On a crisp fall morning we woke up and hopped on I-90 headed for the Thousands Islands, to visit the historic Boldt Castle on Heart island in the quaint town of Alexandria Bay, New York. Heart Island is one of the 1,864 islands of the 1000 islands.
The castle is situated in the middle of the St. Lawrence River between the United States and Canada. To get to the island you must take a ferry shuttle. We chose Uncle Sam Boat Tours for our Ferry, the staff was very friendly, funny and professional. However if you are coming from Canada you will have to choose a Canadian Ferry and bring proper passports, as you will be entering the United States. Boldt Castle is an official U.S. Customs and Border Protection office.
In 1900 George Boldt, who was the general manager of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel started construction of the Boldt Castle as a gift for his wife, Louise Boldt. Construction of the Boldt Castle pressed on for years until 1904, when Louise passed away unexpectedly. George was heartbroken and could not see a future in the castle without his beloved wife. Construction halted and he never returned to the Island. The structure stood vacant for 73 years until 1977 when it was purchased by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority for $1, under conditions that it would be renovated and opened to the public to enjoy and to support renovations with a reasonable entry fee. Entry fees to get into the castle are $11.00 for adults & $8.00 for Children. 15 million dollars were originally put into the renovation by the bridge authority. Since then, 50 million dollars has gone into renovations from the revenues of the castle tours. Bringing Boldt Castle to the state it was in when construction was halted, with 2 floors being fully renovated. Renovations for the rest of the castle are underway or planned for the future.
We explored the grounds for over 3 hours, Taking in all the history and beauty that we could. After that we were starving and headed out to find a good meal. There is a small castle cafe if you get hungry or you can bring your own picnic. We however, wanted to find somewhere to eat that had thousand island dressing in the thousands islands. We visited the castle in early October on a weekday, so a lot of the local places in Alexandria Bay were not open or had closed for the season. We found a restaurant in Nearby Clayton, New York. The restaurant was called The Hops Spot and it is housed in a historic victorian house. My boyfriend ordered the Wac Arnold Burger that came with thousand Island dressing on it he said it was the best thousand island he ever had. I ordered the Fried Green Tomato Stack it was really tasty! We all thought the food and atmosphere were great , would absolutely recommend The Hops Spot if you are visiting the thousand islands. Clayton New York has a very charming and historic downtown area, with many unique businesses for visitors and locals alike. While you are in Upstate New York don’t forget to stop in to a local grocery store to pick up some Half Moon Cookies from Hemstrought’s Bakery. I have been enjoying the Trader Joe’s version for years but they are nothing like the real deal! Our final stop to wrap up the day before heading back to Ohio was to the I Love New York Sign. We had a great time, Boldt Castle and the Thousand Islands are phenomenal places to visit!
Lilacs & Wanderlust 