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Aug. 23-24 – Baldwinsville, NY

By on August 29, 2018 in The Pearl
Baldwinsville Free Dock

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

We woke up Thursday (8/23) and checked the weather reports for Lake Ontario…windy, but it looked doable and better than any day in the near future. We decided we’d take our chances…we really didn’t want to wait in Cape Vincent for a week. Most of the way across the lake to Oswego was bouncy but not too uncomfortable. That all changed about four miles out…the wind and the waves picked up and it was one of the roughest rides we’ve ever had. We didn’t bury the bow, but we came very close. We could see the inlet, but the only bearable way we could make any head way was to tack back and worth…it was a long, very comfortable ride and it felt amazing once we passed the lighthouse coming into the harbor. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the wall at Lock 7 and picking up the mess in the cabin.

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Aug. 22 – Cape Vincent, NY

By on August 28, 2018 in The Pearl
Cape Vincent Bulkhead

“There’s no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this.” – Anonymous

After our long day yesterday, working on the boat, we were hoping for a good nights sleep and a little downtime today. The docks and marinas in Clayton are exposed to the wakes from the river and winds from the north and west…so the approaching cold front woke us up very early. The wind was so strong that the rocking motion almost threw us out of bed. We were up, dressed and on our way to the coffee shop just as the sun was clearing the horizon. Everyone was out checking lines and adding more fenders. We were glad we had were using our large orange balls when we docked.

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Aug. 20-21 Clayton, NY

By on August 27, 2018 in The Pearl
Clayton Municipal Dock

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck
We spent two nights in Clayton, it’s a great little town on the river. It has a lot of cute shops and restaurants. Our plan was to stay and relax a day or so before heading back across Lake Ontario. Plans never seem to work out as we hope, but in this case we were lucky our mishap occurred at a perfect spot. 

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Aug. 20 – Thousand Islands Park, NY

By on August 24, 2018 in The Pearl
“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” –Mohammed
Today we visited Wellesley Island…mainly the little community known as Thousand Island Park. This little village was founded in 1875 as a Methodist Campground. Caught up in the religious revival movement of the time, Rev. Dayan dreamed of a Methodist summer camp where families could enjoy both spiritual and physical renewal. The Camp was non-denominational, but its activities embraced religious thought and an inflexible observance of the rules of the Sabbath. Since idle minds were “the devil’s workshop,” revival meetings, sermons and public services were in abundance.

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Aug. 19 – Singer Castle

By on August 20, 2018 in The Pearl
“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” – Anonymous
We left Brockville yesterday and spent the day relaxing in a quiet anchorage in Chippewa Bay. This morning we decided to stop at Singer Castle for a tour. We visited the larger Boldt Castle on Heart Island when we were in here in 2012. This castle (home…hunting lodge is much smaller). This home was actually lived in until the mid 1960’s.

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Aug. 16-17 – Brockville, ON

By on August 19, 2018 in The Pearl
Tall Ships Landing Marina

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill
Today we headed down the St. Lawerence River to Brockville, the city of the 1000 Islands. Brockville is the eastern end of 1000 Island and is a beautiful place to visit, full of historic buildings and a fantastic waterfront. We came to explore the area, but we also came to meet a blog friend that I’ve exchanged texts with for over a year. We had plans to meet last August in the Finger Lakes when Hurricane Harvey changes our plans.

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Aug. 15 – Grenadier Island, ON

By on August 18, 2018 in The Pearl
Center Grenadier Island Park – Anchorage 

“Travel opens your heart, broadens your mind and fills your life with stories to tell.” – Paula Bendfeldt

We’ve spent the last few days cruising through the small beautiful islands between Gananoque and Rockport, Ontario. So many wonderful places to anchor and swim…and such amazingly clear water. 

One of the most interesting places we’ve explored is the International Rift. It’s a narrow deep cut that separates the Canadian Hill Island from the US Wellesley Island. The Thousand Islands Bridge crosses at this point. The water is coke bottle green and so clear you can see the bottle even in the deepest spots.

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Aug. 13 – Gananoque, ON

By on August 17, 2018 in The Pearl
Beaurivage Island – Anchorage

“Home is where the heart is, and my heart is wherever I am at the moment.” — Lily Leung 

Our busy anchorage emptied out quickly this morning and it was a much better day for exploring. We dinghied over to Beaurivage Island and spent the morning hiking the trails and enjoying the views from its rocky ledges. I can see why so many people love these little islands…clear clean beautiful water to swim in and picnic areas with amazing views of the river and other small islands. 

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Aug. 12 – Beaurivage Island

By on August 16, 2018 in The Pearl
Beaurivage- Anchorage 

“The travel impulse is mental and physical curiosity. It’s a passion. And I can’t understand people who don’t want to travel.” – Paul Theroux
Another beautiful day. We got to sleep in a little and then walked into town for breakfast at Chissy Bean. Then we filled the water tanks, rinsed of all the gunk off the boat that we acquired while going through the locks and filled out the online information on the new ROAM app that makes checking back into the US easier. 

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Aug. 11 – Sackets Harbor, NY

By on August 12, 2018 in The Pearl

Navy Point Marine

“You don’t choose the day you enter the world and you don’t chose the day you leave. It’s what you do in between that makes all the difference.” – Anita Septimus

We got an early start this morning, and we made it through the next four locks on the Oswego Canal before nine. We couldn’t have asked for a better day to cross Lake Ontario to Sackets Harbor. We visited Sacker Harbor by car in 2012, but it was a lot better coming in by boat.
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