Coronado Island in San Diego boasts one of the best beaches in the US, and has been a beach resort town since the Hotel del Coronado was built in 1888. With 750 rooms, it was the largest resort in the world at the time. Visitors reached the hotel on the Coronado Ferry that began service…
The Perlan Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland: Part 3 – Northern Lights, Views of the City, Volcanoes and Earthquakes, and More
continued… We noticed it was nearly time for the IMAX movie about the northern lights to begin, so we headed back down to the first floor and lined up outside the IMAX theater. At the time the movie was supposed … Continue reading →
Alexandria Bay (A Bay), NY
The River [riv-er] noun
Not just water flowing through the land, but a place of gathering, of belonging…where families grow closer, friendships run deep, and memories are made – ones that never wash away.
Our fall family getaway was in the 1000 Islands which is located in the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario and runs 745 miles to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then into the Atlantic Ocean. We choose to stay in Alexandria Bay which is known as the heart of the Thousand Islands region. It’s famous for its historic castles, scenic river tours and world-class fishing. We love the area and we’re spending the next week relaxing, exploring and having fun with our family.
The Perlan Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland: Part 2 – Lava Rides, Ice Tunnels, Glaciers and Fresh Water
Continued… We were promptly escorted into a small amphitheater with uncomfortable bench seating. They showed a film of a recent volcano eruption with footage taken from drones above the crater. It was shown on a big screen and was very … Continue reading →
The Perlan Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland: Part 1 – History
continued… They perused most of the exhibits on the first floor while they waited for the volcano/ice cave tours to begin. The majority of the displays were about Iceland’s history, with about half focusing geological history and the other half … Continue reading →
Keith’s Perspective on Our First Week in Florida (This Year)/Le point de vue de Keith sur notre première semaine en Floride (cette année)
Saturday, March 28 – Frida, April 3 — This week has been mostly boring. On Saturday, we arrived in Florida. We anchored, then went to shore. We got some Mexican food, then we went back to the boat to rest. On … Continue reading →
Fun in Canada
“Don’t be in such a hurry to reach the view that you miss the beauty along the way.” -Unknown
The grands had never been to Canada so one day we drove over to do a little exploring. We drove through Rockport (just so everyone could say they’d been to another Rockport) and then stopped at a little rocky beach. The kids got a little wet so our next adventure was finding some dry clothes. We drove over to Brockville to a larger, very nice Walmart. Nothing like going to another country just to spend time at Walmart.
After the shopping detour we walked through Brockville Railway Tunnel. The tunnel runs under the downtown core of Brockville. It was built between 1854 and 1860 to allow the fledgling Brockville and Ottawa Railway to connect the Brockville industrial waterfront area to the outlying areas lying between the St Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. It was Canada’s first railroad tunnel. Today it is part of the Brock Trail recreational pathway. Complete with LED light show and music. The 1/3 mile walk gives history of the tunnel and a chance to see the mineral formations.
From Brockville we headed west to the Arbru Solar Brew Pub for lunch. It was such a beautiful day so we sat outside and had a great time. After lunch we headed to Gananoque to do a little more exploring and shopping. We came ashore here in 2018 when we spent a few weeks in the 1000 Islands on The Pearl.
Brockville Railway Tunnel
The tunnel was designed to leak. Allowing water to permeate the stone walls prevents the buildup of hydrostatic pressure that could cause the walls to collapse. This continuous flow of water has caused the beautiful mineral deposits that are seen throughout the tunnel.
The south end of the tunnel comes out in a park along the St. Lawrence River.
Lunch at the Arbru Brewery.
Gananoque Courthouse
The Gananoque River runs through part of the town.
Dessert at the MJ Baker’s Dozen.
Fun in town.
Our second trip into Canada was on the boat…we didn’t stop anywhere so we didn’t need to check into customs. It wasn’t the nicest day but we wanted to take the kids around some of the beautiful islands and through the International Rift. It’s a narrow deep cut that separates the Canadian Hill Island from the US Wellesley Island. The International Rift Bridge crosses at this point. The water is coke bottle green and so clear you can see the bottom even in the deepest spots.
The small International Rift Bridge. It is one of three bridges that make up the Thousand Islands International Bridge System.
Going under the bridge.
The United States on the left and Canada on the right.
Looking back at the rift.
The kids have one leg in Canada and one in the USA.
Riding through some of the pretty islands.
Just one of the many tankers we show during our stay. The kids loved seeing them.
Fun in Canada
“Don’t be in such a hurry to reach the view that you miss the beauty along the way.” -Unknown
The grands had never been to Canada so one day we drove over to do a little exploring. We drove through Rockport (just so everyone could say they’d been to another Rockport) and then stopped at a little rocky beach. The kids got a little wet so our next adventure was finding some dry clothes. We drove over to Brockville to a larger, very nice Walmart. Nothing like going to another country just to spend time at Walmart.
After the shopping detour we walked through Brockville Railway Tunnel. The tunnel runs under the downtown core of Brockville. It was built between 1854 and 1860 to allow the fledgling Brockville and Ottawa Railway to connect the Brockville industrial waterfront area to the outlying areas lying between the St Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. It was Canada’s first railroad tunnel. Today it is part of the Brock Trail recreational pathway. Complete with LED light show and music. The 1/3 mile walk gives history of the tunnel and a chance to see the mineral formations.
From Brockville we headed west to the Arbru Solar Brew Pub for lunch. It was such a beautiful day so we sat outside and had a great time. After lunch we headed to Gananoque to do a little more exploring and shopping. We came ashore here in 2018 when we spent a few weeks in the 1000 Islands on The Pearl.
Brockville Railway Tunnel
The tunnel was designed to leak. Allowing water to permeate the stone walls prevents the buildup of hydrostatic pressure that could cause the walls to collapse. This continuous flow of water has caused the beautiful mineral deposits that are seen throughout the tunnel.
The south end of the tunnel comes out in a park along the St. Lawrence River.
Lunch at the Arbru Brewery.
Gananoque Courthouse
The Gananoque River runs through part of the town.
Dessert at the MJ Baker’s Dozen.
Fun in town.
Our second trip into Canada was on the boat…we didn’t stop anywhere so we didn’t need to check into customs. It wasn’t the nicest day but we wanted to take the kids around some of the beautiful islands and through the International Rift. It’s a narrow deep cut that separates the Canadian Hill Island from the US Wellesley Island. The International Rift Bridge crosses at this point. The water is coke bottle green and so clear you can see the bottom even in the deepest spots.
The small International Rift Bridge. It is one of three bridges that make up the Thousand Islands International Bridge System.
Going under the bridge.
The United States on the left and Canada on the right.
Looking back at the rift.
The kids have one leg in Canada and one in the USA.
Riding through some of the pretty islands.
Just one of the many tankers we show during our stay. The kids loved seeing them.
Downtown Reykjavík, Iceland
Thursday, May 14 — The alarm went off at 0600. Christi had a hard time getting up. She woke Keith up at 0630 and he also had a hard time getting up. They let Eric sleep. The conference was starting … Continue reading →
Sept. 28 – Boldt Castle
“Happiness is not getting all you want, it is about enjoying all you have.” -Unknown
On our first morning we took the boat over to Bolt Castle. It’s one of Upstate New York’s most beautiful fall places to visit. The castle rises from Heart Island in the St. Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay, surrounded by the Thousand Islands. The island is only accessible by tour boat, water taxi or private boat. We visited the castle on The Pearl in 2012.
