Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Road Trip Day 56
I slept very well last night at Otter Creek Inn in sleepy Alexandria Bay down on the St Lawrence Seaway. The vacation season is pretty much over in "Alex Bay" with most restaurants closed up, motels closing at the end of the week and souvenir shops selling at discount prices.
Despite, or many because of this quietening of the area, I had an unexpectedly great time today.
Hibernating Houses
After breakfast at the Broken Yolk, a café in the morning, nightclub at night, I drove over to Wellesley Island, one of the largest islands in the group, to visit Thousand Island Park, a community originally set up by Methodists in the 1800's. There are around 300 "cottages" left in the idyllic little community, and by cottages I mean sometimes huge 3 to 4 storey houses in the style I am growing to love so very much.
Another consequence of the looming winter, which I have heard described as "brutal" around here, is the need to protect your boat and your house from the cold and snow. Many were covered in custom fit canvases.
Others were boarded up, including this one which brightens up its shutters with natty Christmas decorations.
Boat Trip
With a camera full of beautiful houses, I returned to Alexandria Bay to get on board for a boat tour around the 1000 Islands. First off, there are considerably more than 1,000. There's over 1,800 islands, and the criteria by which they are declared to be islands is that they must be above water 365 days a year and have at least one living tree on it.
They vary in size from over 18 miles long to this, the smallest, named Tom Thumb. The 15 is a speed limit, they haven't numbered the islands.
Our excellent, young local tour guide related many stories of the rich owners of the sometimes huge mansions, most of which seem to have belonged to assorted industrialists and the occasional eccentric.
The piece de resistance though is the enormous Boldt Castle, built in the early 1900's by Waldorf-Astoria Proprietor George Boldt as a gift to his wife, but never quite completed due to her untimely death from Consumption (which is what killed all Victorian era women if I understand history correctly).
Oh, and yes, the Salad Dressing was created by a local family and popularised when George Boldt took it back to the Waldorf-Astoria... presumably served on Waldorf Salad?
Unexpected Surprise
The Thousand Islands are extremely beautiful, surrounded by the very clear, cool St Lawrence Seaway and populated by pretty trees and stunning houses. I really enjoyed my time here, not only because it's a fabulous place to be, but also as it was potentially just somewhere that I would pass through. It's happened before on my trip that a convenient stop-over has turned out to be an absolute treat and I love pleasant surprises.
One Thing Leads to Another
One of the industrialists that our guide mentioned was Edward John Noble, who, amongst other things invented the "Lifesaver" sweet, the English equivalent of which is the Polo Mint. Their rounded shape with a hole in the middle was apparently a response to the problem of kids choking on sweets. The hole would allow them to breath if it got lodged in their throat... apparently.
Anyway, our guide explained that Noble was from the nearby town of Gouverneur and that the Rotary Club have erected a memorial to him there. However, it's not a statue of the inventor. Instead, they put up a giant replica of the invention.
Gouverneur was on my route so I stopped by to take a photo.
Needless to say, this silly sight is listed on the Roadside America site.
Pull Over!
No, I haven't been pulled over by the police again, but I have had to make rapid stops three times today for photo opportunities.
First, it turns out I am still in Amish country and after seeing a couple of pony and traps on the roads, here's one at a gas station. I guess the driver is inside buying hay... or figuring our where in his horse he should stick the nozzle?
Next was a flock of Wild Turkeys. It's so odd to see full size turkey's wandering around the verges. They are big, dumb looking beggers.
Finally, look which county the town I am staying in tonight is in.
This Essex girl has come home, sorta.
And Finally
Here's another special mention for restaurant staff. After a lovely prime rib dinner, I helped myself to a mint on the way out. It was a funny looking mint, soft with a coloured strip in the middle. I chomped away and it was de-lish-ous! I stopped in my tracks, went back into the restaurant and asked where they got them from, hoping it would be a local shop so I could by some.
My waitress didn't know so fetched a chap from the kitchen who does the ordering. Well, he explained they buy them a supplier in Queens, New York City and before I knew what was going on a large poly-cup was produced and they poured me a huge heap of "Jelly Mints". Again, I am so impressed by the kindness of strangers and very grateful because these little sweeties are so moreish.
We got chatting and I explained about my road trip and we discussed highlights and it turns out he hadn't even heard of Crater Lake, let alone been there. I think I did a good job of selling it to him.
Thanks to Ed, Amanda and the meeter-greeter chap who's name I didn't catch at The Red Fox Restaurant and Lounge, Saranac Lake, New York State.
Goodnight.
Stats - Day Eighty-Two
Distance travelled - 127 miles - Alexandria Bay to Saranac Lake , NY
State count - 34 + DC + B.C.
Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210, 246, 118, 3, 145, 229, 111, 207, 206, 40, 605, "Cowboy", 35, 11, 18, 262, 216, 208, 430, 216, 59, 226, 115 / 110*, 309, 30, 8, 255, 428, 209, "Spare", 105, 207, 227, 126, 112, 4
*room switch
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