Where you can island hop

Sujoy Dhar

Cruising in a vessel in the 1000 Islands along the Canada-USA border, viewing the cluster of islands in St Lawrence River with magnificent summer homes of the rich and the famous there, you are suddenly told that what you see as a crossing between one of those island homes and its island backyard is the world’s shortest international bridge.

In the Zavikon Island, a bridge tourists spot is only 32 feet long connecting two countries actually. This is one of the many trivia of the 50-mile-long archipelago that is 1000 Islands spreading across New York in the USA and Ontario in Canada. 1000 Islands on the USA-Canada border comprise 1,864 islands in the St Lawrence River that flows out of Ontario Lake, and for tourists, it offers breathtaking natural beauty combining with cruises, helicopter tours, live theatre, casino, castles, hiking, kayaking, freshwater fishing, cycling on the waterfront or simply walking. This is a place of secluded island hideaways, beautiful summer residences of super rich Americans on the those islands and a unique habitat with stories of mystery and romance.

Here your waterfront destination will be Gananoque, near Kingston, from where you can have the fascinating cruises and even helicopter tours.

Hailed as a boater’s paradise and a fisherman’s playground, a cruise through St Lawrence River will unfold before your eyes the blue waters, rocky islands, many of which boast of opulent Victorian summer homes.

During the cruises offered by the Gananoque boat line, you see the famous Boldt Castle, the statue of St Lawrence, the international bridge and Zavicon Islands containing the smallest international bridge of the world as well (connecting Canada and America).

In the Millionaire’s Row comprising the houses of the rich and the famous on the islands, you see Boldt Castle, which has a tragic love story behind it. George Charles Boldt (1851-1916) was a self-made millionaire from the USA who had made urban hotel as a civic social centre and luxurious destination. This castle on 1000 Islands was built for his beloved wife Louise as a gift but before it was completed, the lady died, halting construction. It is now a major summer attraction here.

So there are stories galore, with each island offering some intriguing past to excite you.

There are hundreds of bays and channels here offering many kinds of boating experiences for visitors. And as you explore the criss-crossing water world in vessels, above it are some five bridges forming the “Bridge” — three Canadian and two American, including one towering 150 feet above the water, all built in the 1930s.

This region is also known as the ship wreck zone of the world. It is said beneath the blue majestic surface of St Lawrence River are lost ships of a bygone era.

While a cruise is a must, if you can shell out some more, a helicopter tour should not be missed. It is an adventure of lifetime to see the splendour of 1000 Islands from the top.

In the evening you can also catch up with a play in a theatre located in the most panoramic location. Located on the riverfront, Thousand Islands Playhouse is an idyllic place to enjoy a gut-bursting sitcom or a soulful musical.

While to explore 1000 Islands, Gananoque is the best place to stay, you should not miss a delectable day scouting Kingston, an ideal place for rest and relaxation. In the limestone city, you can have historic walk tours, including a spooky haunted walk.

A big attraction of Kingston is Fort Henry, built from 1832 to 1837. Once you are inside the wooden gates, you enter the realm of 19th century military life, with demonstrations enacted by Fort Henry Guard, which is a highly disciplined group of university student recruits playing British soldiers from 1867.

While 1000 Islands, along with Kingston, offer the beauty of islands and water channels, your next stop in Ontario can be Niagara-on-the-Lake, which once was the capital of Upper Canada.

Now though the tour guide’s peppy words of how Winston Churchill had found it as the most beautiful town of Canada during a trip by the scenic highway would put you under pressure to kind of appreciate its beauty, if on a sunny summer afternoon, you take a stroll here, you soon discover that perhaps this is not an overstatement.

Here you bask in the warmth of both a lovely Canadian town with the beautified sidewalks bursting in flowers of many hues, or you can sneak into a place like Maple Leap Fudge for a sinful indulgence of different flavours of fudge made on site.

In this quaint town on one popular corner, also do not forget to check out a vintage hotel called The Prince of Wales.

While checking in here can be expensive, you can try a meal in the historic Victorian-style hotel with an ornate lobby boasting a stained glass mural, Victorian furniture, 110 individually decorated guestrooms, an award-winning restaurant, lounge and patio, a world-class spa and a lavish tea room serving afternoon tea daily.

A winery visit can be one of the must do things here. Reif Estate Winery is recommended among the several for a wine tasting tour.