Kingston, ON to the Thousand Islands

We left Kingston at 9:00 AM, entered Lake Ontario, then turned east down the start of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The first 50 miles of the Saint Lawrence is known as the “Thousand Islands,” an area of renowned natural beauty straddling the U.S.-Canada border. There are actually more than 1,800 islands in the region, but who’s counting? And yes, Thousand Island salad dressing started here, although multiple origin stories about who was the first to mix mayonnaise and ketchup together are debated by locals and food scholars.

We went 18 miles in three hours, stopping for gas on the way, where we saw our Montreal friends from All In, and this family of swans. Bonus Question: What is a young swan called? (Answer at end of post).

We’re docked for the night at Beaurivage Island (“beautiful shore” in French), in Canada’s Thousand Islands National Park. We have a private dock with a picnic table, connected by trails to the rest of the island, which has several more docks and tent camping sites. In case you’re curious, the red Adirondack chairs are a signature furnishing of Parks Canada, and we can’t resist sitting in them. Map Link: Beaurivage Island, ON

We hiked the island, soaked up the sun and warm summer weather, swam in the clear, cool water and watched the osprey, herring gulls and neighboring boaters from our idyllic spot. 

Bonus Question Answer: A cygnet. Fun fact: Swans are the world’s largest waterfowl.