Just One in a Thousand Islands!

© Duchess O’Blunt, 2010; all rights reserved.

Heart Island sounds so romantic. When I discovered it, I really wanted to go see it.

We booked ourselves a tour of The 1000 Islands that had a stop over on Heart Island. The biggest draw for choosing this tour over the others was the lure of a castle. I'm a sucker for castles, and seeing this one so close - well it was a must do.

Before leaving on this tour, a visit to the internet provided some interesting facts and figures about Heart Island, and I read up on its history, viewed some before and after pictures of the restorations on Boldt Castle and felt I had a good handle on what I was in for.

In addition, I am a romantic at Heart and love a good History story.  When my visit incorporated 3 of my favorite things - who could resist?

I certainly did not expect to see anything that you cannot view virtually.

I was not prepared.

To get to Heart Island, we took a cruise of the 1000 Islands from Gananoque.  Others offered similar choices, but we chose this particular boat line because of the different options they offered.  

As you travel down the St. Lawrence Seaway and listen to the tidbits of information and historical facts from the captain, you can well imagine yourself back in time by a few decades.

Some of the Architecture of the homes along this majestic river are reminiscent of scenes from old horror movies.

The lighthouses are pictures that give a glimps from time past.

The barges and sail boats certainly gave it the appearance of an old and busy waterway.

Cameras are a must on this journey.

Regardless of what you can view via the airways, seeing things in person is so much brighter somehow. The scenery alone can leave you breathless.

Even with a limited knowledge of photography, it's not hard to take one or two really great shots. That's the beauty of digital photography - you just keep clicking until you get it right!

That little cove tucked into the side of a small piece of the shoreline just so. Snap snap, take two just in case.

When you pull them up in a year or two to revisit your trip and you see it, you want to go back there and enjoy the breeze and the sunshine with a good book and nice glass of wine.

This is one of those moments that the internet does not prepare you for.

In addition to the nature that surrounds you on this trip along the St. Lawrence Seaway, you will see some very beautiful cottages.

The 1000 Islands is home to many of the wealthy from both countries. These summer residences and communities offer luxury enhanced by beautiful surroundings. Keep your eyes open and you will also see some very unique homes.

And with your trusty little digital camera you can capture many of them, take them home, load them on to your computer and dream of winning the lottery. Because, let's face it, most of us would not be able to afford these without that win.

That doesn't stop us from occasionally taking these pictures back out and appreciating the beauty and maybe taking a moment to dream.

The Thousand Islands is one of the most picturesque and unique areas of the world.

This region boasts a boarder on the St. Lawrence Seaway between Canada and the United States that runs from Kingston to Cornwall in Canada and from Oswego to Massena in the United States. It is unique because the border zig zags, curls and swirls around the 1000 Islands so that no one Island is in both countries.

Take a look at two very different bridges that connect these two countries along the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The first picture is of the official Thousand Island Bridge in the middle of the region and connects Interstate 81 with the world’s largest highway, the 401 in Canada. The highway above is as busy as the seaway itself with trafic flowing briskly between the two countries.

The second picture is the shortest known bridge between two borders. Canada on one Island, the United States on the other.

Can you imagine being part of the border patrol in this region? Without the national flags that are flown prowdly on most of these Islands, it would be difficult to remember where the borders twist and turn.

The tour of the Islands was beautiful, but the tour of the Heart Island and Boldt castle was my reason for going. This is the one Island in a thousand that really grabbed my attention.  The time spent here was an hour where the imagination was allowed to run free. Loved it!

As I said, I am a sucker for castles and this one has an interesting history, great scenery and some stories and outbuildings that really captured my imagination. I could write stories! And perhaps I shall. The joy of the day will stay with me in memories but it certainly helps that I was able to take hundreds of pictures - literally.

Boldt Castle is located on Heart Island, in the United States, and is only accessible by water.

Louise Boldt bought the Island in 1985 because The Thousand Islands was a popular summer retreat - for the wealthily.

George Boldt was one of the wealthily who could afford to dream big.

He hired over 300 plumbers, stonecutters, carpenters and electricians to build one of the regions most expensive structures with the intention of presenting it as a Valentines gift to her.

Four years after starting this magnificent dream Louise died and George ordered all work to cease. For many years this vast uncompleted structure was left to the mercies of the elements. Not once did George ever go back.

To me this sounds like a tragic story of love ended too soon

As a writer my mind didn't stop the entire time I toured Heart Island and Boldt Castle.

From the moment I viewed the castle through the trees and saw the tall ship docked there, through the tour of the castle and all it's grandure, to the outside structures and picturesque gardens, my mind was busy.

I saw lovely ladies in splendid evening gowns descending the marbel staircase.

I watched as the Missus sat in her parlour composing and writing beautifully hand written invitations to her neighbors. Then I listened in to their conversation in this same room as they discussed the upcoming events.

I dreamed of nights in shining armour in a bedroom the size of my entire first floor.

An indoor pool - Could the frog live there? Would the Princess find him to kiss him if he lived in her basement?

There has been some controversy over the restoration of Bodlt Castle. If we could get all the money together in one place, at one time, that this project has cost, I'm pretty certain you would see some of those pirates from yesteryear reapearing. Eye patch, sabres and all. 

But the restoration has provided hundreds of thousands of tourists and visitors with a face to face picture of the grand way of living the wealthy knew.  And for myself - I enjoyed this historic visit.

Alster Tower is one of the out buildings of the castle and was the first structure George Boldt had erected.

This is a stone building that looks like a curious mini castle. It has many quaint features that make it quite unique, but it is said to be similar in design to castles along the Alster River in Germany.

The sign in front describes it as the Boldt's playhouse and is reported to be where the Boldts stayed during the summer months while the castle was under construction. They expected to be able to utilize it as a guest house after the castle was completed.

It is quite unique. When I looked at it from the bottom up, it reminded me of the fairy tale Rapunzel.

Looking at it through the lense of the camera, what I saw was a "hobbit hotel". Take a look at these pictures. Can't you see Bilbo Baggins laboriously climbing the stairs on the outside balancing a plater of food and wine? And I can clearly see Gandalf banging his staff against that little green door.

The Gananoque Boat Line is the largest and oldest cruise company in the 1000 Islands. They have 5 cruise boats that are able to host from 350 to 500 people, most with cameras in hand hoping to capture that one great shot. They offer a cruise for any interest and any schedule: We chose the 5-Hour Boldt Castle Stopover Cruise for our visit.

• 1-hour Call of the Wild Cruise
• 1-hour Only the Icons Cruise
• 2.5-hour Lost Ships of the 1000 Islands Cruise
• 5-Hour Boldt Castle Stopover Cruise
• 8-Hour 2-stop Historical Cruise

Right on the water, just a two minute walk from where you board, you will find the Gananoque Inn and Spa: an historic inn in the heart of the 1000 Islands welcoming guests with superior accommodation, food, spa services and amenities.

There is a lovely restaurant and bar. The patio offers you a view of the St. Lawrence River, and a gentle breeze to cool you on a warm summer's day: the best time to take this tour.

Do you have a day open in your vacation itinerary?   There are more stories to hear, more great rooms to see (and pictures to take) and restoration continues on the Bolt Castle on Heart Island.  Take the tour, visit the Island and experience for yourself if your own "writer's mind" doesn't take flight.

•  Take a jacket - it gets cool on the boat in the evening.
• Take a camera - you won't regret it.
• Take your journal and write down what you are feeling after your visit to the islands.
• And take your passport - you are traveling international waters.

And when you come back, take a few moments to share your memories and perhaps you will have stories to write as well.

Gananoque, one of Ontario's quaint little towns that hosts a booming summer business of tours of the 1000 Islands.

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