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WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2011
A thousand thrills Ontario’s Thousand Islands is a rare gem for boating, fishing and biking FLICKR: SAILORBILL
THE TRAVELLIN’ CANADIAN DARREN PARKMAN
TRAVEL@METRONEWS.CA
Billing itself as “the greatest vacation spot in the world,” the Thousand Islands region in southeastern Ontario is doing its darnedest to earn that moniker. Being a B.C. boy who has travelled the world, it’s pretty hard to find unique and unusual places. The Thousand Islands is one of those rare gems that really does stand out. After arriving at the quaint, historic Gananoque
The Thousand Islands
What to do Visit Boldt Castle: Built on one of the islands by an American millionaire for his wife, this amazing cas-
Inn on the banks of the St. Lawrence, I was immediately struck by the fact that there really is a heck of a lot of islands here. In fact, there is far more than the promised 1,000. Actually, a total of 1,793 separate islands make up the archipelago that straddles the Canada/U.S. border. Speed-boating across the international water border, I was amazed at the endless number of private little islands, some barely large enough to hold a house. The fishing out here is phenomenal too — that is, until I happened to snag a large ornery northern pike. Half an hour after landing this monster, it suddenly proceeded to chow down on my poor index finger, which threw a bit of a monkey wrench into
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Boldt Castle. FLICKR: RUNJMRUN
( Formerly Voyages Algonquin Travel ) 180 Kent Street, Unit 3, Ottawa
613-237-6340 www.marlintravelonline.ca Open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm
Speed boating is a popular option.
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tle is a stunning piece of architecture worth seeing. Skydive: For the adventurous, freefall on your first jump and enjoy a stunning view of the islands.
my day on the water. However, I was soon distracted from my traumatic fish experience by all the other fun things happening here. Back on the mainland in Gananoque, I wiled away a morning cycling by all the gorgeous heritage-style houses in the area. Another scenic area is the Gananoque Trail hike, which brings you through forest and along the river front. But to really get a good look at this area, you have to head to Hill Island near the U.S. border. Here you can ride to the top of the Thousand Islands tower sky deck and get a breathtaking view of the river and all those islands. They aren’t cheap anymore, but I sure wish I had the money to own my own island.