1000 Islands
Exploring the Province of Quebec is really fun. There’s more to see than just Montreal and Quebec City. We visited a beach in the Parc national d’Oka called Oka Beach. It is on Lac des Deux Montagnes to the west of the city of Montreal. It reminded me of the beaches in Tawas and Au Gres, Michigan. Very brown sand with everybody from the surrounding area enjoying the summer sun.
We were passing through that area to take the ferry from Oka to Hudson. This church faces the water where we waited for the ferry.
The ferry can hold 18 vehicles and departs from both shores every 15 minutes. The fare for a car is $11 payable in Canadian cash.
The plan was to see the islands by tour boat. We drove along route 2 towards the 1000 Islands Parkway, stopping in Brockville for a quick bite.
The tour we took departed Rockport, Ontario, and it crosses between Canadian and American waters. For $30CDN each we spent two hours on the water.
There are other tours, of course, starting from different places.
One of the highlights of the area called Millionaire’s Row is Boldt Castle. It is located in New York waters and was originally a private mansion but is now maintained by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority.
George Boldt expanded his cottage on Hart Island in 1900 with this huge masonry mansion. It was the one of the largest private homes in the US but, sadly, his wife passed before completion, and he abandoned the project. The Bridge Authority took possession for $1 (reminds me of one of the best Red Wings acquisitions ever) and they poured $15million into renovations. Visitors arriving from Canada actually have to clear customs and immigration.
Speaking of which, this home in Canadian waters is connected to the smaller island in American waters. I doubt they station a customs officer there, though.
If you’re looking for a fun day on the water in a unique setting I think you could do a lot worse than the 1000 Islands. The sights are great and the tour was very enjoyable.
~ Freddy
