NEW YORK STATE (1000 Islands) and ONTARIO, CANADA

28 June 2012: We headed from Montpelier, Vermont, to Burlington VT to get the ferry over Lake Champlain to Port Kent, New York. We were ten minutes late, but luckily the ferry was running late and we were on 30 seconds before it left. We met a wonderful family on board who recommended we see the Thousand Islands.

Leaving behind Burlington, Vermont

We just managed to catch the ferry before it left for Port Kent, New York

Sheila and Thom arrive on the ferry at Port Kent

We stop to see Ausable Falls. All the generating plants we have seen as we

 traveled were built in the late 1800s.

Lake Placid, New York, is the location of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics

As we traveled through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York we were happy to see some drive in theatres, and quite a few old cinemas that have survived:

Old movie house in Lake Placid, NY

We camped the night at Grass Point State Park, close to Alexandria Bay

where we saw this beautiful boat made of African striped mahogany.

29 June 2012: We are on the south side of the St. Lawrence Seaway, in the Thousand Islands area. Yes, the salad dressing originated here and was made popular by its use in New York City hotels. We are going to visit Boldt Castle on Heart Island, situated on one of the 1,864 islands here. It was originally called Hart Island, but rich Mr. Boldt bought it for his wife and changed the shape and name of the island to Heart.

The cruise takes us for an hour down "Millionairs' Row" before dropping us off at Heart Island.

This island steps away from Alexandria Bay used to house an early casino; it was burned down by the town's women whose husbands were spending all their earnings there.

We had heard Boldt Castle was built in the German style - but, no, this is the Power House! It houses the carillon that Wanamaker's in Philadelphia had to get rid of because shoppers complained it was too load. The Power House controlled the water and generated power to the house.

Not the castle either. This is where Mr. and Mrs. Boldt kept their collection of exotic fouls.

You're right, this is just the two Boldt children's playhouse.

Here is Thom with Boldt Castle, which was never lived in. Building went on from 1899-1905 and stopped suddenly when it was 95% finished. Mrs. Boldt had died at age 42, and 300 workers were asked to stop their work on her home. Mr. Boldt never went back to the island. It was sold to the man who made his millions making Lifesavers (another Thousand Islands original) and he opened it up for tours but didn't take care of it. It was vandalized (and I think it must have been stripped of its fine woodwork, fireplaces, etc.) and went into disrepair until the 1980s, when the bridge authorities bought it and has since spent $33 million restoring it.

Many rooms still need to be restored. The agreement, however, is that it remain only 95% completed as it was before. Also, no man or woman is allowed to stay overnight on Heart Island.

But what is completed is beautiful. Thom stands on the entry way staircase. Note the billiards room!

Sheila in Clover Boldt's room (daughter).

Though not clear in this picture, the symbol of the heart was included in the design.

We return to the mainland, passing the Boldt's yacht house. Mr. Boldt made his money managing/profit sharing the Waldorf - Astoria Hotel in NY, and other hotels in NY and Philadelphia.

After our cruise on the St. Lawrence Seaway and trip to Boldt Castle, we headed across the river bridge to Ontario, Canada.

We visited Fort Henry. The original fort featured in the War of 1812. This one was build in 1837 on the same site, and features some innovative defense systems. For instance, the drawbridge collapses in the middle so that it is not easily restored, and there are corridors of rounded corners where fired bullets can ricochet around the corner to ward off the enemy.

We were there at the end of the day, when they fired the cannon and took down the flag.

We drive west and as we start to look for a place to stay we find out it is start of a long holiday weekend: Canada Day is on July 1st, and it is the busiest holiday of the year. Since campgrounds are located by lakes or rivers where people stop for a long weekend or a week or month, we have trouble finding a spot. Whereas we normally have a secluded site like this: 

This was our campground that night!

30 June 2012: We are making our way west in Ontario on our way to Michigan. Here are a few scenes along the way:

Cost of gasoline by the litre: $1.21 Canadian or US dollar (same value)

Canada's famous wheat

Most boats are in use, not sitting in marinas.

We get chips (fat French Fries) from the Chip Wagon.

But Subway is EVERYWHERE in rural Canada and northern USA.

We camped for the night on the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron.

Sheila tries to take a swim but finds her foot isn't well enough for that downward movement.