New York (Part 2) – Thousand Islands

Island House

We were drawn to Thousand Islands based on the internet photos we saw of tiny islands with houses that cover every square inch of land and some with castles! It is really amazing to see how little land you actually need to build a house. Some islands were so small that only an outhouse would fit on it and believe it or not someone put one on it.
We met Arthur (www.punchlistman.com) as we were going for a swim in DeWolf State Park. Arthur was so excited because he had just purchased one of the islands (the size of it was 100ft across) after spending fourteen years convincing his girlfriend (now fiance) that it was a worthy investment. Arthur showed us pictures of his island as he was getting ready to put his boat in the water. We loved his cheerful spirit and wish him the best of luck as he prepares to make his island his home.

Boldt Castle

A must do for anyone coming to this part of the world is a tour of Boldt Castle. George Boldt was having the castle built for his wife Louise in 1900, but she died during the construction. So, he stopped the project and left it to itself for a number of years. It has been and is now being restored to show the grandeur of the people, time, and place, as well as tell the love story. It was so immense that we almost got lost in all of the catacombs and passage ways. We loved the look of the castle, the rooms, porticos, and towers and can only imagine the fortune it would take to build and maintain. Thousand Islands is one of those places we would like to come back to. Next time we will be staying for at least a week. We also feel it needful to have our own boat next time, as that is the mode of transportation and play that is used most.