The first time I came to the Thousand Islands, I was in high school. My friend’s family had a small cottage in Cape Vincent and we spent a week there one summer. I went waterskiing for the first time and still remember how terrified I was. I was a city kid and didn’t learn to swim til I was in fourth grade.
I moved away not long after college and lived in Alaska for almost twenty years before coming back to Rochester in 2013. My husband and I started coming to Thousand Islands almost right away, first for day trips, then for weekend camping trips, and then for all of September. The island-iness of the River and all its nooks and crannies reminds us so much of Southeast Alaska. The freighters are the whales of the River. I love how quietly something so huge just appears and slides by. There are so few people in September and the River just feels ours, like home. The light is magic, the warm days are so lovely, and the stormy days are perfect for knitting socks on the dock.
When we come home each fall, we sift through our memories and the pictures take us back to the River and to all of the amazing places we’ve gotten to know. Last September, we paddled, hiked, and walked over 350 miles and loved each one, from pre-coffee paddles around Ironsides to walks down the road to Kring Point to windy day walks from Cape Vincent to Tibbets Point.
We look forward to coming back almost as soon as we leave and can’t wait to see the three otters that spent last September checking us out. We loved paddling by beavers, muskrats, loons, cormorants, geese, and bald eagles, or spotting snakes and turtles basking in the sun. We loved seeing wild turkeys, deer, and porcupines on our walks down the road, and watching squirrels and chipmunks dart around the rocks at our tiny cottage. We’re so grateful for all of it!
We're just down the road from the Macsherry Trail and visit often. Zenda Farms is another favorite and the views from Foster-Blake Woods are amazing. The Otter Creek Trail in Alex Bay is another favorite. It feels so far removed from the business of town.
We’re so grateful for TILT and for everyone who loves the River as much as we do. Thank you, from the depths of my river-full soul.
Nonna, Doug, and Ed
We love hearing from our TILT Members! If you have a favorite memory or experience out on the land that you would like to share, please contact Kate Breheny, [email protected].
