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Thousand Islands Day Cruise, OntarioAugust 2011The Thousand Islands are located in the St-Lawrence River between Brockville and Kingston about a 3 hour drive from Toronto and Montreal. The islands straddle the Canada-US border. Around 21 one of these islands form The St-Lawrence Islands National Park. There are close to 1800 islands that range in various sizes. The largest of the islands is Wolfe Island which is located entirely in Ontario. The islands are dotted with beautiful homes and mansions as this was once the playground for wealthy US industrialists who built summer homes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There is lots to see and do while in the area such as kayaking, power boating, sailing, biking, camping, fishing, swimming and picnicking but by far the best way to see the islands is by taking a day cruise. There are many companies that offer boat cruises departing from various locations lasting anywhere from 1hr to 5hrs. The longer duration cruises actually allow passengers to disembark and visit popular attractions such as Boldt Castle and Singer Castle which are located in the US. These photos were taken from a 1 hr cruise on the Gananoque Boat Line out of the Canadian town of Ivy Lea.The cruise is a perfect introduction to the islands hitting the the most popular attrations.   Thousand Islands Bridge view from Ivy Lea  The Thousand Islands Bridge built in 1937 spans the St-Lawrence and connects New York with Ontario in the middle of the Thousand Islands Region.  Millionaire's Row features many stately summer homes which are seen on the boat cruise.     Zavicon Islands contain the smallest international bridge in the world connecting Canada(left) with the US (right)   Boldt Castle Boathouse  Boldt Castle is located on Heart Island in the 1000 Islands, Alexandria Bay, New York. Boldt Castle (www.boldtcastle.info ) which is a replica of a Rhineland castle was built by Mr. Boldt a powerful hotel magnate for $2.5 million. The castle has 120 rooms and is located on a beautiful surrounding landscape that can be visited by tourists. Some boat tours from the US and Canada make stopovers on the island allowing passengers to take a tour of the inside of the castle.    The Thousand Islands region is dotted with many lighthouses. For more information visit the following related links. Visit the 1000 Islands:The Official Tourism Bureau 1000 Islands.com Gananoque Boat Line Rockport Boat Line Back to Home from Thousand Islands Day Cruise |