1000 Islands of Awesomeness
I hadn't done the 1000 Islands Boat Cruise since I was about Eve's age and went with my parents. Our usual crew were 
camping/cottaging nearby so we headed up to Ganonoque on the Saturday morning to meet them. Eve was all for the idea after she verified that the boat was big - she had a nasty almost-getting-swamped experience in a smaller boat while cottaging last summer and was not at all interested in facing her fears on that count.
The tour of the 1000 islands and the various stories of people who have inhabited them (there was something about a self-styled 'pirate' who died ignominiously by slipping on some water on his dock or something) was actually fairly interesting. For the adults. The kids were mostly interested in finding the best places to ride...
...and eat two-bite brownies.
The tour we took stops at Boldt Castle.
This is just the boathouse:
It's knock-your-eye-out architecturally, with a very sad story attached to it, about a man who was building it for his wife who died before he could finish it, so he left it unfinished.
The kids enjoyed walking around the grounds
and exploring the castle,
This was Eve's favourite part:
There are also many rocks which obviously must be climbed. And the obligatory ice cream and cheesy souvenirs. My daughter is the proud owner of a necklace with a magnet on it, to which one affixes a beer bottle cap. So proud.
If you go, be advised that you need a valid passport for Boldt Castle (it's not strictly speaking in Canada), but not one that is more than six months from expiry (someone mentioned this figure to me at some point and it has caused me ALL MANNER of unnecessary anxiety). Also, if you want to sit on the top of the boat you need to arrive quite early, but on the return trip sitting on the top of the boat can be very hot. Also, the same trip that was new and exciting and required no additional distractions on the way there will now be four times as long and the slightest bit boring and may entail complaining about having to share a drink with certain other germy individuals, scaling of various marine structures and a wish that all electronic devices had not been banned and relegated to the cars left back in the parking lot. Just sayin'.
Also, not that I didn't appreciate him taking the picture, but he could have mentioned the bra strap.
camping/cottaging nearby so we headed up to Ganonoque on the Saturday morning to meet them. Eve was all for the idea after she verified that the boat was big - she had a nasty almost-getting-swamped experience in a smaller boat while cottaging last summer and was not at all interested in facing her fears on that count.The tour of the 1000 islands and the various stories of people who have inhabited them (there was something about a self-styled 'pirate' who died ignominiously by slipping on some water on his dock or something) was actually fairly interesting. For the adults. The kids were mostly interested in finding the best places to ride...
...and eat two-bite brownies.
The tour we took stops at Boldt Castle.
This is just the boathouse:
It's knock-your-eye-out architecturally, with a very sad story attached to it, about a man who was building it for his wife who died before he could finish it, so he left it unfinished.
The kids enjoyed walking around the grounds
and exploring the castle,
This was Eve's favourite part:
There are also many rocks which obviously must be climbed. And the obligatory ice cream and cheesy souvenirs. My daughter is the proud owner of a necklace with a magnet on it, to which one affixes a beer bottle cap. So proud.
If you go, be advised that you need a valid passport for Boldt Castle (it's not strictly speaking in Canada), but not one that is more than six months from expiry (someone mentioned this figure to me at some point and it has caused me ALL MANNER of unnecessary anxiety). Also, if you want to sit on the top of the boat you need to arrive quite early, but on the return trip sitting on the top of the boat can be very hot. Also, the same trip that was new and exciting and required no additional distractions on the way there will now be four times as long and the slightest bit boring and may entail complaining about having to share a drink with certain other germy individuals, scaling of various marine structures and a wish that all electronic devices had not been banned and relegated to the cars left back in the parking lot. Just sayin'.
Also, not that I didn't appreciate him taking the picture, but he could have mentioned the bra strap.
Comments
I want to do a cruise like this...I'm such a bad mom.
This looks wonderful.
On the up side I think I've cracked the dressing -- it's mayonnaise with ketchup and relish mixed into it.
That's why I assumed it was an American thing.
My husband wouldn't tell me if my bra strap was showing either. In fact, looking at that picture kind of makes me miffed at the huzzle for not telling me (hypothetically) that my bra strap might be showing in a similar photograph.