A Three Hour Tour (why does that sound familiar?)

It's been so long, I'd actually forgotten what travelling with Rissa is like.  She's always up way early and eager to get going before most people are awake, and in the case of Alexandria Bay, long before the stores even open.  After her early morning window-shopping, she came back into the room and started talking to Clare and I as if we were awake (we weren't), and it wasn't even 8am yet.  Figuring sleep was no longer an option, we got up and I somehow managed to get it through both of their heads that we were not going home just yet.  I had more exploring to do, and that's all there was to that.

After some discussion and research, we settled on the three hour Singer Castle Tour, but as it didn't leave until noon, there was time to... You guessed it... Go shopping!  For my Canadian friends, today was the beginning of a long weekend in the US, and while it was only 10am, the little strip of tourist shops was already getting quite busy.  Really people? Finally it was time to quit shopping for a while, and jump on a slightly bigger boat than yesterday, but sadly still not the big one I had  hoped for yesterday.  It was about 9 miles (1 hr boat ride) to Dark Island (Singer Castle) but we had a wonderful tour guide who kept us all amused and informed.  We learned about the thousand islands (and the many debates about how many islands there actually are), some of the famous people who have or do own islands there, and all about the many ways the islands were used to smuggle alcohol into the States during prohibition.  One island is even called Whisky Island for its role during that time period.

We finally reached Dark Island, and the "mysterious" Singer Castle (that's what all the brochures said, not me).  I also saw something about it being haunted, but they didn't bring that up during the tour, so who knows.  Unlike Bolt Castle, we were not allowed to wander freely around this castle.  We were guided by a rather boring young man, who I have to admit didn't seem too interested in what he was telling us.  He had lots of facts, and interesting bits of trivia about the house, but not a whole lot of enthusiasm.  Of course, that may have had something to do with the extreme heat and humidity (34C with humidex).  

Do you really need a sign?

This castle was built the same years as Bolt Castle (1900-1904) but that is where their similarity ends.  While Bolt Castle  was designed as a giant mansion with all the modern conveniences of the time, Singer Castle was modelled after a true medieval castle, with stone walls and arches inside, secret passage ways, tunnels, mazes, and the like.  It was really interesting to see the difference between the two.   I don't know if it was our guide, or the slowness of our group to move from room to room, but we were almost finished our tour when someone's alarm went off.  They had set it as the reminder to get back on the boat at 2pm as we'd been directed to do so when we docked.  Everyone started to look at each other with a bit of a panic, not because they thought the boat would leave without us, but because we hadn't yet made it to the gift shop (promised at the end of the tour).  If I could do a face-palm with my little paws I would have right then.  Heaven forbid we not get time in the gift shop!  Priorities, right?

After a few minutes in said gift shop (it wasn't very big anyways) we all piled back on the boat and headed back.  Once again we were entertained with more stories about the Thousand Islands, ending with the story of Bolt Castle just before docking there (allowing anyone to get off if they wanted, and picking up anyone done visiting.  I only bring this up because my favourite quote from our tour guide came at this point.  He was explaining that if you got off, you could get back on any of the "Uncle Sam" boats and they'd take you back to Alexandria Bay.  "The other tour boat..." he said (Referring to the tour boat from the Canadian side), "Great people.  Great beer.  Wrong country."   A few minutes later we were back on solid ground, and after a few last minute stops, and a hurried organizing of tourist trinkets in the back of the car to prepare for customs/border crossing, we were on our way again. Before I can share my next story, I have to refer you back to the reason this trip happened at all; Clare's expired Nexus card.  If you don't know what this is, it's basically a pre-screening for people who cross between Canada and the USA often.  Most, if not all boarder crossings now have separate Nexus lanes for people with these cards, which move much quicker (due to the pre-screening) and can sometimes even have no line up at all.  Remember now, Clare's card had expired, and so they couldn't re-activate it (she has to wait for new one to come by mail).  Sure enough, we each the border and isn't the Nexus lane completely empty as we line up in the "regular" lane :(.  To add insult to injury there is a border security person wandering around directing traffic and making sure only Nexus people go in that lane etc, and Rissa rolls down her window and tells him our situation, you know, just for fun.  He laughs and looks through the car at Clare and says "well now you should have been more prepared, shouldn't you!"  She tries to defend herself, but he just keeps laughing and telling her it's her own fault, and how she owes her mother a dinner for making her wait.  She laughed too and agreed.  But it gets better!  We finally make it up to the customs booth, and Clare hands over her passport with Rissa's Nexus card on top.  The lady immediately starts with "uh oh, who's the bad guy here?"  For a moment we wondered what she meant, until it dawned on us, she was referring to the lack of a Nexus card for one of us.  So again, Clare found herself explaining, and the lady laughed.  The good thing, she was so pre-occupied with teasing Clare about the card that she nearly forgot to ask if we had anything to declare.  We were through without a hitch!

It was now 5pm but I had one more goal for my mini-vacation, and that was the 40 storey tower just after we crossed into Canada.  It towers well above the trees and gives a wonderful panoramic view of the islands in all directions.  Even though I knew it would end in yet another visit to a gift shop, I decided it was worth it.  And it was!   After an hour at the tower (and gift shop, of course), it was finally time to admit that my trip was pretty much over.  As it was, I'd dragged it out to the point that we wouldn't be back in Guelph until at least 10, so it was time to say good-bye to the islands. It was a busy two days, but worth every minute.  It was wonderful to get off the shelf, even for a short trip.  I have heard rumours of some other trip, later this year with Clare, but I don't want to jinx it so I'll just let you wait and see.   Until next time my friends, Whatever!