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travel / great places / cg recommends / 1000islands
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Discovering the Thousand Islands
Daydreaming
is inevitable in the Thousand Islands. Amid some of the most spectacular
scenery in the world — accentuated by rock, lush forests, and cobalt-blue
water— daring tales of pirates and Prohibition-era rum runners
and romantic stories of self-made millionaires from the Gilded Age of
the late 19th Century naturally come alive.
Extending 80 kilometres along the St. Lawrence River from
Kingston to Brockville, Ont., the islands are actually the granite
tops of an ancient mountain range that connected the Canadian
Shield with the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. And there
are more than 1,600 of them: the largest, several square kilometres;
the smallest, just big enough for a tree or two. About two-thirds
are in Canadian waters.
The most picturesque stretch is east from Gananoque along
the 37-kilometre Thousand Islands Parkway, which skirts the shoreline's
coves and bays and is followed, several metres north, by a paved
bicycle path.
On Hill Island, between spans of the International Bridge,
a skydeck offers three observation decks 121 metres above ground
from which, on a clear day, visitors can see up to 65 kilometres.
At the Canadian foot of the bridge, Ivy Lea provincial campsite
offers 83 spots for camping, including eight wilderness and nine
premium waterfront sites -- the latter perfect for reveries.
(If you own or rent a boat, you can also camp, on a first-come-first-served
basis, at primitive sites on 11 of the 21 islands that form the
St. Lawrence Islands National Park.)
Toward the end of the parkway, Brown's Bay Beach, the oldest
of the provincial Parks of the St. Lawrence, provides a panoramic
backdrop for a swim and a picnic.
To really experience the Thousand Islands, though, it is necessary
to get out on the water. Large boat tours are offered from several
locations. In Rockport, tourists can opt for a more personal
tour with live commentary aboard a 40-seat varnished wooden craft
dating back to 1929.
Most tour boats offer vacationers a choice of disembarking
for an hour or so at Boldt Castle on Heart Island in American
waters across from Alexandria Bay, New York. Although this region
of the Thousand Islands is replete with extravagant summer homes,
Boldt Castle stands alone. Built at the turn of the century by
George Boldt as a tribute to his wife, Louise, the six-storey
granite mansion sports 24 spires, which rise well above the surrounding
oak and maple trees, and has 120 rooms. Two smaller castles at
the edge of the two-hectare property, now fully restored to their
original condition, are the powerhouse and playhouse. For an
additional fee, visitors can also tour the castle's mammoth cedar
yacht house, complete with skiffs typical of the 1890s.
Sylvia Barrett, Senior Editor
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