The 1000 Islands

I would like to take you to a place that has been my second home, my paradise and literally, my happy place. I'm speaking of the 1000 Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. This island paradise sits on the Canadian border with Upstate New York. There is no place on this planet that I would rather spend my time during the warm summer months than up there. I will show you this place through my eyes and experiences. Hopefully it will inspire you to make a trip there yourself. You will not be disappointed.

I started going to the 1000 Islands in the summer of 1962. I was 6 months old. I'm guessing that the islands and the river haven't changed much since then but, then again, how the hell would know, I was just a baby. Anyway, my first memories of this magical place were in the summer of 1966 when I was 4 years old. Back then Interstate 81 wasn't completed and we had to drive from Binghamton, NY to the river on Route 11. It was a six hour trip (on the interstate, it's about 2 ½ hours).

We would camp at Kring Point State Park about 7 miles northeast of Alexandria Bay, NY. There are many state parks to camp in there. While the adults set up camp and complained about something they forgot to bring, my sister and I would sneak off for an afternoon of fun. For a little kid this wasn't just a campground, it was a playground. The smooth granite boulders protruding from the ground and hills made for free entertainment for us and my sister and I would climb and play on these rocks for hours. Of course the picnic tables around the park made for great makeshift jungle gyms. My grandfather had a 16' boat with an outboard motor and took great pride in taking us out on the river and scaring the living daylights out of us. Then it was down to the beach for a dip in the river. Afterwards we would make our way back to camp to feed the chipmunks peanuts. This was fun for the young and the old for the chipmunks would crawl up your leg and onto your chest just to grab the peanut out of your shirt pocket.

At night is when the fun started for the adults. They would break out the booze, accordions, harmonicas and guitars and try like hell to entertain, not only us kids, but the entire park. Ok, this was embarrassing for me and my sister, even at that age. But I can remember how beautiful the park was at night. Campfires dotted the entire park and lit your way to and from wherever you wandered off to. You can look out at the river and see what looked like a moving street slipping by you in silence. These were, of course, were the big freighters that frequent the St. Lawrence River on a daily basis. Into our cots in an old Army tent and we were fast asleep. Now you would think that a ship's whistle sounding at 3:00AM waking you from a sound sleep would be annoying, wouldn't you? This simply was music to our ears as we heard that whistle echoing down the river valley for miles. Somehow, it was comforting and helped me sleep even better. You would hear a blast from a ship far off in the distance ( 1 long and 2 short blasts) and then a few seconds later, you 'd here a responsive blast from a ship that you'd swear it must be parked at the park docks it was so loud.

In 1968 my grandparents decided that camping was just too much for them so they bought a mobile home in Shaw's trailer park. No more rocks to climb on and no more beaches to swim from, but a very comfortable bed to sleep in and a furnace to keep us warm. No more having to get up in the middle of the night with a flashlight and make your way to camp restrooms; the bathroom was just a few feet away. Yes, there were some pluses and minuses of moving into the trailer but as a kid I "struggled" through it. The pluses far outweighed the minuses. The interstate was just about complete and that made the trip up there much more enjoyable.

Now that they had their trailer, I was going up there every single weekend from April to October from 1968 until 1985 and spent two solid weeks there when my grandparents were on vacation. My grandfather had bought an 18' Crestliner with an inboard/outboard motor and I was living the high life. The river no longer scared me like it did when I was younger because I was the one driving the boat all the time and had control of the situation while my grandfather sat back and drank his coffee or beer depending on what time of day it was.

Our routine was pretty much the same on the weekends. My grandparents would pick me upon Friday at 4:00PM from my house in the town of Maine, NY and we would make our way up to the river stopping only once for a pee break and my grandmother's awesome tuna salad sandwiches which I washed down with an orange soda. We would arrive at the trailer around 7:00PM. Once there, I would turn on the gas and water, cut the grass, pull weeds and then put on my other "hat" as a bartender for the "old folks". I could make the best high ball in the park and I was only 8 at the time. I loved every single minute of it. At night, if it rained, we would grab our flashlights and raincoats to go out and catch some night crawlers for the following day's fishing expedition.

The following Saturday morning I would always be the first one up and get the coffee going and get the old folks motivated. There were fish to be caught and the day was wasting away....It was 4:30AM. After some toast and coffee, my grandfather and I would head out to catch lunch or dinner. The mighty fishermen were at large! I cherished the time I spent with my grandfather in the mornings. He would do his level best to fill me with his wisdom and knowhow through his war stories from WWII and the Korean War. He has a wonderful sense of humor so his stories were never boring. After a few hours on the river, a lot of" son of a bitch, he got away!" and a few "GD's" if you know what I mean, it was back to the trailer for an always delicious breakfast. Walking into the trailer, the smell of bacon, eggs, home fries, toast and coffee would just make your mouth water.

After lying to grandma about how the biggest fish we have ever seen got away, it was time to go shopping in "The Bay". Alexandria Bay, NY or A-Bay as it is known to the locals is like a festival every single day. There is always something going on there whether it is Pirate's Weekend or the Roaring '20s week it is just a fun place to be. You want to first take in a few sights that will take your breath away. As you drive into town, head up to where the hospital is and take a left (the town is tiny so you'll know what I mean when you get there). You'll find a pavilion just off to the left of the hospital which sits up on a hill overlooking the river. Walk straight through the pavilion and make your way down the path, across the "mini 1000 Islands Bridge" and onto a man made Casino Island. Looking across the river, you will see the majestic Boldt Castle. This castle is absolutely beautiful and you will automatically want to take a tour of it,and you can but we will get to that a little later. There are also a lot of little islands to look at for your camera's pleasure and if you're lucky, you will see one of the ships I mentioned earlier. They will be no more than 100 yards from you and make for great photo ops. After that, head into town and wander the streets popping into all the gift shops that A-Bay has to offer. As it is getting to be around noon by this point, you might be a little hungry and your choice of eateries is vast. It's time for lunch. I would recommend either Cavallario's Top of the Bay for pizza and a beer, which overlooks the village dock or the Dockside Tavern which has some of the best food in A-Bay.

Now that your belly is full, how about that tour I mentioned earlier? Make your way down to Uncle Sam's Boat Tours and book passage to Boldt Castle and the 1000 Islands. This is a 2 or 3 hour tour that will take you into Canada with a stop at Boldt Castle. Once you get to Boldt Castle which is located on Heart Island, TAKE YOUR TIME, this is a self guided tour and if you miss your tour boat, no problem, there is always another one arriving soon to take you back to the mainland. Boldt Castle has picnic areas, a gift shop and a concession stand for your convenience. This tour is a must for anyone who visits 1000 Islands. It is truly spectacular.

If you are into the arts then maybe a trip to Clayton would suit you fancy. This is where my grandparents would take me to buy me sneakers. The drug store that was there sold tennis shoes for $3.00 a pair...not very comfortable shoes. Clayton offers you a more historical look at the 1000 Islands and has a few museums for you to enjoy. There is also another Uncle Sam's Boat Tour facility there if you wish to depart from Clayton. I would highly recommend the Clayton Antique Boat Museum. Again, it's a self guided tour and also has a gift shop. We have had a full day so let's head back to the trailer for supper.

If we were lucky enough to catch some fish than a fish fry it was! We mostly had burgers and spiedies. No fish. (I'll tell you about spiedies in my next article for they are a local fare). So it's getting towards dark and the old folks are half in the bag from beer and Black Velvet so I grab my 10 foot bamboo fishing pole, some worms, my tackle box, a Coleman lantern and head down to the small bay by the trailer for a few hours of bullhead fishing. Again, a few "son of a bitch, he got away!" and a few GDs I head back to the trailer and enjoy the campfire my grandpa built and then it's off to bed.

Sunday was the day I hated most because this is the day we are going home and I don't want this weekend to end. But before we do let's do a little more sightseeing shall we? After the usual fishing expedition and breakfast, we get in the car and head southwest to Cape Vincent. This is where Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence River. Tibbetts Point Lighthouse will get your camera a snappin'. Offering a gift shop and plenty of photo ops it is another breath taking experience. Across the river is Wolf Island, the largest of the over 1800 islands on the river. Once again you may be lucky and catch one of the 730' tankers rolling in off the lake.

We can skip the lunch stop in A-Bay or Clayton and head northeast to just above Massena, NY and stop at the Eisenhower Locks. Kids of all ages will enjoy watching the big ships enter the locks to be raised or lowered. This is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm up there. With a nice observation deck, it also has a gift shop and food for sale. The last time I was there I think it cost a dime to go on the deck Well it's time to bring this tour to a close and head back home.

The worst part of the day was shutting off the gas, water, locking up the trailer and getting on to Route 81 South. It was extremely depressing because all I could think about was next Friday when my grandparents would pick me up for another great weekend at the river.

Those great weekends are over now and all I have left are the memories. My grandmother passed on 10 years ago and my grandfather is 92 years old and can't make the trip. I still go to the 1000 Islands at least 2 or 3 times a year but it not the same without them. It is still a magical place to me and I still get just as excited as I did when I was a kid. I will be going up there on Labor Day Weekend and my thoughts will drift to my grandparents and those days of yore.

The 1000 Islands is a great place for a family vacation or a weekend getaway. Whether it's camping, boating, fishing, shopping, sightseeing, and even water skiing, the 1000 Islands Region of the St. Lawrence River has something for everyone. I hope you have enjoyed my stroll down memory lane and the things that the 1000 Islands have to offer. Make a point to visit there and maybe you will feel the magic too.

Oh, one more thing that might interest you; The 1000 Island salad dressing you may have heard of was, indeed, invented at the 1000 Islands. While out on his yacht, George C. Boldt's chef had realized that he didn't having any salad dressing for his employer's meal. Thinking fast, he mixed ketchup and mayonnaise with a few spices and 1000 Islands dressing was born.