on the trolley tour.

Museum and home of John A MacDonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada.

Queens University

 An interesting flower fire escape.

John's Public House (the building that housed the law offices of John A MacDonald, we also ate maple infused salmon and argula for lunch at the restaurant)

King liked this house.

What a pretty blue heron, right on the dock beside Blue Moon.  

Next stop in Kingston - Fort Henry built in 1822.  A Canadian fort built to defend the country from any United States invaders.  The fort never came under attack.

We watched an amazing marching demonstration.

Our tour guides describe what life was like in 1800's  Fort Henry.

The Officers' Dining room.  An interesting fact, anyone could be an officer, if he had the money to buy his rank.  

The kitchen and eating area for the enlisted kitchen staff.  They had to be ready 24 hours a day for any food item that the officers might want.

This is the school room for the soldiers and any children who lived at the fort.

Pretty view from Fort Henry.

After a too short visit, it was time to take Dennis and Elynn to Syracuse, NY so they could fly back to Oklahoma.  We saw this tall ship along the way, with a ferry in the background.

 We cross over a bridge with a beautiful view of the 1,000 islands.

Welcome back to Ontario.