Fun in Canada

"Don't be in such a hurry to reach the view that you miss the beauty along the way." -Unknown

The grands had never been to Canada so one day we drove over to do a little exploring. We drove through Rockport (just so everyone could say they’d been to another Rockport) and then stopped at a little rocky beach. The kids got a little wet so our next adventure was finding some dry clothes. We drove over to Brockville to a larger, very nice Walmart. Nothing like going to another country just to spend time at Walmart. 

After the shopping detour we walked through Brockville Railway Tunnel. The tunnel runs under the downtown core of Brockville. It was built between 1854 and 1860 to allow the fledgling Brockville and Ottawa Railway to connect the Brockville industrial waterfront area to the outlying areas lying between the St Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. It was Canada's first railroad tunnel. Today it is part of the Brock Trail recreational pathway. Complete with LED light show and music. The 1/3 mile walk gives history of the tunnel and a chance to see the mineral formations.

From Brockville we headed west to the Arbru Solar Brew Pub for lunch. It was such a beautiful day so we sat outside and had a great time. After lunch we headed to Gananoque to do a little more exploring and shopping. We came ashore here in 2018 when we spent a few weeks in the 1000 Islands on The Pearl. 

Brockville Railway Tunnel

The tunnel was designed to leak. Allowing water to permeate the stone walls prevents the buildup of hydrostatic pressure that could cause the walls to collapse. This continuous flow of water has caused the beautiful mineral deposits that are seen throughout the tunnel. 

The south end of the tunnel comes out in a park along the St. Lawrence River.

Lunch at the Arbru Brewery.

Gananoque Courthouse 

The Gananoque River runs through part of the town.

Dessert at the MJ Baker's Dozen.

Fun in town.

Our second trip into Canada was on the boat…we didn’t stop anywhere so we didn’t need to check into customs. It wasn’t the nicest day but we wanted to take the kids around some of the beautiful islands and through the International Rift. It’s a narrow deep cut that separates the Canadian Hill Island from the US Wellesley Island. The International Rift Bridge crosses at this point. The water is coke bottle green and so clear you can see the bottom even in the deepest spots.

The small International Rift Bridge. It is one of three bridges that make up the Thousand Islands International Bridge System.

Going under the bridge.

The United States on the left and Canada on the right.

Looking back at the rift.

The kids have one leg in Canada and one in the USA.

Riding through some of the pretty islands.

Just one of the many tankers we show during our stay. The kids loved seeing them.

Sept. 29 - Singer Castle

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storms, but to add color to my sunset sky.” -Rabindranath Tagore

Today we rode down the river to visit Singer Castle. It wasn’t as nice today and our ride there was a bit chilly. This estate looks like a castle but it is much smaller than the one we visited yesterday. We first visited the castle in 2018. It was a much prettier day when we arrived on The Pearl. 

Singer Castle is located on Dark Island. It was completed in 1905 as a hunting lodge for Frederick G. Bourne, the fifth president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. The home’s design was based on the Scottish castle described in Sir Walter Scott's novel Woodstock. Construction on the castle began about the time construction stopped on Boldt Castle. They were able to complete this castle in only a few years by using workers that had been laid off when construction stopped on Boldt Castle.  

Bourne asked for a network of secret passageways, hidden windows, spiral staircases and a dungeon to be built into the castle so he could move unseen or surprise his guests. These passageways were also used by the staff to move around the estate without bothering the guests. 

The Bourne family enjoyed the castle from 1905 until his youngest daughter Marjorie Thayer deeded the property to LaSalle Christian Brothers in the mid 1960s. Since then it has had several owners and used as a military school and a religious retreat. 

In 2002, Dark Island was purchased by a group of investors who carried out a major and well-needed restoration project before opening it as a tourist attraction. It has become a popular wedding venue and the Royal Suite is available to rent for overnight stays. If you’re interested the castle could be yours for $24.5 million.

Our ride down the river to the castle was a bit cold. But we stayed bundled up and had fun.

Approaching the castle.

The south boat house is used as the gift shop and tour meeting place.

Entering the castle. The small window in the middle of the tower is the dungeon.

The back of the castle from the north lawn.

The north boat house.

Interior pictures library and stairway. The whole house was decorated for Halloween. The kids really like this castle...maybe for the decorations and maybe for the hidden passageways.

Sun rooms and dining rooms.

A few of the hidden passageways that the servants would use to remove the guest's dirty clothes at night and return them to their rooms without bothering anyone.

The kids got to use one of the passageways to go from the entry hall to the library. They loved it.

A few of the bedrooms.

One of the bathrooms.

Sports therapy room close to the owners suite. They had a full time massage therapist on staff that lived at the castle.

Sept. 28 - Boldt Castle

“Happiness is not getting all you want, it is about enjoying all you have.” -Unknown

On our first morning we took the boat over to Bolt Castle. It's one of Upstate New York’s most beautiful fall places to visit. The castle rises from Heart Island in the St. Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay, surrounded by the Thousand Islands. The island is only accessible by tour boat, water taxi or private boat. We visited the castle on The Pearl in 2012.

Construction on the property began in 1900 when hotel owner George C. Boldt planned the six-story, 120-room castle as a summer home and gift for his wife, Louise. Around 300 workers helped build the estate, but everything changed when Louise suddenly died in 1904. Boldt was so heart broken he ordered construction stopped and never returned to the island. The castle sat unfinished for 73 years before the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority took ownership of it in 1977 and began restoring it. The house has been restored to what it was originally supposed to look like. No one has ever lived in this house.

Today visitors are allowed to walk through restored rooms, see the grand staircase and ballroom, explore the grounds, Alster Tower and the Power House. The top floor offers amazing views of the river. Brytanie and I enjoyed listening to a guided tour provided through their online app. It provided a lot of history and pointed out things to look for in each room.

Approaching Heart Island.

Boldt Castle from the water. The castle looks directly over the river to Alexandria Bay.

Our first look at the castle coming up from the dock.

A view of the Grand Hall looking up to the three main floors of the house and the stained glass dome. This is where guests would have entered the house.

The Reception Room was to the left for the front door.

Although no one actually cooked in this kitchen it would have been a wonderful space to work with an amazing view of the river.

This is the servants' dining room. I liked it much better than the main dining room. The Boldt's were very good to the people who worked for them.

This is the library looking into the ballroom.

These are Louise's and her daughter Clover's bedrooms.

This is the Observation Deck. It provided wonderful views of the river and Alexandria Bay.

The third floor shows how the castle looked when the restoration began. Unfinished walls and floor and covered in graffiti.  

Looking down the staircase to the grand hall.

This is the Dove Cote where they planned to keep exotic birds. This tower was constructed before the Boldt's bought the island and was originally the powerhouse.

The Italian Gardens looking down to the new powerhouse.

The powerhouse.

Looking up from the front lawn of Boldt Castle.

Alster Tower was completed before construction on the main house began. It was used by the Boldt's during the summer. It had a small kitchen, a bowling alley, library and billiard room. Upstairs there were some small bedrooms.

The Yacht House is located on Wellesley Island and was completed in 1897. The Boldt's had a summer home on this island for many years.