I first heard of the term Thousand Islands a few years ago, when ordering a salad dressing at the local McDonald’s. It was actually always my favorite and at that time I thought it was just a name, like any other. Then somebody mentioned there truly was a place of Thousand Islands. I immediately pictured tropical paradise somewhere in the Caribbean. Never in the million years did it even cross my mind that these particular archipelago was nestled in Canada and in the river on top of it all.
But it’s true. These islands can be found in the Saint Lawrence River, located on the border between Canada’s province of Ontario and the state of New York, USA. As we learned on the boat cruise departing from the small town of Gananoque there are more than 1800 islands. The best way to actually see them and get the feeling is from a boat. There is a wide selection of cruises, so you get to pick and choose which one suites your needs best.
We choose the two and a half hour tour around the islands with no stopping. With the two small kids we believe we picked just enough time on the boat.
It was great to sit and just soak up the scenery. I imagined myself on too many of the islands we passed. I liked the small ones, where there’s just space enough for one small house and the big ones where you can also have a chance to roam the woods.
A bit of trivia: To actually qualify as an island here these following criteria must be met: The island must be above water level year round, have an area greater than 1 square foot and support at least one living tree.
These islands are truly beautiful and I can’t really convey the sights we got to enjoy in words.