July 9, 2018 Boldt Castle, Thousand Islands, NY

July 9, Part Two:  after our lovely boat tour of the area, we stopped to tour the Boldt Castle.  Please click the link and read about it so I don't have to repeat all of the history; it's quite fascinating!  We spent at least 2-3 hours exploring this vast mansion/castle.  When you read the info from Wikipedia you'll see that it started out as a wonderful love story which ended in sadness, and the unfinished castle was left to ruin for 70 years.  It's a testament to the original builders that it stood up as well as it did!  The amount of graffiti on the unrestored parts is astounding.  So glad that it's being put back like it was meant to be.

Enjoy these few pictures - 

I'm pointing to the location of the Boldt Castle island.

Lovely stained glass dome. 

Dining room.

Ballroom.

George Boldt's office

Louise Boldt. 

Reception room before restoration.

Reception room now. 

The heart motif appears everwhere.

The power house.

Alster tower.

Grand entrance arch.

July 9, 2018 Thousand Islands boat tour, Alexandria Bay, NY

July 9, Part One:  on our way to see the Boldt Castle (see next post) we had a lovely tour of a few of the islands in the Thousand Islands archipelago where Lake Ontario empties into the St. Lawrence River.  The tour guide said there are well over one thousand islands, but nobody wants to change the name on all the bottles of 1000 Island Salad Dressing.  (yes, it was created here by a chef)  These islands have summer homes that range from castles down to one-room shacks.  Imagine coming here in the summertime for a few months on your own island.  It was amazing to see....

This pair of islands is half in Canada, and half in the USA.
The joke is, when the owner gets disgusted with current events,
he walks across the bridge and leaves the country..... 

July 8, 2018 Watertown, NY

Back during WWII, Bubba's father was stationed briefly here in Watertown at Pine Camp.  (It's now Ft. Drum)  So he wanted to take a look at the area.  It's an industrial town that's lost a lot of the industry that lined the Black River.  Still pretty interesting!  We didn't explore too much because it was very hot outside.....

Photo from an internet site:  Pine Camp.

Arch Street

The Falls in downtown Watertown;  once natural falls,
now tamed and making hydroelectricity. 

Former mill, now whitewater outfitters.

July 8, 2018 Willows Campground; and Sackets Harbor, NY

Our first night at the Willows on the Lake Campground on Lake Ontario, we were treated to their annual July 4 bash and an amazing sunset.  The  next evening we visited nearby Sackets Harbor and enjoyed a late afternoon snack and music in the park.  We stumble into so many wonderful things!

Instead of fireworks, the CG lined the water's edge with road flares,
and they looked wonderful from the end of the pier!

Two youngsters, one in a helmet, waiting for nightfall.
Bubba thinks they may have been telling secrets, but I think they were plotting..... 

Bubba's beer and bowl of lobster/crab/shrimp chowder.....

You know they get snow here:  the flag above my head marks the
fire hydrant when the snow is deep..... 

Lovely afternoon with music in the park in Sackets Harbor.