Labor Day Weekend: Part II

Sunday morning we were all very excited to head into Canada and check out the 1000 Islands Skydeck.The Skydeck is something we had always seen towering 400’ above the river but Mom and Dad never bothered to take us to. It’s kind of a hassle because its literally one mile from the border crossing and the border is just an annoyance. Anyway, we eagerly went inside only to discover that A)the elevator was broke and B)the iconic stairs were for emergency exit only and were not climbable. No wonder it’s for sale!

We were told the elevator repairman was coming from America but we decided not to wait. St.. Lawrence National Park comprises the rest of Hill Island so we set out to find a trail to hike. I convinced Kyle that I found one but after scrambling down a hillside to the waterfront we were quickly greeted by a concerned resident who kindly informed us that we were trespassing. Oops.  It probably didn’t help that we were all dressed alike, looking like escapees from a summer camp.

We decided we’d had enough of Canada so we went back across the border. We stopped at TI Park on Wellesley Island which was a cute little village with a great playground. Most of their equipment is outlawed in parks nowadays (tetherball, teeter totters, merry go rounds, etc) so it was really fun. We also checked out the 1000 Islands winery. They offer free tastings which was a nice bonus.

After stopping to get some groceries we had lunch and then went back to the 1000 Islands bridge because apparently you can walk across it! It was a heck of a climb up but the view was worth it. Probably on par with the Skydeck view and this one is free (albeit more strenuous).

Devin is not a fan of heights and she steadily climbed all the way to the top which was awesome!

Keeping on our adrenaline high we went to race go-karts. Devin and Amber decided to sit it out because of the expense but Kyle, Don and I had to do it because of tradition. We managed to make it all 4 laps without getting kicked out (although we did receive several warnings for aggressive driving). That’s the point of racing!

After our rowdy night out on Saturday we decided to cook some steak and veggies and enjoy a campfire Sunday night. It was a delicious meal and we got to enjoy a gorgeous sunset.

 

The next morning it was time to break camp and head out. We stopped in Clayton to stroll around and made sure to buy some River Rat cheese (mmmm). 

Classic Burns pose

Next stop was Tibbett's Point Lighthouse in Cape Vincent. It guards where the St. Lawrence river meets Lake Ontario. Last year I stopped here and it was cold and rainy so it was nice to see it on a sunny day.
 
Finally we drove down to Chimney Bluffs state park which I'd never been to before. After a quick picnic lunch in the parking lot we set off to see the bluffs. It's about a 20min hike and the bluffs are so cool! They look like big sand castles. 

It was an amazing Labor Day weekend and it was really great to get away and spend some quality time with my brothers and sisters.

Labor Day 2012

 This Labor Day was very different for me. Usually I always travel solo on my jaunts (or with Jess) but this time I decided to have a nostalgic weekend with my brothers. When we were little, my parents always took us up to Alex Bay in the 1,000 Islands for a week in the summer. Therefore this trip required little to no planning as we all knew exactly what we wanted to do. 

Don, Amber and I headed up Friday night to get settled while Kyle and Devin came up Saturday morning. They met us at the diner where we filled up before heading down to the docks for our boat tour. 

 We had been on Uncle Sam tours several times but the new tour to Singer Castle has only been offered since 2005. It’s eleven miles up the St. Lawrence River and while it’s not as scenic as other Uncle Sam tours, our tour guide more than made up for it. He was hysterical! Half the time he was just telling personal stories that had nothing to do with the islands. 

 We arrived at the castle and I was in awe of how gorgeous it was. I had no idea that another castle besides Boldt was in the river. Singer Castle was built by Frederick Gilbert Bourne who was president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. What I really loved about this castle was that the Castle remained in the possession of the original Bourne family from its construction in 1905 until the mid 1960's so it’s very authentic (unlike Boldt which was completely rebuilt).

Dining room

Sitting room

Sunroom

Library

Another sunroom

Medieval room

Servants room-the steps are because servants must be on a lower level

I loved how the tour covers most of the castle (except the secret passageways). The secret passageways and spy holes were used by servants so they could observe the guests and see what they needed without them having to ask. 

Secret passageway

It’s a gorgeous castle and I was excited to discover a new part of the 1,000 Islands. On the way back the boat stopped at Boldt Castle.

Boldt Castle

Boldt Castle

We didn’t want to pay the extra $8 so we headed back to the mainland. In the afternoon we relaxed around the pool at the state park we stayed at. Then we got ready and headed out for a night on the town. For dinner we got our traditional garlic pizza. We digested by walking the docks and admiring the lavish boats. We also got to see a freighter! 

 

After wandering the streets and shopping, we decided to partake in the numerous bars, now that we were finally all of drinking age. There was a blues festival in the Bay that weekend so the bars were kind of empty as most of the people were down in the tent but after the bands shut down, it got much livelier. Finally, there was a fight that resulted in a broken chair and cops being called so we decided to call it a night as it was getting a little too rowdy.