If you’ve never heard of the Thousand Islands in Alexandria Bay NY, you’re missing out on what could be the perfect relaxing and cheap getaway.
Sometimes you just need to get away.Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, from working too hard, from stress and bad weather. In my case, I just needed to get away from packing for my upcoming trip to Spain. Packing is hard work you know! Ok, ok, I know you don’t feel bad for me…going to Spain is a pretty sweet deal. So I guess what I’m trying to say is you don’t really need an excuse to get away, especially if you only want to spend a day or two away from home.
For me the logical choice for a mini-vaca was Alexandria Bay, NY which is only 1.5 hours from my hometown. It’s a tiny town on the St. Lawrence river that calls itself “The Heart of the Thousand Islands“.
What are the Thousand Islands? If you’re not from Upstate New York, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of them. They’re a gorgeous group of over 1,800 islands that straddle the U.S.-Canadian Border on the St. Lawrence river. That’s right! There are actually MORE than 1,000 islands in the Thousand Islands!
Including this one that is considered one of the smallest official islands known to man:
Accommodation in Alexandria Bay (also known as Alex Bay or A-Bay) varies depending on the time of the year. It gets extremely cold in the winter and parts of the river freeze over, so obviously fewer people are vacationing so hotels are dirt cheap. In the summer, however, it’s a pretty fantastic place to visit so the prices are slightly higher than you’d expect for the quality of hotel you’re going to get.
We booked our hotel, Capt’s Inn and Suites, only a week ahead of time, and we paid about $100/night. I highly recommend not waiting until the last minute like we did, because we had a really hard time finding any vacancies anywhere. We didn’t realize it was “Pirate Weekend,” an old tradition where “pirates” come into the Bay and take over part of it. Looked like a fun time for the kids, but probably attracted more tourists than normal.
If you’re going in the summer months, it will be nearly impossible to find a room if you show up without any reservation at all. A couple stopped at our hotel looking for a vacancy and said they had gone to every other hotel in the area without any luck. Also you might be able to get a better deal if you book early.
I recommend having dinner at Holland Street Bistro which is part of the Riveredge Resort & Lodge. The views can’t be beat and the food is pretty great, considering you’re in a small town with mostly diner food. (One thing I miss about NYC is the food. My scale does not miss it though!) Entrees are about $17-23 per person.
A trip to Alex Bay would not be complete without a boat tour on Uncle Sam‘s “Two Nation” tour and a stop at Boldt Castle. The tour is about 2 hours down the St. Lawrence, and you get to view the islands and gorgeous homes on both the U.S. and Canadian sides. A portion of the tour is called “Millionaire’s Row,” which focuses on the history behind many of the breathtaking houses that have been built there over the past 200 years. (Prices: Adults $20, Kids $10)
At the end of the cruise you have the option of getting off the boat to check out Boldt Castle on Heart Island, and taking a later ferry back to the mainland. I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to do this, so consider it mandatory. It’s one of the coolest parts of the tour.
To make a long & sad story short, Boldt Castle was originally built in 1900 by a millionaire proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC. He wanted the castle to be a likeness to the Rhineland castles as a grandiose display of love for his wife. When his wife fell ill and died, he ceased construction efforts and never set foot on Heart Island again. The castle was looted for many years until preservation efforts began in 1977.
The lower floors are finished and lavishly furnished. The upper levels have been left un-finished with graffiti still intact as a testament to the castle’s many years of abandonment.
We had breakfast at a small diner called Chez Paris, which was fine & cheap but nothing to write home about. ($5-10 breakfast) We also ate at Riley’s by the River, which was pretty great. (Entrees $13-23).
The Bay Drive-In movie theater makes for a fun, old-fashioned evening. (Just don’t see The Conjuring. Just don’t.) ($6pp)
Also, the Lil’ River Fudge Co is a must for chocolaholics like myself. They have a million flavors, but I stick to classic when it comes to fudge. Milk chocolate all the way baby. You won’t be disappointed 🙂
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Tell me about your favorite summertime weekend/day trip! I love hearing about lesser-known places. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions, and like us on Facebook or connect via Twitter!!
