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Oct. 19 – Saratoga Springs, NY

By on October 24, 2026 in The Pearl

“Wrinkles only go where smiles have been.” -Jimmy Buffett

We’re taking another fall vacation. This time we’re on our way to Quebec City. It’s almost ten hours from our home in Lewisburg so we thought we’d do a little exploring on the way there. We’ve only been in Saratoga Spring to go to the horse races years ago. So we thought we’d spend part of the day to see what else this pretty little town has to offer. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Oct. 19 – Saratoga Springs, NY

By on October 24, 2026 in The Pearl

“Wrinkles only go where smiles have been.” -Jimmy Buffett

We’re taking another fall vacation. This time we’re on our way to Quebec City. It’s almost ten hours from our home in Lewisburg so we thought we’d do a little exploring on the way there. We’ve only been in Saratoga Spring to go to the horse races years ago. So we thought we’d spend part of the day to see what else this pretty little town has to offer. 

Saratoga Springs is named for the mineral springs in the area, which has made it a popular resort destination for over 200 years. It’s also known for thoroughbred horse racing. The Saratoga Race Course is one of the oldest and most famous thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the country. The Belmont Stakes are held here every June. Informal trotting and harness races date back as early as 1847 and the Saratoga Race Course was officially opened in August 1864. The city’s official slogan is “Health, History, and Horses”.

We chose the historic Inn at Saratoga Springs for our stay. It was built in 1843 and is the oldest continuously-operating hotel in Saratoga Springs. Initially it was a simple large boarding house for people who came to soak in the springs. In 1866 as tourism began to boom in Saratoga Springs it began operating as a true hotel.
This room at the inn is used as a sitting room and a dining room. The bottom pictures show our room.
We spent the afternoon at Saratoga Spa State Park. We hiked a little, sampled the spring water and looked at the old spa buildings. The park is renowned for its natural mineral springs, classical 1930s architecture and rich history as a premier health and wellness destination. In the 19th century, the area became a popular place to visit for the medicinal effects the springs held. The spa was named a state park in 1962. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987, for its natural and architectural features, and for its role as the subject of early conservation measures. The park features mineral baths, walking trails and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Later in the afternoon we walked around the downtown area. The weather was just right for soaking in the sights of this beautiful little town and the warmth of the sunshine.

State Seal Spring is famed for providing a smooth, refreshing, and clean-tasting drinking water. It was wonderful and we filled our water bottle several times.
There are 13 distinct natural, cold-water carbonated mineral springs throughout the park. We tried three of four. Definitely not a fan of the more mineral tasting springs. Each spring has a little different properties, taste and beneficial qualities. Geyser Island Spouter (“The Geyser”) is a continuously bubbling and spouting natural carbonated spring surrounded by a growing dome and island of hardened mineral deposits called tufa.
We hiked along Geyser Creek. 

Some of the buildings in the park. There are two spas, an event building, two pools, a golf course, tennis courts, a preforming arts center, a car museum and twelve miles of multi use hiking trails.

We enjoyed dinner at a Spanish Tapas Restaurant called Boca Bistro. 

Toasting to my good friend’s birthday…she was celebrating in Turk and Caicos.
We had meatballs and  Shishito peppers. Both were very good.

Sept. 29 – Singer Castle

By on October 8, 2026 in The Pearl
“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storms, but to add color to my sunset sky.” -Rabindranath Tagore
Today we rode down the river to visit Singer Castle. It wasn’t as nice today and our ride there was a bit chilly. This estate looks like a castle but it is much smaller than the one we visited yesterday. We first visited the castle in 2018. It was a much prettier day when we arrived on The Pearl. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Sept. 29 – Singer Castle

By on October 8, 2026 in The Pearl
“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storms, but to add color to my sunset sky.” -Rabindranath Tagore
Today we rode down the river to visit Singer Castle. It wasn’t as nice today and our ride there was a bit chilly. This estate looks like a castle but it is much smaller than the one we visited yesterday. We first visited the castle in 2018. It was a much prettier day when we arrived on The Pearl. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Sept. 28 – Boldt Castle

By on October 6, 2026 in The Pearl
“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.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Sept. 27-Oct. 3 Thousand Island Vacation

By on October 5, 2026 in The Pearl
“Maybe home isn’t a place. Maybe it’s a feeling you have inside of you being around the people who matter to you.” -Justin Somper 
One of our favorite places in New York is the 1000 Islands area. It’s such a wonderful place. We’ve visited twice on the boat and this was our fifth time by car. This vacation with our family was the first time we’ve actually stayed in Alexandria Bay. We rented a beautiful house with a great view of the river. We all enjoyed watching the large ships pass by. Since it was the end of September and a bit cool we didn’t see too many personal boats, but we know from experience the water around A Bay can get a bit crazy on a summer afternoon.

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Alexandria Bay (A Bay), NY

By on October 4, 2026 in The Pearl
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.

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Fun in Canada

By on September 30, 2026 in The Pearl

“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

By on September 30, 2026 in The Pearl

“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.

Sept. 28 – Boldt Castle

By on September 29, 2026 in The Pearl
“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.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»