East Coast Road Trip: From Clemson to Montreal

October 4, 2023. Ithaca to Clayton (Thousand Islands), NY.

We had a nice leisurely early morning at the Inn and then took off around 9:30 to our next destination, Clayton up near the Canadian border.

We wanted to find a place somewhere between Ithaca and Quebec City and Lorna found Clayton as an interesting place to visit on Pinterest. Only about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Ithaca.

The line through Lake Ontario is the US/Canada border.

Clayton is right on the St. Lawrence River adjacent to Lake Ontario. The US/Canada border runs down the St Lawrence. The general area is referred to as “Thousand Islands” and yes, this is where the popular salad dressing was originally developed. However, there are actually 1,864 islands here.

Downtown Clayton is a pleasant destination with restaurants and small shops catering mainly to a tourist crowd. When we arrived, it was around lunch time so we found “The Hops Spot” with nice outdoor seating and cold beer on draft, which tasted quite fine on this 80 degree day.

I was tempted to get the poutine but it would’ve put me to sleep! Anyway, we’ll probably have other opportunities for it up in Canada starting tomorrow.

We walked around the town a little after lunch.

Walking Tour of Clayton – perhaps another time.
The local Opera House.
Cool mural in town.

So we also saw this sign in town and didn’t know what the event is. Later, our tour guide told us that it’s a revered annual event where folks use a trebuchet (a type of catapult that uses a counterweight to generate the power to fling an object into the air) to throw pumpkins a long distance into the St. Lawrence River…

Here’s footage from the Punkin Chunkin from 4 years ago:

https://youtu.be/me18QQHjiog?si=a69Dm2FfMGgnCpGu

We bought tickets for a 2pm boat tour of parts of the St. Lawrence both in the US and Canada, so we headed over there after checking the town out.

Our tour guide was a Luke Combs lookalike who talked for almost 2 1/2 hours straight while we were on the boat. He’s also featured in the YouTube video above about the Punkin Chunkin.
About 20 minutes into the cruise, everyone’s phones started buzzing and wheezing with the test of the Emergency Alert System.
Of the 1,864 actual islands in the “Thousand Islands” area, Tom Thumb Island is the smallest.
Our captain guiding us through a narrow strait.
Passing through Canada – no passport needed!
Many large homes dot the islands. Some islands are small enough to be owned by a single owner; others have multiple homes on them. Due to the weather conditions, these are all summer homes only.

The highlight of the boat tour is a visit to Boldt Castle, a bittersweet tale of love lost. A quick summary is below…

Here’s the fuller story…

Boldt Castle is a historic landmark located on Heart Island in the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River in New York, USA. It was originally constructed as a private residence by George C. Boldt, a wealthy hotel magnate, in the early 20th century.

Boldt Castle is a stunning example of the Gilded Age architecture, featuring a blend of European and American architectural styles, including elements of Rhineland castle design. The castle complex includes a massive six-story main castle, a powerhouse, Italian gardens, a drawbridge, and a number of other structures.

Construction of Boldt Castle began in 1900, and it was intended as a gift for George Boldt’s wife, Louise. Unfortunately, construction came to a halt in 1904 following Louise’s sudden death at age 42. The castle remained unfinished and abandoned for over 70 years, falling into disrepair.

In 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property and has since been working to restore and preserve Boldt Castle. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction, open to the public during the summer months. Visitors can explore the castle’s elegant rooms, admire the scenic views of the St. Lawrence River, and learn about its fascinating history.

Much like my post from a few days ago about William Gillette, we had absolutely no knowledge of George Boldt. I applaud the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority for taking this immense project on as it’s a stunning place to visit.

The grand staircase.
The sitting room off the main entrance,
The billiard room.
The formal dining room.
The kitchen.
The staff dining room.
The ballroom.
George’s library.
Louise’s bedroom.

We went upstairs to the 3rd floor and the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority are planning additional period-accurate renovations for the future.

A stern warning.

We were up against time to get back to the boat tour, so we did a quick review of the Italian gardens.

The boathouse where the steamboats were housed across from the main domicile.
Selfie time!
The funhouse – under construction.
Forewarned!
Our tour guide referred to this as “Mother-in-law” Island. 😜
More $$$
On the way back to the dock enjoying the last warm days!

Great trip – 3 1/2 hour tour – didn’t end up at Gilligan’s Island, so everything is great!

Our hotel tonight…

We checked in around 6 after the cruise and scored a very nice room with a patio overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Since we still had some picnic provisions and leftovers from lunch, we decided to enjoy the room and view.

While enjoying the deck at sunset, this $&-@wad decided to BLAST Christmas music (on October 4) from his docked boat aimed back at the hotel! Retribution? Insanity? Hearing Aid Fail? Living Christmas 24/7/365? Who knows… After several songs, he finally cut the soundtrack and lumbered off the boat dressed all in black while puffing on something. Good Riddance $&-@wad!

The room was very nice. Wish we had another day here as there’s a lot more to explore.

Onward to Canada tomorrow!

Rackley

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