Thousand Islands and Boldt Castle

Thousand Islands is a series of islands, actually 1864 islands, on the St. Lawrence River within the border of the US and Canada in upstate New York. The St. Lawrence is significant as it serves as a main waterway for oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean through the Great Lakes. Although you might envision this as a busy industrial area, it’s actually quite different than that. In fact, much different.

Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many wealthy people came to this area as a summer resort. Exquisite mansions and castles were built on the islands, many which remain today. Two castles, Boldt and Singer are open to the public. More on that in a minute.

A guided boat tour is the best way to experience the Thousand Islands and get the full appreciation of the unique beauty and history. We took the Uncle Sam Boat Tours out of Alexandria Bay and did the 2 Nation Tour so that we could visit both sides of the border. The islands are endless, ranging in size from over 40 square miles to smaller islands occupied by a single residence, or simply an uninhabited pile of rocks. To count as one of the Thousand Islands, the land mass must have at least one square foot of land above water level year-round, and support at least two living trees. The Uncle Sam tour host did a great job of explaining the relevant history as we cruised through the beautiful waters of the St. Lawrence and got up close to many of these beautiful structures with an occasional ocean liner passing nearby.

The homes are quite amazing, especially those whose size is dictated by the area of the island available (think pile of rocks). I couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to live in one of these home where your mail was delivered by boat. So peaceful. One of the advantages of taking the Uncle Same Boat Tours is that they are the only tour boat that has a regular shuttle to and from Boldt Castle. So at the end of the 2 Nation Tour you are dropped off at Boldt Castle on Heart Island to explore the castle at your leisure and return on any of the shuttles. So explore we did.

We met a great couple on the boat from Syracuse that we spent the rest of the afternoon with exploring Boldt Castle and for dinner later back at the dock. The history of Boldt Castle is so unique. The castle was built by George Boldt, the innovative force behind the landmark Waldorf Astoria and Bellevue-Stratford hotels, as a gift to his wife Louise. However, as the house was nearing completion in January of 1904, Louise unexpecting died. George sent a message to all of the crews building the house to put down their tools and leave the island immediately. George nor the workers ever returned to the island and the house set vacant for decades. George Boldt stipulated that the house would never be more than 90% complete because Louise never saw it complete and that no one would ever spend the night in the house because Louise never had an opportunity to do so.

Thousand Islands Bridge Authority ultimately acquired the property and began significant renovations, as it had sat vacant for over 70 years without properly being cared for. Although some renovations still continue, the castle today is magnificent, but quite sad in some ways as well. Grand is an understatement with a six story open foyer and stained glass dome above. Cast stone molding shipped in from overseas and custom carved woodwork adorn the castle throughout its 120 rooms. However, when you venture to the upper floors there are unfinished rooms and areas in disrepair. On one hand it’s such a fitting tribute to Louise but on the other, it’s such a shame that no one was ever able to enjoy calling this home. The grounds around the castle are just as magnificent with the amazing landscaping and almost 360 degree views of the St. Lawrence. There was even a wedding underway in one of the private gardens while we were there. Some Walley Bite at Riley’s by the River back in Alexandria Bay with our new found friends was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Put Thousand Islands on your summer destination list and if you are an RV’er, Swan Bay Resort & Marina is the place to stay. I also hear the Antique Boat Museum is well worth the visit, although we didn’t get a chance to see it for ourselves.

Check out our pictures of the Thousand Islands and Boldt Castle while we head out to the New England states for some leaf peeping.